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Highlights - Blues leak 63 points in "embarrassing" loss
By RugbyPass
Flyhalf Robert Du Preez racked up 38 points in the Sharks' entertaining 63-40 victory over the Blues at Eden Park.
The fly-half was successful with all 13 of his kicks and scored one of six Sharks tries, setting a new Super 15 era record and moving into second place for all-time single-game hauls.
The home side crossed five times in the second half but unable to prevent a fourth defeat out of five.
Head coach Tana Umaga branded the home loss "embarrassing" after the match.
The Sharks jumped out to an early lead through tries to captain Ruan Botha and openside flanker Jean Luc du Preez. Robert du Preez's boot converted both tries and kicked four penalties in the first spell to give the visitors a 26-7 advantage at the break.
Things opened up in the second half, with nine tries scored between the two sides.
A yellow card to Sharks winger Sbu Nkosi opened the door for a Blues comeback, with the Auckland side scoring three unanswered tries to come storming back and take 28-26 lead.
Number Eight Akira Ioane picked up his sixth try of the season after having one disallowed in the first half, and young flyhalf Stephen Perofeta sliced through the Sharks defence to score a 60-metre counter attacking try in his run-on season debut.
Unfortunately, the Blues' lead would last just two minutes before they leaked three tries themselves, including two to Number Eight Tera Mtembu.
The Blues scored two more tries through Rieko Ioane and George Moala - who shifted to the wing after Melani Nanai left injured in the opening stanza - but the Sharks had the last laugh, with livewire fullback Curwin Bosch galloping 60-metres to score untouched after the final siren.
SHARKS 63 (Botha, J. Du Preez, Mtembu, R. du Preez, van Wyk, Bosch tries; R. Du Preez 6 cons, 7 pens) BLUES 40 (Collins, A. Ioane, Tuipulotu, Perofeta, R. Ioane, Moala tries; Perofeta 5 cons) HT 26-7
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Latest Comments
Hi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
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