.jpg "Steven Sykes of the Sharks wins a line-out during the match. (Paul Kane/Getty Images)")
Sharks Rip Force to Shreds
PERTH—The Western Force's Super 14 finals hopes are in danger of imploding after a second-half capitulation handed the Sharks a 22-10 triumph at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.
Scores were locked at 3-3 at the break but the Sharks broke the shackles early in the second half, with tries to JP Pietersen, Odwa Ndungane and Rory Kockott in an inspired 22-minute spell securing the Sharks' fifth win of the season.
Force winger Scott Staniforth notched a consolation try in the 73rd minute but it wasn't enough, with the Force's record at Subiaco Oval now a dismal eight wins from 22 appearances.
The result leaves the Force five points adrift of the top four, a gap that will increase next week with a bye.
The Sharks, meanwhile, are on track for a top-two finish after securing five wins from the first six rounds, with six of their final seven games of the season to be played at home.
The Force dominated the first half but were denied time and again by the Sharks' rock solid defence.
Force No.8 Tamaiti Horua and Sharks flanker Keegan Daniel were seeing stars in the second minute after a clash of heads but both recovered and Matt Giteau opened the scoring via a penalty in the ninth minute.
Fullback James O'Connor was influential early, defusing numerous high balls and long kicks from the Sharks.
But the Force's attacking raids failed to reap dividends, several botched passes letting the home side down when the try line beckoned.
Sharks flyhalf Francois Steyn levelled at 3-3 with a drop goal in the 30th minute and the visitors held firm for the remainder of the half despite being reduced to 14 men in the 34th minute when prop Deon Carstens was handed a yellow card for a blatant offside offence.
The Force were made to pay dearly for their inability to strike, with Sharks captain John Smit setting up the first try of the match in the 43rd minute despite the visitors still being down a man.
Smit forced a spill from Force scrumhalf Josh Valentine, with flanker Keegan Daniel scooping on the crumbs and firing a pass to winger JP Pietersen, who outran Drew Mitchell and O'Connor in his 60m sprint to the line.
Tries to Ndungane and Kockott extended the Sharks' lead to 22-3 in the 65th minute but the Force hit back seven minutes from time, with a neat inside pass from Giteau sending Staniforth over the line.
But it was too little, too late for the Force, who were far from pretty despite their pink attire.
Waratahs Denied Glorious Olympic Stadium Debut
.jpg "Kieran Read of the Crusaders holds the Rotomahana Challenge trophy. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)")
Poor execution in attack and, when they did get it together, some superb try-saving tackles from the Crusaders backs' consigned NSW to their second straight loss in their first ever match at the Olympic Stadium.
The Crusaders, missing captain Richie McCaw and with only six players from last year's final win over the Waratahs, scored two tries to one in front of 32,469 in the Rotomahana Challenge showdown.
Adding to the Waratahs' woes, 100-game prop Al Baxter's celebration turned sour when he was forced from the field in the 31st minute with a recurrence of his calf muscle injury.
Waratahs five-eighth Kurtley Beale was again indecisive as the NSW backs struggled with their handling, and the No.10 was replaced with 20 minutes remaining.
But some miraculous last-ditch defence from Crusaders backs Ryan Crotty and Colin Slade denied a rampaging Lote Tuqiri and Lachie Turner when they had both looked certain to score in the second half.
The Crusaders led 7-0 after a first-half arm-wrestle but, after the loss of Baxter, it was loosehead Benn Robinson who stepped up immediately after the break to get the Tahs back on level pegging.
The portly No.1 made an unlikely 30m bust and had looked like going all the way before moments later picking up from the back of a ruck and diving over to get his reward.
The Crusaders went ahead by three with a 52nd minute Colin Slade penalty goal, and the Waratahs should probably have scored next after a rare 60m backline raid which took advantage of visitors fullback Leon MacDonald being down injured.
But two try-saving tackles in two phases from Crusaders centre Crotty on Turner and Tuqiri ensured the visitors clung to their 10-7 lead.
And it was a case of whatever the Waratahs did, the Crusaders did better when two minutes later the visitors went 100m and fullback MacDonald scored under the posts.
Beale got the Waratahs to within a converted try at 17-10 with a 60th minute penalty goal but was hooked by coach Chris Hickey immediately afterwards for Daniel Halangahu.
Tuqiri looked certain to score two minutes later, storming towards the line after a 30m run but was miraculously denied by a Slade try-saver, before Halangahu booted another penalty in the 65th minute for 17-13.
The Waratahs, who have not beaten the Crusaders since 2004, lost their first home game in 11 matches.
Waratahs captain Phil Waugh was unable to hide his frustration.
"If we drop that much ball, we won't win another game this season," Waugh said.
"So we've got a lot of work to do in that area."
Super 14 Collated Results and Standings-Round 6
BULLS 19 (JP Nel try Morne Steyn con 4 pens) bt HURRICANES 14 (Jason Eaton, Tamati Ellison tries Piri Weepu 2 cons) at Westpac Stadium. Referee: Matt Goddard (AUS).
HIGHLANDERS 32 (Israel Dagg 2, Adam Thomson 2, Stephen Setephano tries Matthew Berquist 2 cons pen) bt CHEETAHS 8 (Corne Uys try Jacques-Louis Potgieter pen) at Carisbrook Stadium. Referee: Paul Marks (AUS).
CHIEFS 63 (Sitiveni Sivivatu 4, Callum Bruce, Richard Kahui, Brendon Leonard, Lelia Masaga, Liam Messam tries Stephen Donald 8, Michael Delany cons) bt BLUES 34 (Joe Rokocoko 2, Jamie Helleur, Isaia Toeava, Anthony Tuitavake tries Jimmy Gopperth 3 cons pen) at Waikato Stadium. Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA).
CRUSADERS 17 (Leon MacDonald, Isaac Ross tries Stephen Brett, Colin Slade cons Slade pen) bt NSW WARATAHS 13 (Benn Robinson try Kurtley Beale con Beale, Daniel Halangahu pens) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Chris Pollock (NZL). Crowd: 32,469.
SHARKS 22 (Rory Kockott, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen tries Kockott 2 cons Francois Steyn drop goal) bt WESTERN FORCE 10 (Scott Staniforth try Matt Giteau con pen) at Subiaco Oval. Referee: Bryce Lawrence (NZL).
LIONS 25 (Jaque Fourie, Louis Ludik, Jano Vermaak tries Andre Pretorius 2 cons pen drop goal) bt BRUMBIES 17 (Mark Chisholm, Stirling Mortlock tries Mark Gerrard, Mortlock cons Gerrard pen) at Ellis Park. Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA).
Super 14 Ladder P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
- Bulls 5 5 0 0 141 79 62 2 22
- Sharks 6 5 0 1 137 106 31 1 21
- NSW Waratahs 6 4 0 2 110 94 16 3 19
- Chiefs 6 3 0 3 143 109 34 5 17
- Blues 6 3 0 3 176 196 -20 5 17
- Hurricanes 5 3 0 2 117 98 19 3 15
- Crusaders 6 2 1 3 99 103 -4 4 14
- Highlanders 6 2 0 4 112 111 1 5 13
- Brumbies 5 3 0 2 105 108 -3 1 13
- Stormers 5 2 0 3 116 90 26 4 12
- Western Force 6 2 1 3 106 127 -21 2 12
- Queensland Reds 5 2 0 3 102 91 11 3 11
- Lions 5 2 0 3 96 142 -46 2 10
- Cheetahs 6 0 0 6 73 179 -106 2 2
Bye-Queensland Reds, Stormers
Top point scorers (tries, conversions, field goals, penalty goals, points):
Morne Steyn (Bulls) - 8 2 15 67
Rory Kockott (Sharks) 1 12 1 8 56
Jimmy Gopperth (Blues) 1 13 - 7 52
Mark Gerrard (Brumbies) 2 4 - 10 48
Daniel Bowden (H'landers) 2 7 - 7 45
Matt Giteau (Force) - 8 1 8 43
Stephen Donald (Chiefs) - 16 - 3 41
Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs) - 8 1 7 40
Peter Grant (Stormers) 1 9 - 4 35
Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Cheetahs) 1 5 - 6 33
LEADING TRYSCORERS
5: JP Pietersen (Sharks)
4: Isaia Toeava (Blues), Pierre Spies (Bulls), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs), Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), Casey Laulala (Crusaders)
3: Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), Cameron Shepherd (Force), Hosea Gear (Hurricanes), Richard Kahui (Chiefs), Wynand Olivier (Bulls), Joe Rokocoko (Blues), Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies), Anthony Tuitavake (Blues), Andries Bekker (Stormers), Ashwin Willemse (Lions), Peter Hynes (Reds), Digby Ioane (Reds)
