White guides Sharks to top spot
SUPER RUGBY
JAKE WHITE’S coaching influence continues to shine over Super Rugby, with the Sharks going back to the top of the standings with a well-timed win over the Lions in Durban.
With the undefeated Chiefs and Waratahs having the bye, White’s players put some daylight between them and their pursuers, a 37-23 bonuspoint victory taking them to 14 points from three matches.
The World Cup-winning Springboks coach guided the Brumbies to a surprise final appearance last season but took charge of the Sharks after his Wallaby ambitions were thwarted.
Canberra’s loss has been Durban’s gain as the master mentor has quickly made his mark with his new team.
The Sharks, who lost regular No 10 Patrick Lambie just before kickoff to – would you believe – tick bite fever, had looked to be cruising to victory when they led the Lions 30-9 with 30 minutes to go. The visitors then racked up 14 more points before the Durban side clinched the bonus point when flanker Marcell Coetzee was driven over.
Frans Steyn showed his class for the Sharks after moving in a position to fill the void left by Lambie and kicking a perfect seven-from-seven goals, including a couple of typical long-range efforts from the superboot.
‘‘Francois Steyn was absolutely exceptional,’’ Sharks skipper Bismarck du Plessis said afterwards. ‘‘I’m very happy at getting the bonus point.
‘‘But we must keep our feet on the ground. We will have to play better to be contenders for the title.’’
White’s old team also continued their resurgence. The Brumbies, who lost their opener at home to the Reds, made it back-to-back road victories when they outplayed the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday night to prevail 29-21, with tries to Jesse Mogg, Robbie Coleman, Tevita Kuridrani and Lachie McCaffrey. The loss heaps further pressure on Canes coach Mark Hammett, whose franchise has now lost eight straight matches, including their first three of 2014.
The Canes never found any rhythm or fluency on their return from South Africa, with Hammett declaring they looked ‘‘lonely’’ and paid the price for a high turnover count (23 by his reckoning).
The Force were the other Australian side to make their mark over the round, the men from Western Australia celebrating flanker Matt Hodgson’s 100th game with a stunning 32-7 victory over Melbourne’s Rebels – the bonus point raised after 27 minutes.
It was an emphatic response by the Force after back-to-back losses to open their season.
But no-one was more relieved over round four than Todd Blackadder and his Crusaders, who scratched out a 14-13 home win over the Stormers, thanks to a try from replacement back Keiron Fonotia and a couple of key contributions from Tom Taylor.
Blackadder was ecstatic to avoid a 0-3 start after winning what he called ‘‘a battle of wills’’.
John Kirwan’s Blues tumbled to a disappointing 38-22 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria, after trailing 25-12 at halftime. The coach lamented his side’s soft defence and slow start, and felt they had handed the match to the men from the highveldt.
The Reds were the round’s other winners, outlasting the Cheetahs 43-33 in Brisbane.