Brumbies close in on Sharks as log chase hots up

AUSTRALIA’S ACT Brumbies’ Super Rugby title push gained momentum at the weekend with their win over champions the Chiefs, coupled with the shock home loss of competition leaders the Sharks.

The Brumbies sliced the Sharks’ lead to just one point after mastering back-to-back champions Waikato 41-23 in Canberra on Friday.

Jake White’s Sharks, about to go on a season-defining four-match Australasian tour, were smashed 34-18 by New Zealand’s Otago Highlanders in one of the shock results of the season in Durban.

The Chiefs paid for their loss to the Brumbies, with the Wellington Hurricanes displacing them at the top of the New Zealand conference after a 35-21 home win over the fading Queensland Reds.

Season surprises Western Force held on to their fourth place overall with a gritty 15-9 win over the Bulls to send South Africa’s triple Super Rugby champions home without a win on their away tour.

The NSW Waratahs continued to be thwarted at Eden Park, where they lost 21-13 to the lower-ranked Auckland Blues to slip to sixth overall.

In the weekend’s remaining match the Cheetahs kept the Stormers on the bottom of the standings with a 35-22 win in a South African derby in Bloemfontein.

The Sharks, who have played seven of their opening nine games at home this season, lost for just the second time this year to the Highlanders.

The Highlanders combined strong, creative running and impressive field kicking to deadly effect, scoring four tries for a bonuspoint triumph at Kings Park after building a 24-12 half-time lead.

The Dunedin outfit achieved victory despite struggling in scrums and lineouts, being repeatedly penalised, and having lock Joe Wheeler sin-binned on 50 minutes.

In Canberra, the Brumbies ran in five tries in an impressive bonuspoint win over the Chiefs in a re- match of last year’s Super Rugby final.

The Brumbies dominated the Chiefs to lead 36-9 after 63 minutes with 18 straight points while Chiefs replacement James Lowe was given a yellow card for tripping. The Chiefs hit back with two late converted tries to reduce the final margin.

The Hurricanes capped a stunning revival by going top of the New Zealand conference with victory over the Reds.

Cory Jane scored a hat-trick of tries as the ’Canes dotted down five times to claim a bonus point.

It was another unsuccessful mission for the Reds – despite a bye last week – in what is rapidly becoming a disastrous season for the 2011 champions.

They have now won just three of nine games while the Hurricanes, who won only one of their first five, have now bagged five from nine.

Western Force stayed on track for the play-offs with a hard-earned win over the Bulls in Perth.

The Force, who have never reached the finals, moved one step closer when they notched their sixth win from nine matches this season on the back of the boot of South African flyhalf Sias Ebersohn.

It moved the Perth franchise into second in the Australian conference, while the Bulls have just three wins from 10 matches after a a winless Australasian tour.

Replacements Cornal Hendricks and Trevor Nyakane scored late tries to seal victory for the Cheetahs over the Stormers in a Super 15 basement battle. – AFP