Sharks alive for a final fling

Saturday's club rugby semifinal between the Sharks and Hora Hora always seemed destined to go down to the wire - but nobody could have foreseen the twists and turns the match took before the Sharks held their hands aloft to celebrate their 23-18 victory.
The memorable match featured two excellent packs battling it out, some fluid attacking backplay countered by stinging defence but despite all the highlights, it will be remembered by many for a pitched battle midway through the first spell that saw nine players sent from the field - two of them permanently.
The rumble at Farmlands Park was ignited by a high hit without arms by Ualosi Kailea on Robbie Murray  and the flames were then fanned  when Hora Hora skipper Warren Dunn took issue with Kailea's tackle.
It took a couple of minutes for the melee to be brought under control and then referee Marius Botha took advice from his touch-judges before culling both teams, handing out seven yellow cards and two reds.
Kailea deserved his red card for losing his temper but it was a surprise to see Hora Hora's Riley Dunn also sent from the field, when his only sin seemed to be trying to protect one of his teammates felled by a blow.
The yellow cards appeared to have been just as random, but the officials had little choice but to act and could only go on what they saw.
Ironically, Kailea had been the hero just 10 minutes earlier. Good work by Hugh Rawiri put him away for a try, which was converted by Reece Hammon, to give the Sharks a 7-0 lead. Dave McDonald slotted a penalty to make it 7-3, before the boxing interlude halted proceedings.
Under way again, but with only 21 players on the park, neither side really found their rhythm. Hora Hora were under the pump in the set-piece throughout the game but made up for it in other areas of the game, particularly in the rucks where clever counter-rucking saw them steal plenty of ball.
The visitors' advantage in possession and territory in the latter half of the first spell finally paid off on the stroke of half-time when Troy Woodman pushed off Hammon and had the strength to get to the line to make it 11-7.
Hora Hora's rolling maul looked to have started the second spell by scoring but for the second time in the match, the referee was unable to spot a grounded ball and the visitors again failed to take their chance from the scrum restart.
They continued their good start to the spell and after 10 minutes Matt Black scored after recycling the ball after a cross-field run by Warren Dunn had stretched the Sharks defence.
At 7-18, the Sharks felt the game slipping away and mounted a comeback that saw Hammon add a penalty and then he narrowed the deficit to one point when skipper Garry Whippy scored after the Sharks mounted some forward pressure of their own on the Hora Hora line.
Hammon's kicking   was important and he kicked another penalty with eight minutes  left to retake the lead 20-18.
Hora Hora weren't going to die wondering and surged back into the contest with Woodman trying a drop-goal that didn't miss by much. The visitors were soon trapped in their own quarter and a poor clearance went straight to Shark's winger Mateo Malupo, who slotted a drop-goal to give them breathing space.
The kick proved vital as Hora Hora went back on attack, but were forced to turn down kickable penalties and go for the five-pointer, which eluded them in a hectic spell before the  whistle.
Whippy said he always thought the Sharks would win, but he was full of admiration for the way Hora Hora pressed them, particularly in the final few minutes, when any other side may have accepted the inevitable.
"It's a pretty surreal feeling right now, it feels like we ducked a bullet, just quietly. We had it all over them in the first 20 and then we had that kerfuffle that disrupted things a bit, but we hung in there and found a bit of composure in the second half to get back in the lead," he said.
The Sharks now have to find that composure once again for the final clash with Mid Northern next weekend.