Hail Mary heroics saviour for 'Canes

Hurricanes 23 Sharks 17

It was going to be a royal return or a horrid homecoming for the Hurricanes.

A regal Rodney So'oialo showed the way but there was a lack of conviction from his serfs until twin acts of burglary in the last quarter allowed them to clear out from the Sharks.

An acrobatic catch near the sideline followed by a Hail Mary behind-the-back flick pass from Lome Fa'atau produced the try which broke the game open for the Hurricanes. His speculative pass hit the rampaging Chris Masoe who surged across the tryline to complete 65m of kick-and-chase pressure from the Hurricanes.

Soon after substitute lock Jason Eaton expertly pick-pocketed a Sharks fumble and gave Fa'atau a lengthy sprint to the tryline.

That double strike confirmed the Hurricanes would lead the Super 14, overtaking the Crusaders who have the week off. It also killed off the Sharks challenge although they hung in to score a late converted try for a bonus point.

For too long, it looked as though the Hurricanes would need the sort of final move miracles which allowed them to beat the Stormers and Bulls in South Africa. They had stayed an extra day in the Republic to work on their recovery game at the Cake Tin but they looked jetlagged and ill at ease for much of this match.

Fate intervened in the 60th minute during a breakout which mixed fortune and daring, as Paul Tito and So'oialo chased a dropout and harried the defenders into mistakes before Fa'atau worked his balletic magic.

The Hurricanes played with the strong first-half wind but were unable to take advantage as winter and rugby collided.

The rugby reflected conditions as heavy showers and gusty winds interrupted the early evening kickoff in the capital. Jimmy Gopperth collected two penalties but the Hurricanes did not deliver any great stamp on the game. They compounded their impotence with risky decisions underlining their frustration.

It was a madcap first half where the unseasonal weather, rugby's complicated rulebook, increasingly zealous refereeing and average play delivered a messy spectacle.

But as the Sharks started to accrue some possession, their specialist wet-weather inside back combination of Craig Davidson and Tony Brown set down their markers. They chipped the ball into space or kept it close to their powerhouse pack.

Sensing a momentum shift in the match, Brown kicked for the line rather than at goal and from the subsequent lineout catch and drive, Sharks lock Johan Ackermann was driven over for a try. It ended a long drought for the 35-year-old, the oldest player in Super 14, who had not scored a try since Sanzar started its pro series. Brown goaled superbly from the sideline, added a penalty soon after and the Sharks were 10-6 ahead and set to turn with the wind at their backs. But like the Hurricanes they found the wind was no magic potion.

Hurricanes 23 (C. Masoe, L. Fa'atau, try: J. Gopperth 3 pen, 2 con)
Sharks 17 (J. Ackermann, G. Bobo, tries; T. Brown 2 con, pen)
HT: 6-10