View photosKEY POINTS:
HIGHLANDERS 17
SHARKS 19
The Highlanders continued their unlikely victory tread for another 56 minutes last night before the Sharks retrieved their unbeaten season record.
This was supposed to be a redemptive stroll in the southern city for the Sharks, a jaunty outing for the talented visitors after all the controversy of their drawn match last week in Wellington. But they were shaken early and struggled for much of the match as the Highlanders produced more of the venom from their solitary series win last week against the Lions.
Eventually, the Sharks needed an opportunist intercept try from their athletic No 8 Ryan Kankowski and the howitzer boot of Francois Steyn to escape what was looming as a Carisbrook embarrassment.
New halfback Toby Morland latched on to an early intercept but was chased down as the Highlanders started in high gear while the Sharks spluttered about on oily plugs.
For a side with the miserly defensive record of conceding just seven tries in their seven games, the Sharks began to wobble. Exciting left wing Fetu'u Vainikolo began the tremors with his speed through the line, the injection of fullback Paul Williams created the space and the wing eventually battled his way across the stripe.
There was a similar outcome not long after when Vainikolo made a break and from the quick ball, tighthead prop Clint Newland arrived from his scrum duties to power over with a classic catch and drive. Both tries were converted by James Wilson and the crowd and the Sharks stared in disbelief at a scoreboard showing a 14-3 margin to the locals.
Slowly the Sharks reclaimed some momentum as they dominated the lineouts and dynamic No 8 Ryan Kankowski and Frederic Michalak began to tease a tiring defensive line. The confidence grew and the Sharks sustained interpassing created huge pressure.
The line broke just once when Jacques Botes completed a move of dazzling short supporting passes but the Highlanders were grateful to reach the break still ahead 17-11 after a frenetic first half. That lead looked as though it would evaporate immediately when Kankowski intercepted for a 45m run to the line but Ruan Pienaar missed the handy conversion and a penalty soon after.
It was left to the 56th minute and the massive kicking power of Steyn to rectify those blemishes when he blasted a penalty on target from 54m as he tried a rash of long-range penalty and dropped goal attempts.
The Sharks controlled most of the play but they needed two pieces of late luck when Vainikolo shelled a difficult intercept attempt, one he would have scored from and Wilson squeezed a final penalty past the posts. It was that sort of night for the Highlanders. A snapshot of their season: almost but not quite.
Highlanders 17 F Vainikolo, C Newland, tries; J Wilson 2 con, pen
Sharks 19 J Botes, R Kankowski, tries; R Pienaar 2 pen, F Steyn pen
Halftime: 11-17* A Highlanders player could face criminal charges after allegedly being involved in a street fight in Dunedin's city centre last Sunday morning.
No charges have been laid but Dunedin police confirmed an investigation is under way.
