The second Vodacom Super Rugby quarter-final of the weekend ended disappointingly for the Cell C Sharks who went down 41-0 to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday morning.
Tough and typically wet, cold and windy conditions greeted the Durbanites with the awful weather not helping to contribute to their fortunes as the home side used their local knowledge to their advantage.
The Cell C Sharks had only lost two of the last nine encounters between the two teams and earlier this season defeated the top New Zealand side this year 32-15 at Growthpoint KINGS PARK when they outmuscled their Kiwi visitors on home soil. They had won four previous encounters in Wellington to underline their reputation as good travellers. However, the Hurricanes had not lost since the defeat in Durban and it would prove nigh impossible for the Cell C Sharks to accomplish the season double.
The log leaders at the end of the pool stages underlined just why they finished top of the log with a performance that their coaches and fans would rejoice at.
A good start from the Cell C Sharks, where they looked to physically dominate their hosts, afforded them an early opportunity for points, but Garth April’s penalty attempt was blown off-course by the howling wind.
They continued to apply the pressure and were awarded a second kickable penalty following a strong lineout drive, but this time sent the ball to touch. However, the Hurricanes did well to disrupt the drive and clear the ball.
The home side were happy to haemorrhage penalties as their indiscipline was fortuitously not being punished on the scoreboard and they managed to soak up the pressure from the visiting Cell C Sharks.
It took until the 13th minute for the first points of the night to be scored, the Hurricanes benefiting from the first indiscretion of the game from the Cell C Sharks.
Minutes later, the Hurricanes delivered some outstanding play to score the opening try of the game. The wind (read Hurricane) continued to play havoc with the kicking off the tee and play-making flyhalf Beauden Barrett sent the conversion wide.
Given the elements, this was a game that needed to be played intelligently rather than with flair and the Hurricanes played the conditions perfectly, great executions off an attacking scrum led to their second try and real danger for the well-meaning visitors.
A TMO-denied try for Beast Mtawarira just added to their woes and a late penalty that the wind again played havoc with meant the Cell C Sharks, despite some committed play, had been unable to break the duck on the scoreboard as the teams went into half-time with the Hurricanes leading 13-0.
There was no letting up of the abysmal weather and the Hurricanes were quick to use the wind at their backs to their advantage, pinning the Cell C Sharks in their 22 and looking to turn sustained pressure into more points.
But the visitors weathered the storm and some great close-quarters work from the forwards allowed them to avert further disaster. But not for long as the kicking game once more came into play and allowed the Hurricanes to exploit space out wide to score their third try with just over half an hour’s play remaining.
A fourth try minutes later pushed the hosts into a 27-nil lead, and an assailable one at that with the result sadly sewn up and the Cell C Sharks finding no solution to the relentless pressure.
The Hurricanes scored two further tries which will give them great confidence ahead of their home semi-final next weekend.
The post Wellington Woes appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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