JP Pietersen scores twice as Sharks beat Hurricanes.
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 11/05/16 11:57am
JP Pietersen scored a pair of tries as the Sharks produced a fine display to stun the Hurricanes 32-15 in Durban.
The home side stormed clear in the second-half at Kings Park, putting up 24 unanswered points in one spell, after a very tight opening 40 minutes had ended 8-8.
Sharks fly-half Garth April and Hurricanes counterpart Beauden Barrett swapped penalties for the only scores of the opening 25 minutes, before Wellington prop Reggie Goodes barged over from close range for the first try of the afternoon.
Pietersen levelled the scores seconds before the interval and then broke the game open on 44 minutes with his second try, running on to his own hack forward to score unchallenged.
That sparked a second quick try for the Sharks, when scrum-half Michael Claassens was too quick for the Hurricanes defence, taking the ball over the line from a quick tap.
Pat Lambie, on his return from a dislocated shoulder, made it 25-8 with a penalty and they added a fourth try when Daniel du Preez broke from the back of a scrum to scramble over the line.
But the only negative of the game, with the Sharks winning only their second game in seven, came when full-back James Marshall strolled through to score and deny them a bonus point.