CAPE TOWN - The Sharks used their dominant scrum to squeeze out a 36-28 victory over the Queensland Reds in a Super 14 match in Durban early today.
The South African side's heavier forwards quelled a gutsy Reds side that three times answered Sharks scores with tries of their own and were only subdued in the final 10 minutes when the Sharks scored their fifth.
Three of the Sharks' tries came from the base of an advancing scrum and a fourth from a lineout drive while the Reds struggled to win their own scrum possession and resist the maul from the lineout.
The defeat was the Reds' sixth in seven matches but they took the consolation of a bonus point for scoring four tries when wing Peter Hynes crossed for his second with two minutes remaining.
The Sharks took five points to move up two places to eighth and keep alive their hopes of reaching the play-offs with a run-in of five matches on South African soil.
"Today's emphasis was to make sure that we maximised our forward advantage," said Sharks skipper John Smit.
"We pride ourselves on our forward play and the scrum and lineout are really important to us. It doesn't matter how exciting your backs are if your forwards are not doing their job."
It took only seven minutes for the home side to demonstrate their power when prop Deon Carstens was propelled over the line from a lineout drive.
Reds halfback Sam Cordingley charged down opposite number Ruan Pienaar straight from the first phase after the restart to set up a try for hooker Stephen Moore and set the pattern for the first hour of the game.
Wing Henno Mentz scored the Sharks' second only for Hynes to hit back with his first. When number eight AJ Venter scored the Sharks' third off the back of an advancing scrum 10 minutes into the second half the Reds responded seven minutes later with first five-eighths Berrick Barnes claiming a Ben Tune grubber to run the ball in from 40 metres.
That closed the Sharks' advantage to one point (22-21) for the second time and only when flank Warren Britz and halfback Ruan Pienaar scored within five minutes of each other after scrums close to the Reds' line could the home side breathe easily.
The Reds were rewarded for their dogged defence with the bonus point for scoring four tries when Hynes was put in close to the posts from a well-worked backline move in the 77th minute.
The Sharks have a bye next weekend while the Reds complete their three-match South African tour against the Cats in Johannesburg.
Scorers
Sharks: Tries - Deon Carstens, Henno Mentz, AJ Venter, Warren Britz, Ruan Pienaar. Conversions - Tony Brown (4). Penalty - Brown
Reds: Tries - Stephen Moore, Peter Hynes (2), Berrick Barnes. Conversions - Julian Huxley (4)
Referee: Steve Walsh (NZ)
Half time: 15-14
- REUTERS
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