The Highlanders have played the Sharks 20 times in Super Rugby since 1998, the Highlanders have won eight matches and lost 12 times.
The Highlanders eight wins give them a record of winning 40% of their matches against the Sharks regardless of venue.
- Two of the last three Super Rugby matches between the Highlanders and Sharks at Forsyth Barr Stadium have been decided by three points or fewer.
- The Highlanders did not play last weekend as they started the season with a bye.
- Aaron Mauger’s side is undefeated in their last five Super Rugby games on home turf (W3, D2) after having led at half-time in each of those five fixtures.
- The Sharks opened their 2020 Super Rugby campaign with a 23-15 win over the Bulls.
- The Durban-based franchise has picked up competition points in each of their last seven Super Rugby regular-season games in New Zealand, despite having won only twice in that period; they’ve also earned a draw and four losing bonus points in that time.
- The Sharks have made more than 10 clean breaks in four of their last five Super Rugby games away to New Zealand sides since the beginning of the 2018 campaign after not having done so even once in the six seasons prior.
- The South Africans won 14-15 in their most recent meeting at the venue (22 April 2016).
- Teihorangi Walden (Highlanders) has been directly involved in three tries in his last three Super Rugby games against South African opposition (2 tries, 1 assist)
- Teihorangi has been directly involved in three tries in his previous three Super Rugby games overall as well (2 tries, 1 assist).
Match detail
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Aaron Smith leads out the Highlanders in his 137th Super Rugby game, Lukhanyo Am for the Sharks, who will kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway for this first fixture of Round 2 at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin. The Sharks are in all white, the Landers in their traditional blue.
2.00: Josh McKay knocks on a bomb, the Sharks regather before Curwin Bosch’s pin-point kick pins the home team inside their 22. Referee Angus Gardner is having trouble with his radio set and has to change his radio set for the TV audience.
3.00: Am early attacking opportunity goes begging. Liam Coltman overthrows the lineout, the visitors regain and go six phases before Dillon Hunt wins the penalty at the ruck.
4.00: Sharks are offside at the lineout allowing Mitch Hunt to boot his side into the opposition’s 22. The tourists have gone from attacking inside the Landers’ 22 to defending a lineout inside their own 22, two phases later.
6.00: The Highlanders lose the ball forward in contact; scrum to the Sharks, who collapse and concede the penalty. Thomas du Toit is the guilty party. Seemed a bit harsh from Mr Gardner because there was no gap.
7.00: PENALTY! Hunt, on debut, puts the Highlanders on the scoreboard. 3-0
8.00: Josh Dixon knocks on the restart. Scrum to the Sharks on the opposition’s 10m.
9.00: BIG SCRUM! The Highlanders win another scrum-penalty, the second one given away by Du Toit; that’s four penalties already against the South Africans.
11.00: Bosch’s penalty does not find touch; however, the Sharks win another penalty after debutant Tima Fainga’anuku is isolated at the breakdown; the second turnover penalty at the ruck for the visitors. Bosch calls for the tee.
12.00: PENALTY! Bosch levels with a monster 49-metre penalty, which sails over the crossbar with room to spare. 3-all
15.00: Both sides losing a lineout throw. The Sharks are dominating the breakdown, winning four penalties, while the Highlanders are winning the set-pieces.
18.00: James Lentjes wins the penalty turnover at the breakdown after the Sharks won the initial turnover through Tyler Paul. Hunt kicks into the opposition’s 22.
20.00: Coltman again overthrows, letting the Sharks clear their lines after a lineout of their own.
21.00: Kerron van Vuuren is pinged for “coming through on the halfback”. Hunt with another good kick into the Sharks’ 22.
23.00: Ayden Johnstone runs interference, killing another attack. Mr Gardner is speaking to Am and Lentjes about the battle at the breakdown.
24.00: Highlanders sack the maul illegally; Bosch calls for the tee.
25.00: PENALTY! Bosch fades his kick through the uprights. 3-6
28.00: Madosh Tambwe jumps high to try intercept Josh Ioane’s floated pass, but the winger knocks on giving the Highlanders an attacking scrum outside the Sharks’ 22. Bosch almost intercepts from the following phase but also drops the ball; however the host’s attack.
30.00: Bosch clears after some big defence from the flyhalf’s team. The South African’s rush-defence has been superb, disrupting every attack and winning the turnovers.
31.00: TRY! James Venter races clear to score under the posts after Tambwe won a highball dual. 3-11
33.00: CONVERSION! Bosch adds the extras. 3-13
35.00: TRY! Makazole Mapimpi finishes a slick move, including Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Aphelele Fassi, to dot down in the corner. 3-18
37.00: CONVERSION! Bosch makes no mistake from wide. 3-20
39.00: TRY! Mapimpi at the double! It’s that man Notshe again, this time winning the turnover, breaking forward before a magical offload to the supporting Tambwe, who puta the World Cup-winner away. 3-25
40.00: CONVERSION! Bosch slots the easy kick. 3-27
41.00: Paul takes the restart and kicks the ball into touch.
The halftime score was Highlanders 3 Sharks 27
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Dunedin.
42.00: Sanele Nohamba is on for Louis Schreuder and has an immediate effect, earning his team a scrum thanks to an accurate box-kick that Fainga’anuku dropped. A streaker has halted play. Amazing!
43.00: Am wins another penalty for his team, again at the ruck. Bosch will take a shot at goal.
44.00: PENALTY! Bosch extends with his third penalty goal of the night. 3-30
46.00: Hunt puts the penalty out close to the Sharks’ try-line after the Sharks were in front of the kicker.
47.00: TRY! Easy as you like, as Dillon Hunt crashes over from the first-phase attack. 8-30
48.00: CONVERSION! Mitchell Hunt adds the extras. 10-30
51.00: Aaron smith leaves the field as Mauger starts to empty his bench.
53.00: The Sharks are struggling to get their hands on the ball and are leaking more penalties which are pinning them inside their half.
57.00: The Highlanders start a counter-attack from deep before kicking and winning a penalty after Bosch tried to run the ball out of his 22 and conceded a penalty when Nohamba went off his feet.
59.00: Sharks win a scrum inside their 22, but they get bulldozed by their opponents. Highlanders opt for another scrum.
61.00: TRY! Jona Nareki, on debut, takes Hunt’s crossfield kick after a quick-tap penalty, and scores in the corner. Game on! 15-30
63.00: MISS! Hunt pushes his kick wide.
66.00: The Sharks are struggling now, all the momentum is with the Highlanders.
69.00: OH DEAR! Kayne Hammington’s pass is knocked on by Rob Thompson with the try-line begging.
71.00: MASSIVE SCRUM! The substitutes walk the opposition backwards and win a penalty to relieve the pressure.
73.00: TRY! Fassi finishes the game with a try after gathering a loose ball following Bosch’s little dink-grubber. 15-35
74.00: CONVERSION! Bosch makes it seven from seven. 15-37
74.00: TRY! Michael Collins, on his return, scores in the corner after some smart work by Teariki Ben-Nicholas on the touchline, who flicked a bouncing ball into Collins’ hands. 20-37
75.00: MISS! The kick is charged down. 20-37
80.00: TRY! Fassi has a double, scoring in the corner after handing Hammington off. 20-42
81.00: MISS! Bosch misses his touchline kick, but no matter. 20-42
FULL TIME
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The final score is Highlanders 20 (3) Sharks 42 (27)
Scorers
Highlanders
Tries – D. Hunt, Nareki, Collins
Pen – M. Hunt
Con – M. Hunt
Drop –
Cards –
Sharks
Tries – J. Venter, Mapimpi (2), Fassi (2)
Pen – Bosch (3)
Con – Bosch (4)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1: Paul Williams
Assistant Ref 2: James Doleman
TMO: Chris Hart
Teams
Highlanders
15 Josh McKay, 14 Tima Fainga’anuku, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Josh Ioane, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 James Lentjes (captain), 6 Dillon Hunt, 5 Josh Dickson, 4 Paripari Parkinson, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Ayden Johnstone.
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 19 Jesse Parete, 20 Shannon Frizell, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Michael Collins, 23 Teariki Ben-Nicholas.
Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 James Venter, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Le Roux Roets, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Henry Chamberlain, 23 Jeremy Ward