All Blacks sweep aside Sharks 54-0 in Durban

The All Blacks produced a clinical second-half display to beat the Sharks 54-0 in Durban and claim their second victory on the Greatest Rivalry Tour.

New Zealand overcame difficult, wet conditions to dominate the physical contest, win the scrum battle and punish inaccurate kicking from the home side. They also used intelligent kicks into space and showed greater composure under the high ball as they kept the Sharks under sustained pressure in front of a crowd of just over 14,000 at Kings Park.

The Sharks, fielding a young side, began brightly and were held up over the line during an encouraging opening spell. Their handling was impressive despite the slippery surface, and they spent long periods inside the All Blacks’ 22-metre area.

However, the hosts could not find a way through a disciplined New Zealand defence. The All Blacks gradually took control and opened the scoring in the 19th minute after winning a contestable kick. Following several phases, Fehi Fineanganofo crossed in the right-hand corner, with Ruben Love adding the conversion.

Damian McKenzie thought he had scored soon afterwards, but the full-back lost the ball over the line and the try was ruled out by the television match official. McKenzie did get his name on the scoresheet in the 29th minute, collecting an inside pass and finishing despite Vusi Moyo’s attempt to force him into touch. Love’s conversion put New Zealand 14-0 ahead at half-time.

The match had already produced a memorable moment before kick-off. After the All Blacks performed their haka, former New Zealand centre Ma’a Nonu delivered a solo response, with the Sharks players standing in a line behind him. The powerful exchange created a striking atmosphere at Kings Park and was a moment likely to remain with those who witnessed it in the stadium.

New Zealand extended their advantage soon after the restart. A quick tap penalty allowed them to switch play, and Wallace Sititi’s long pass released Caleb Clarke. Love converted from a difficult angle to make it 21-0 after 44 minutes.

From there, the All Blacks pulled away. Fineanganofo collected his second try after a chaotic passage of handling, before Jordie Barrett crossed following a slick spell of passing. Kyle Preston added another try, and Timoci Tavatavanawai powered over as the Sharks’ defence began to tire.

Sam Darry completed the scoring in the 76th minute, running a strong angle to cross for New Zealand’s eighth try. Love converted seven of the All Blacks’ eight tries.

The Sharks briefly threatened late on, with Jurenzo Julius and Luan Giliomee involved in a promising attack, but a knock-on ended the move. Earlier, Giliomee had also found Siyaya in space, only for the attack to finish with the Sharks player being tackled into touch.

New Zealand’s control was underlined by their ability to deal with the Sharks’ kicking game, which lacked the accuracy shown by the Stormers in Cape Town the previous Friday. The visitors also forced errors through their pressure and were more assured in the air.

The Sharks’ late introduction of Nonu produced one of the crowd’s loudest reactions when he made a heavy tackle on Love. Yet it was the All Blacks who finished emphatically, completing a 54-0 victory.

Sharks 0 (0): no tries or conversions.

All Blacks 54 (14): tries by Fehi Fineanganofo (2), Damian McKenzie, Caleb Clarke, Jordie Barrett, Kyle Preston, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Sam Darry; Ruben Love converted seven.