18.30 Alessi tackled by Morris. He's got a bit isolated there, and the ball comes loose. Bakkum's there to clean up and he's through a poorly formed defensive line. He wrong foots Blunder and dots down in the corner. Witters with the conversion attempt. He misses. Spartans 12 - 5 Sharks
21.30 A great tackle by Paddy Orr on Shane Masters snuffs out a promising Sharks attack. The fact that he was able to bring down Masters with such speed shows how much strength the Spartans centre has. Orr rips the ball from Masters in the tackle and that's a turnover.
30.00 This play came out of nothing. Spartans won a turnover on the halfway line and with what looked like a potential overlap out wide, Robert Cribb extracted the ball from the ruck and instead ran down the shortside and through an atrociously weak tackle from Eliott Witters. Cribb performs a show-boating pole dance with the left upright after touching down under the posts. Luffman easily converts. Great solo effort from Cribb there. Spartans 19 - 5 Sharks
31.00 Logan restarts for the Sharks. Oh dear. Paddy Orr's dropped that one under pressure from Dexter Astele. Orr regathers, but that's a knock on. Scrum to the Sharks. Easily won and Bakkum spreads across the backs. Logan cuts back infield, but he's going nowhere. He's tackled and held by Ben Storer. Howell comes in and the ball pops out for the Spartans. The whistle goes. Penalty to the Sharks - hands in the ruck from Howell. Logan finds touch 15m from the Spartans try line. Morris throws deep and this time the call's right. Astele takes the ball at the end of the line out. He drives a few metres and a ruck forms. Hughes spreads the ball. Cut out pass to Graham who drives at the Spartans line. He's shrugged off that tackle and he touches down 5m to the right of the posts! TRY! Witters with the conversion, but he's scuffed it and it misses. Poor attempt. Spartans 19 - 10 Sharks
33.45 Lucas Schaw on the run. He's been elusive tonight, but Sam Verigotta nails him. Surely a turnover here? No, Schaw's done well here but Shane Masters slams into the side of the ruck. That's a penalty. Blunder kicks for touch. He hasn't gained much there, we'll have a line out 20m from the Sharks line. Howell with the throw - another good take from McGrath. McGrath passes to Cribb. Cribb to Alessi. Great run here - he palms off Regan Hutchinson and passes to Callum Laing. Laing is tackled by Das, but Laing shrugs it off. Laing then steamrollers Eliott Witters. Only 5m from the try line and Laing is finally brought down, but not held. Good attempt by Shane Masters. The ball comes to Cribb who cuts inside. He's over the line and brought down by Lee Sweetman. Was Sweetman under the ball there? We'll have to go to the TMO... ...Cribb just about got the ball down there! TRY! Converted by Luffman. Spartans 26 - 10 Sharks
Yeah. Having to rearrange your backline really hasn't helped you at all. Poor old Witters having a shocker so far
And that's half time. Fairly even stats wise. Spartans with 53% possession, 58% territory. Line outs looking poor for the Sharks, somewhat unexpectedly. Some poor throws from Morris have cost them a bit.
Can't see it happening. To win, I think you needed to get early points on the board and take a lead into the 2nd half. We shall see. Second half to start shortly.
42.00 Well, well, well. The Sharks have come out for the 2nd half with purpose and some big hits have immediately put the Spartans on the back foot. Hughes is tackled by Storer, but Astele and Sweetman secure quick ball. 25m from the Spartans line. The Sharks attempt the pick and go, but Masters is quickly cut down by Ritchie. McDougal, Morris and Verigotta secure slow ball under pressure. Looks like they're going for the pick and go again, but it's a sucker-punch. Instead, Hughes dummies for a run, but instead fires a pass to Graham who immediately chucks a huge pass out wide to Green. Green with plenty of space to play with as Blunder tries to cover. Green cuts inside, and there's a big gap and he scores half way between the posts and the side line. Witters under pressure with the conversion, but he finally gets one over. Spartans 26 - 17 Sharks
