The Hurricanes beat the Sharks 32-24 in Wellington on Saturday night, but had to work hard for their 10th win of the 2015 Investec Super Rugby season, with Prince Harry in attendance.
Against a committed Sharks side, the Hurricanes came from behind to score an outstanding try in the corner to lock Jeremy Thrush, created in part by openside flanker Ardie Savea, who flicked a perfectly timed pass back in field to Thrush as he was being bundled into touch.
Thrush's match winner put the Hurricanes ahead 26-24 with seven minutes remaining, before first five-eighth James Marshall slotted two late penalties. The second of these served to deny the South African visitors a bonus point.
The Hurricanes out-scored the Sharks four tries to three, to take maximum points and maintain their position at the top of the table on 48 points. They host second placed New Zealand Conference side the Chiefs next Saturday in their last regular season round-robin match at home.
The win was built on grit and determination. In a tight, physical tussle, it was more a battle of attrition than razzle-dazzle.
The Sharks dominated possession and territory statistics in the first half but the Hurricanes led 14-10 at the turnaround. The lead changed hands four times in the second half as both teams battled for ascendancy.
The Sharks made a concerted start to the contest, punching for early holes inside the Hurricanes' 22. Sharks hooker Bismarck du Plessis barged over for an early converted try.
Hurricanes first five-eighth Marshall missed an opportunity with his first penalty, but the Hurricanes stretched the Sharks defence across the field, resulting in second five-eighth Ma'a Nonu floating a lovely skip-out pass across to right wing Cory Jane who ran in their first try.
Marshall converted Jane's try and the scores were locked up at 7-7 after 13 minutes.
The Sharks made another sustained raid up into Hurricanes territory, but organised defence held them out and restricted them to a penalty to second five-eighth Frans Steyn.
The Hurricanes hit back immediately with a sizzling try scored by captain and centre Conrad Smith, who ran on to a short pass by fullback Matt Proctor after a well-worked lineout drive and a burst by Nonu. Smith's seventh try of the season and Marshall's conversion saw the Hurricanes ahead 14-10 with a quarter of the match played.
Sharks openside flanker Etienne Oosthuizen was sin-binned for a high tackle shortly after, prompting the visitors to up their ante on attack.
The Sharks forwards muscled up and used their lineout drive to good effect, but were met by stiff resistance.
The Hurricanes ended the first half having made almost twice as many tackles (80) to the Sharks (44) and in deficit in both territory and possession.
The home side enjoyed a good period of attack early in the second half and pushed the Sharks firmly on the back foot with a lively raid up the far side, Nonu and halfback Chris Smylie both prominent.
Lock James Broadhurst surged ahead from a lineout 30 metres out, but the Sharks won a turnover and counterattacked in broken play. Left wing Sibusiso Sithole flew in to score and put the Sharks ahead.
Super-sub Reggie Goodes replied for the Hurricanes barely a minute after being on the field, rumbling over from close range, after a run from Victor Vito off the base of an attacking scrum and a powerful short-range punch by Nonu. Marshall converted Goodes' try, putting the Hurricanes back in front 21-17.
More wholehearted Hurricanes defence was the order of the day as the Sharks drove at and over the chalk from a lineout. But the officials deemed that a player was offside and the Hurricanes escaped the danger.
Instead the Sharks ran in the try that their forwards couldn't score, Odwa Ndungane racing through for the try. Steyn's conversion put the Sharks ahead 24-21 with 15 minutes to play.
Marshall missed a penalty for the Hurricanes, but they regained possession, stretched the Sharks and Thrush scored in the corner to put them in front for the final time.
Scores:
Hurricanes 32 (Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Reggie Goodes, Jeremy Thrush tries; James Marshall 2 pen, 3 con) beat the Sharks 24 (Bismarck du Plessis, Sibusiso Sithole, Odwa Ndungane tries; Francois Steyn pen, 3 con) halftime: 14-10
The scoring action (by minute):
5th: Bismarck du Plessis try. Sharks 5-0
6th: Frans Steyn conversion. Sharks 7-0
12th: Cory Jane try. Sharks 7-5
13th: James Marshall conversion. Hurricanes 7-7
17th: Frans Steyn penalty. Sharks 10-7
20th: Conrad Smith try. Hurricanes 12-10
21st: James Marshall conversion. Hurricanes 14-10
45th: Sibusiso Sithole try. Sharks 15-14
48th: Frans Steyn conversion. Sharks 17-14
52nd: Reggie Goodes try. Hurricanes 19-17
53rd: James Marshall conversion. Hurricanes 21-17
65th: Odwa Ndungane try. Sharks 22-21
66th: Frans Steyn conversion. Sharks 24-21
73rd: Jeremy Thrush try. Hurricanes 26-24
76th: James Marshall penalty. Hurricanes 29-24
80th: James Marshall penalty. Hurricanes 32-24
The Hurricanes team was:
1.Chris Eves Replaced by Reggie Goodes, 52nd minute
2.Motu Matu'u
3.Ben Franks Replaced by Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 62nd minute
4.Jeremy Thrush
5.James Broadhurst
6.Blade Thomson
7.Ardie Savea
8.Victor Vito Replaced by Brad Shields, 53rd minute
9.Chris Smylie
10.James Marshall
11.Matt Proctor
12.Ma'a Nonu
13.Conrad Smith (c)
14.Cory Jane
15.Nehe Milner-Skudder Replaced by Rey Lee-Lo, 55th minute
Reserves
16.Brayden Mitchell
17.Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
18.Reggie Goodes
19.Callum Gibbins
20.Brad Shields
21.Frae Wilson
22.Otere Black
23.Rey Lee-Lo