Highlanders score four to stun table-topping Sharks

A mid-season loss of form for Super Rugby leaders Coastal Sharks continued on Friday when they suffered a shock 34-18 home loss to Otago Highlanders.

The Durban outfit were lucky to defeat fellow South Africans Central Cheetahs last weekend – playing what one newspaper termed "stone age" rugby – but there was no let-off for the Sharks against the energetic New Zealanders.

Highlanders combined strong, creative running and impressive field kicking to deadly effect, scoring four tries for a bonus-point triumph at Kings Park after building a 24-12 half-time lead.

The team from Dunedin achieved victory despite struggling at scrums and line-outs, where they were repeatedly penalised, and having lock Joe Wheeler sin-binned on 50 minutes.

Sharks suffered a major pre-match setback when injury ruled out inspirational skipper Bismarck du Plessis, who is rated the best hooker in the world.

Stand-in captain Charl McLeod was too busy duelling with rival scrum-half Aaron Smith to lift a home side guilty of too many handling errors and poor execution of the basics.