The Hollywoodbets Sharks showed some unexpected initial competitiveness but in the end they were no obstacle to an All Black team that comfortably wrapped up a 54-0 victory in their second game of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Tuesday night.
The New Zealanders are used to the wet conditions that greeted them at the start and they hardly raised a sweat as they scored eight tries without reply against a Sharks team that was game and gutsy but ultimately just completely outgunned.
The All Blacks silence the Sharks to go 2/2 in #RugbysGreatestRivalry 🇳🇿👏#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/x9DtFBY2f7
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 11, 2026
With the Sharks significantly under-strength for this game due to Springbok calls, injuries and of course the fact they were playing this game on a wet weekday night in front of 14 000 spectators out of season, it was never anticipated that the hosts would push what was an All Black team with significantly more players likely to feature in the test series than played against the DHL Stormers.
For much of the first half the Sharks youngsters dared to dream.
Indeed, it was the fact that they were young that probably cost them the early ground on the scoreboard, with the youthful enthusiasm of some of the talented young Sharks backline players too often drawing them into exercising the wrong option.
And those mistakes were to cost them.
In a nutshell, there was a lot of youthful talent in the home team, but the fact that centre Jurenzo Julius at 22 was one of the most experienced backs in the starting team showed why the Sharks' hopes of being properly competitive in this fixture were always wishful thinking.
Which of course does pose a question against the point of having these fixtures - while the Stormers game four days ago was a positive blow landed for the value of having games against club sides, this one wasn’t, with the All Blacks playing like they were taking part in an opposed practice session and never really properly engaging their top gear.
It is a valuable experience for youngsters to play against the All Blacks, but their chances of really gaining anything out of it were effectively blown by the lack of experienced, older hands in the combination to help the youngsters.
NONU’S HAKA RESPONSE WAS THE OCCASIONS HIGH POINT
On the opposite end of the experience scale was the home team’s former All Black import Ma’a Nonu, who played off the bench.
On a night where the All Black effort looked low key and the occasion as a whole was low key relative to the opening game watched by a crowd of 47 000 in Cape Town, provided the game’s most memorable moment.
The 44-year-old, who played 103 games for his country in an international career that ended with his second claiming of a Rugby World Cup winners medal in 2015, stepped forward after the theatre of the All Black haka by stepping forward, as he would be compelled to, to answer the challenge with a haka of his own.
It was a great moment and one that has already gone around the world on social media at the time of writing.
Pitchside for one of the most special moments in rugby 👏
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 11, 2026
Ma’a Nonu steps forward to perform his own Haka at the Shark Tank against the All Blacks 🇳🇿#SSRugby | #RugbysGreatestRivalry pic.twitter.com/stiS47ETlI
By the time Nonu was introduced into the Sharks midfield for what was effectively his debut for the KZN club the game was over as a contest as the All Blacks engaged what can best be described as cruise control in the second half after turning 14-0 up.
Unlike the Cape Town game, there weren’t as many questions posed of the visitors, except that there were times in the first half when an underpowered Sharks forward unit set up well on the drive, their contestable kicking contesting wasn’t much better than it was against the Stormers.
The Sharks don’t have as strong a scrum as the Stormers and it was the All Blacks who were comfortable in that phase.
NOT AS MANY QUESTIONS POSED AS IN CAPE TOWN
The Sharks also never hit them with the same swarming press defence that the Stormers did so if there was still a question around their dealing of that aspect of the South African game it wasn’t a night it was properly put to the test.
And in truth, the All Blacks seldom looked really pressured.
There were moments for the Sharks in the first 20 minutes, a period where the All Blacks may have given away too many penalties for their own comfort.
However, right wing Fehi Fineanganofo got the first points on the board with a good try in the north east corner at the end of that first quarter, and although one to Damian McKenzie was chalked off due to a knock-on, the All Blacks fullback slid over in that same corner after Fineaganofo had caught a cross kick and McKenzie was the extra man and he skated over the puddles to dot down.
The TMO did take some time to adjudicate as it looked like McKenzie might have put a foot in touch on his way through, but the contact looked like it was with the corner flag, which belongs to the attacking team.
All Black flyhalf Ruben Love had a good night with his place-kicking, succeeding with seven out of eight conversion attempts, and he was on target with both first half attempts as the All Blacks opened their 14-0 lead.
Caleb Clarke crossed off a long pass in the left corner not long after the start of the second half and then All Black tries became frequent occurrences after that as they rattled up their half century.
SCORES
New Zealand 54 - Tries: Fehi Fineanganofo 2, Damian McKenzie, Caleb Clarke, Sam Darry, Jordy Barrett, Kyle Preston and Timoci Tavatavanawai; Conversions: Ruben Love 7.
Hollywoodbets Sharks 0.