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All Blacks bite back with eight-try Sharks feast
Reuters • August 12th, 2026 8:06 am
Fehi Fineanganofo | Photo: Ron Gaunt/Photosport
New Zealand have run in eight tries without conceding as they romped to an emphatic 54-0 win over the Sharks in the second game of their South African tour.
It was a much more convincing performance than Friday's opener against the Stormers in Cape Town, where their forwards struggled before they scored late tries to win 38-21.
The Sharks had little answer to a rampant All Blacks on Wednesday (NZ Time) with winger Fehi Fineanganofo scoring two of the tourists' tries.
The other six came from Damian McKenzie, Caleb Clarke, Jordie Barrett, Kyle Preston, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Sam Darry. Ruben Love put over seven conversions.
Damian McKenzie scores a try | Photo: Ron Gaunt/Photosport
The Sharks, who fielded a youthful line-up and had none of their current internationals available, showed early promise and held out until the 19th minute when Fineanganofo went over on the short side for the opening try.
McKenzie added one more before the break, before going off injured at half-time, as the All Blacks looked to run with the ball at pace despite the heavy pitch, littered with puddles of water after rain that only cleared minutes before kickoff.
The second half was one-way traffic against a tired-looking home side as Clarke and Fineanganofo again were fed long passes to score in the corner and Barrett and Preston ran through for easy scores.
Tavatavanawai went over with 10 minutes to play before lock Darry burst through the home defences and stretched to get the ball over the line in the 76th minute for the last score.
Ma'a Nonu runs at Ruben Love | Photo: Samuel Shivambu/Photosport
The Sharks put on 44-year-old former All Black Ma'a Nonu for the last 20 minutes after he recently joined the provincial side in a leadership and mentorship capacity.
Nonu, who won 103 caps for the Kiwis, performed a poignant solo response to New Zealand's traditional pre-match Haka to the delight of the small crowd and then delivered some crunching blows on his compatriots in his cameo performance, one of the highlights for the 14,759 spectators at King's Park.
The All Blacks next meet the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday in the third of four clashes against provincial opposition as they embark on a first traditional tour of South Africa in 30 years.
They also play four Tests against the Springboks, with the first in Johannesburg on August 22.
