For a quarter-hour before kickoff last night the Blues and Sharks stood in their changing rooms at North Harbour Stadium with alarm bells ringing in their ears. Whoever flicked the switch to the fire alarm probably had no idea it was just the beginning of a night of controversy at Albany. The fact the Sharks beat the Blues was almost overshadowed by the delay, a nasty incident involving referee Stuart Dickinson and Blues coach David Nucifora and the return of some old-fashioned biffo on a night of high passion.
Whether Nucifora faces any sanction is unclear. But such a confrontation, which was partly defused by Dickinson's unwillingness to engage with Nucifora, is rare and generally frowned upon. With the Sharks taking four points they move to just three points behind the Blues in the chase for the semi not hosted by the Crusaders.
The Blues didn't walk away empty handed. They bagged a late bonus point thanks to a Daniel Braid try. The chunky pivot used every ounce of his weight to heave the ball over from about 55 metres.
It was a moment of pure genius and few could remember a pot from as far at the stadium. It was certainly appreciated by large pockets of Sharks fans at the ground. It gave the South Africans a handy 11-3 lead and they had cause for further celebration just before the break.
Wing JP Pietersen pounced on some loose ball over the Blues line for his side's second try. It was a controversial moment. Blues skipper Troy Flavell was attempting to clear the ball from a ruck on his own line and appeared to have his hand slapped by a Sharks' player and the ball spewed into no man's land.
Pietersen pounced and Nucifora, who is normally cool and calm under pressure, was livid. Exactly what he said to Dickinson is unclear. However, it made his feelings pretty clear, even from a distance.
He felt mighty aggrieved with the ruling. The incident passed almost unnoticed as both teams rushed to leave the park. However, Nucifora is unlikely to get off scot-free.
He could face possible sanction later this week when Dickinson files his match report. A moment of madness after the resumption of play allowed Pietersen to rub further salt into the Blues' wounds. He charged down a Ben Atiga clearing kick and won an unopposed foot race to the ball sitting unprotected in the Blues in-goal.
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