URC: Sharks squander massive lead to lose narrowly at Connacht

Trailing to an early Dave Heffernan score, the Sharks took over 20 minutes to reach the opposition 22 but built a 27-7 interval lead.

Andre Esterhuizen powered over twice, Jordan Hendrikse delivered two monster penalties, and Gerbrandt Grobler also crossed late on.

The westerners made the early running, with a Piers O'Conor break preceding hooker Heffernan's opening maul effort. Josh Ioane nailed the conversion.

The hosts remained on the front foot until former Harlequin Esterhuizen's hard line off a lineout got the Sharks off the mark. Siya Masuku converted.

Hendrikse, the Currie Cup final's goal-kicking hero, then split the posts from halfway, before Esterhuizen proved unstoppable again in the 28th minute.

Following a stunning 63-metre strike from Hendrikse to make it 20-7, Grobler scored via a maul for Masuku to convert.

Forde got Connacht firing again with a clever chip kick for Mack Hansen, whose return pass sent the young centre in behind the posts.

Heffernan barged past Tian Meyer for a 50th-minute maul try, and there was only a point in it (27-26) after Jennings intercepted replacement Meyer's pass to race clear from just outside the Connacht 22.

The momentum was then seized by second row Dowling, who successfully burrowed over. Forde converted and tagged a penalty to seal the maximum haul. Masuku's last-minute penalty gave his side a losing bonus point. 

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