Despite a battling display by the Sharks, the Waratahs held on for the win 25-21 in their Super 14 match in Sydney.

New South Wales handed the Sharks their fourth straight loss to open the Super 14 season.

The Waratahs, playing their first match at home after a losing two-match South African tour, scored three tries to two but had luck on their side to keep the spirited Durban team at bay in the final stages.

The Waratahs were booed by their own supporters for continually kicking for territory and not opting to run the ball and had to defend grimly as the Sharks clawed back from 25-14 down with 30 minutes left.

The Sharks had their big winning chance with two minutes left with an overlap before replacement Kurtley Beale intentionally knocked down Stefan Terblanche's intended pass to Ryan Kankowski with the try-line beckoning.

Australian referee Paul Marks sent Beale to the sin bin but turned down Terblanche's pleas for a penalty try which would have broken the Sharks' losing four-match start to the season.

The Sharks have won just twice from nine attempts in Sydney in Super Rugby, with their most recent success a 26-19 win in 2000.

"Tonight we did enough to win, but the scoreboard tells a different story," the Sharks' Springbok captain John Smit.

"Four losses in a row is hard on us and we're hurting, but we just have to keep at it."

The Sharks at one stage were reduced to 13 players when referee Marks sent prop Jannie du Plessis and England flyhalf Andy Goode to the sin bin midway through the opening half.

Yet despite the reduced personnel, the Sharks led 14-13 when they regained their full complement of players.

While they were down on numbers, number eight Kankowski scored a 50-metre intercept try off a Waratahs' lineout win in the 26th minute to hand the Sharks a surprise lead.

The Waratahs appeared to have got on top of the Sharks with two tries to Daniel Halangahu and Tom Carter via the television match official for the home side to lead 18-14 at halftime.

Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau stretched the Waratahs' advantage to 25-14 when he crashed over under the crossbar in the 51st minute, but they were the last points his team were to score.

Springbok centre Adrian Jacobs dummied his way over minutes later for the Sharks to trail by four points, but despite dominating possession and a willingness to run the ball, the South Africans could not come up with the winning points they probably deserved in the end.

"It was a pretty physical game, but we hung in well at the end and we have a lot to work on from tonight (Saturday)," Waratahs' veteran skipper Phil Waugh said.

The Sharks stay in Australia and take on the ACT Brumbies in Canberra next Saturday, while the Waratahs are at home against the Golden Lions on Friday.
Scores:

New South Wales 25 (Tom Carter, Daniel Halangahu, Tatafu Polota-Nau tries; Berrick Barnes 2 conversions, 2 penalties), Sharks 21 (Adrian Jacobs, Ryan Kankowski tries; Andy Goode conversion, penalty, dropped goal, Ruan Pienaar penalty), HT: 18-14.