The Hurricanes Super 14 rugby season is in danger of foundering after they slumped to their fourth straight defeat, going down 29-26 to the Sharks at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday night.

Playing at home after three losses in South Africa, the Hurricanes desperately needed a win to revive their hopes of post-season play but paid the price for poor ball control and retention in setpieces and indifferent discipline which resulted in costly penalties.

Sharks five-eighth Ruan Pienaar did not turn down any spotkick opportunity and nailed five, the last coming in the dying seconds of game to sink the Hurricanes who had fought back to tie the score at 26-26 after trailing for most of the match.

After a lethargic first half in which the Hurricanes were on the defensive for the most part, coach Colin Cooper sent on halfback Piri Weepu for Tyson Keats an Aaron Cruden for Willie Ripa at five-eighth to try to overcome a 13-6 scoreline.

The pair provided the spark which ignited the Hurricanes in the second half, Weepu booting two penalties and two conversions while Cruden played major roles in the leadup to the two tries scored by Ma'a Nonu and Victor Vito which saw the scores tied with 10 minutes to go.

But errors at crucial times saw the Sharks escape with their second win on the trot in New Zealand, having defeated the Highlanders in their last match.

It took just five minutes for the Sharks to claim the first try - through fullback Patrick Lambie who finished off a quick tap penalty taken within metres of the Hurricanes tryline.

Pienaar added the extras but the Hurricanes' reply was immediate.

Ripia knocked a penalty over after the Sharks infringed while trying to secure the kickoff.

The match settled into a pattern with the Sharks dominating and the Hurricanes defending desperately with wing Tamati Ellison outstanding along with centre Conrad Smith.

The Hurricanes had no more than a handful of forays into the Sharks' half and lost a golden opportunity to score a try when temporary substitute prop Jacob Ellison had the ball wrenched out of his hands in the tackle a metre out from the tryline.

Another Ripia penalty in the 34th minute saw the Hurricanes close the gap to one point.

But Pienaar replied with two of his own after the Hurricanes, pinned in defence, were pinged for tackle indiscretions.

It was the Sharks' turn to defend in the second half as the Hurricanes, with Weepu and Cruden making most of the play, began to dominate.

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