Sharks SA’s best team
16 May 2006
The Bulls are in the Vodacom Super 14 play-offs, but on the balance of the competition the Sharks were South Africa’s best team.
The Sharks scored more tries (42 to 41), but lost out by a single point in their points differential to a Bulls side that scored an extraordinary win against the sad Stormers in Cape Town.
The victory in Cape Town was special and you could only admire the effort in scoring the 32-plus points differential needed to qualify. That the Bulls did this with just 14 men for an hour of the match makes the achievement even more remarkable.
But when you strip everything away and remove all bias the Sharks produced the better rugby all season and had very little luck to show for it. The TMO ruled against the Sharks, just as it did against the Bulls, but the lack of luck was not in the TMO decisions. The Sharks lost Tony Brown at a crucial stage in the match against the Bulls, one in which they fought back magnificently to come within a converted try of saving the game. Ironically, if the Sharks had scored a converted try and drawn the match at Loftus, no South African side would be in the play-offs.
South African rugby needed a representative in the play-offs, to sustain interest in this country, but the wrong team got on the plane to Christchurch. It is a team that is not good enough to win back to back play-off matches overseas, whereas the Sharks would have posed a greater threat, simply because of their greater attacking game plan.
The Bulls will counter this, as Heyneke Meyer did after the win against the Stormers. Meyer said his team was the best of the South Africans because it had beaten the other four South African teams. He said they played the better attacking rugby and that four tries or more in every match against South African opposition supported his comment. He also said the Bulls deserved to be going to Christchurch. A week earlier he had said that the Bulls did not deserve to be in the play-offs on the basis of the defeat against the Crusaders at Loftus and a few other narrow misses. A week seems to be a long time in rugby.
I make the statement that the Sharks were the better team when you assess their progress from a year ago and compare it to the Bulls. The latter have not improved on last year, but have been as inconsistent. A year ago they threatened to take a home semi-final, but didn’t manage it and this year they were in a position to end in the top two but self-destructed.
Now compare this to a Sharks teams that ended 12 from 12 a year ago. They finished fifth, level on league points with the Bulls. Only the Crusaders scored more tries in the tournament (47) and they recovered from a one win from six matches situation to be a point away from qualification. The Sharks effort was mighty. The Bulls effort was only mighty in the manner they got through the back door.
The Bulls have some fantastic players. In Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha they have the best lock pairing in world rugby. In Bryan Habana they have the best finisher in the game. Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Fourie du Preez and Pedrie Wannenburg are class players, while Wynand Olivier is a great talent.
But if you picked a combined Sharks and Bulls team, the Sharks would have the greater numbers. More than that, had the two teams played in Durban, the Bulls would not have won.
The match was played in Pretoria, you will tell me, and the Bulls won. Well done to them, but it doesn’t change my sentiment that the wrong team got on the plane on Sunday.
Combined team
15. Monty (Sharks)
14. Ndungane (Sharks)
13. Strauss (Sharks)
12. Olivier (Bulls)
11. Habana (Bulls)
10. Brown (Sharks)
9. Pienaar (Sharks)
8. Wannenburg (Bulls)
7. Botes (Sharks)
6. Britz (Sharks)
5. Matfield (Bulls)
4. Ackermann (Sharks)
3. Botha (Sharks)
2. Smit (Sharks)
1. The two teams cancel each other out here.
633 Comments
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16 May 2006, 17:54 pm
Yeah I’ll be buying if you come out end of the year Igbert!
16 May 2006, 17:54 pm
I reckon Luke Watson would make a pretty decent inside centre
16 May 2006, 17:57 pm
but even there jake already have his blue eyed wynand.. or de wet…
16 May 2006, 17:57 pm
Schalk Brits is my inside centre.
In fact, my back to front SA XV backline would have to be:
15) John Smit
14) Big Joe
13) Schalk
12) Schalk
11) Pierre Spies
10) Big Vic
9) Luke Watson
16 May 2006, 18:06 pm
No room for Juan, Vetkoek?
16 May 2006, 18:08 pm
Good call, would have to dust Spies for Juan
16 May 2006, 18:16 pm
My opinion is that the Bulls game plan is plain and simple.
If executed correctly,and with the right players,they are unbeatable.
rugby,like all things in life, doesnt have to be complicated.
so,Bulls in my eyes are a good team.
but FFS, the Bulls supporters are the biggest one eyed doos in the rugby world.
ok,let me rephrase that.
SOME Bulls supporters, not all, are the unbelievabily one eyed.
they talk about Bulls thrashing the Sharks, but fail to mention the scoreline, which says otherwise. they are keen to remember the on field performance.
oh but wait, when we speak of the log position, they are suddenly willing to forget the on field performances, and the respective schedule draws of the teams. they are only willing to speak of the points difference(which is minimal)
come on guys,the Bulls sucked this year.
and why are some of you so happy that a Bulls team playing **** rugby but still end up top of the SA teams?
they played **** rugby,PERIOD!
when a team plays **** rugby, they are a **** team.
Some Bulls are going on about the Bulls not playing to their potential,and still ended top.
hey guys,if it is potentials you are talking about, think about the potentials of the Sharks and the Stormers.Now that is potential.
either way,Bulls cant be seen as the absolute best.
I say there are is no absolute best team in SA this year.
Bulls are best bcos they are top of log.
Sharks are best when taken into account of the circumstances of their draw.
comparing the two is like comparing McDonalds and Coca Cola, YOU CAN’T, BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT THINGS ALL TOGETHER.
Bulls are good at wot they do
Sharks are good at wot they do
one thing we can all be sure of
Stormers, not Cats (as I had in mind al season), MUST be the shittest team.
hey Keo,why don’t you write an article on the KAKKEST team in SA??
16 May 2006, 18:16 pm
big g, where u at, dude?
16 May 2006, 18:27 pm
ha ha pierre
still on the warm coast.. u a mountain boy…
16 May 2006, 18:31 pm
Oh c’mon Keo. Don’t tell me you actually believe this b.s. you wrote? All of a sudden now the most improved automatically makes you the best as well? No-one will argue that the Sharks improved the most from last year but please keep it at that to retain any credibility.
Your whole case is built on a lot of if’s and but’s all in favour of your argument for the Sharks. There can be just as many if’s and but’s put forward for the Bulls’ case but it would be just as childish as your arguments so I won’t even consider going there.
The fact is that when the Sharks had the chance to stake their claim at Loftus they were found to light for the task. Don’t come with cry-baby excuses about Brown’s untimely injury or the Bulls’ bully-boy tactics. They lost, end of story.
16 May 2006, 18:33 pm
You guys still here.
Good to see.
16 May 2006, 18:38 pm
Or was at least.
16 May 2006, 18:39 pm
hmmmmmm mmmmm hmmmmmm mmmm
mmm mm m m m mmmm
16 May 2006, 18:40 pm
Agree big g
16 May 2006, 18:47 pm
If’s and But’s are ESSENTIAL to put things into perspective.
when Keo said “but” the Bulls had a much better draw, they did. and don’t for one sencond try to say that doesnt count.
Bulls had their share of if’s and but’s
the difference is that there should never have been these if’s and but’s, since they SHOULD have got four tries against Force, beat the Reds, and shouldn’t have been in the situation to be denied by TMO against the Huricanes.
Sharks lost to Crusaders, Hurricanes, Bulls and Brumbies(the top teams), NARROWLY, at their home ground.take away the home ground advantage, which had been said to be worth 10 points, Sharks would have won.
If’s and But’s put things into perspective, which the Bulls fans are not willing to do.
I am not claiming my Sharks are the best, because they aren’t.
but please don’t claim the Bulls are the best without looking at the whole picture.
Bulls is not the best in SA
16 May 2006, 18:48 pm
what u think bout u/21 boks? pretty awesome hey!! and as a local shark chap, im stoked, i think all the sharks will be in the starting line-up… maybe burden and dusty noble also a bit unlucky..
16 May 2006, 19:01 pm
big g,
I doubt that both centre’s will it and I personally do not rate Cedric, but he might make it though.
16 May 2006, 19:10 pm
All SA Spanne is anyway ****. Who gives a damn?
16 May 2006, 19:11 pm
Me at least.
You sound like capeflatsboy.
16 May 2006, 19:23 pm
Kamikazes, let me say it, as a Bulls supporter:
The Bulls are not the best in South Africa.
They are equally as pathetic as every other SA team.
16 May 2006, 19:27 pm
BlueBlood
yes they are not as good as their Australasian counterparts,in certain aspects of their game.
but I really wouldn’t say they are pathetic.
I am proud of my Sharks
But I will be a Bulls supporter this weekend, and hopefully the next as well.
16 May 2006, 19:29 pm
but yes, the Stormers are PATHETIC!
16 May 2006, 20:24 pm
Hmmm you are correct,the oke has a huge head and Burden is as hard as nails and defends like a *******,he and Daniels were at 6&7 at club rugby.
16 May 2006, 21:39 pm
kamikazes, maybe you SHOULD go and commit suicide. Your whole argument that the Bulls beat the Sharks by a narrow margin and that they had homeground advantage which is worth 10 points does not make any sense. The Bulls would have beaten the Sharks at Absa stadium that day. They relaxed once they had the points in the bag. Not thinking that a spot might come down to points diffirence.
By saying that the Sharks are better because they lost to the Bulls by a narrow margin then blows your other Sharks supporters contention out the water that the Sharks are better because the Bulls only clipped tham by 1 on points dif.
Fucksake man, where is the days when the better teams won (which the Bulls have done against all 4 sa sides. Your next argument is then going to be “but the australasiun sides”
The thing is we are talking SA sides and when it gets into your brain damaged scull (probably due to one of us dutchmen ******* you up in a night of soutpiel bashing)you want to resort to away and overseas games.
Like I said the sharks are good at times, but a bunch of chokers and will not win any silverware in the near future. I would even go as far as to say, if the sharks and stormers had to play in a final, the stormers will win. They are kak but at least there is a winning culture instilled however deep. The sharks had a fluke in 1990 and what since then?
16 May 2006, 21:40 pm
kamikazes, maybe you SHOULD go and commit suicide. Your whole argument that the Bulls beat the Sharks by a narrow margin and that they had homeground advantage which is worth 10 points does not make any sense. The Bulls would have beaten the Sharks at Absa stadium that day. They relaxed once they had the points in the bag. Not thinking that a spot might come down to points diffirence.
By saying that the Sharks are better because they lost to the Bulls by a narrow margin then blows your other Sharks supporters contention out the water that the Sharks are better because the Bulls only clipped tham by 1 on points dif.
Fucksake man, where is the days when the better teams won (which the Bulls have done against all 4 sa sides. Your next argument is then going to be “but the australasiun sides”
The thing is we are talking SA sides and when it gets into your brain damaged scull (probably due to one of us dutchmen ******* you up in a night of soutpiel bashing)you want to resort to away and overseas games.
Like I said the sharks are good at times, but a bunch of chokers and will not win any silverware in the near future. I would even go as far as to say, if the sharks and stormers had to play in a final, the stormers will win. They are kak but at least there is a winning culture instilled however deep down it is hiding. The sharks had a fluke in 1990 and what since then?
16 May 2006, 21:40 pm
kamikazes, maybe you SHOULD go and commit suicide. Your whole argument that the Bulls beat the Sharks by a narrow margin and that they had homeground advantage which is worth 10 points does not make any sense. The Bulls would have beaten the Sharks at Absa stadium that day. They relaxed once they had the points in the bag. Not thinking that a spot might come down to points diffirence.
By saying that the Sharks are better because they lost to the Bulls by a narrow margin then blows your other Sharks supporters contention out the water that the Sharks are better because the Bulls only clipped tham by 1 on points dif.
Fucksake man, where is the days when the better teams won (which the Bulls have done against all 4 sa sides. Your next argument is then going to be “but the australasiun sides”
The thing is we are talking SA sides and when it gets into your brain damaged scull (probably due to one of us dutchmen ******* you up in a night of soutpiel bashing)you want to resort to away and overseas games.
Like I said the sharks are good at times, but a bunch of chokers and will not win any silverware in the near future. I would even go as far as to say, if the sharks and stormers had to play in a final, the stormers will win. They are kak but at least there is a winning culture instilled however deep down it is hiding. The sharks had a fluke in 1990 and what since then?
Always the bridesmaid never the bride.
16 May 2006, 23:01 pm
keo
you sound like kobus v d merwe.
it is better for s.a. teams to play weaker teams at home. they stand a better chance of winning.
no matter who we play overseas, our success rate is still low.
16 May 2006, 23:29 pm
Xkreni, can like to learn how to spell
17 May 2006, 07:44 am
Xkreni – nice of you to refer to our fellow countrymen as soutpiele . China , just remember , when that ding a ling hangs down , at least it reaches the ******’ Atlantic Ocean . Etter !!
17 May 2006, 07:47 am
Ekskreni jou makmuil (tame donkey)- who perchance won the CC in 92 , 95 and 96 . 95 was in the rain against your striped donkeys too !!!
17 May 2006, 09:34 am
shaka, read the name properly then you will see where my loyalty lies. You are talking about a decade ago.
17 May 2006, 10:01 am
Xkreni
relax boet,had u read my post 607 u would know i actually praise the Bulls.
im not saying Sharks r better.
hell im not even omparing the 2.
in my opinion,u cant compare the 2.
wot i wanna say is that the Bulls supporters (some,not all) must look at things as a whole,take cirumstances into perspective,and give credit where it is due.
peace man,its rugby
17 May 2006, 10:45 am
Maybe this thread has reached its end and I’m writing to myself here. I certainly haven’t read all the posts on this topic, far from it! But the few I’ve read here and on other topics about whether Bulls or Sharks are better make me realise the following:
Bulls supporters keep pointing to their record in SA. They don’t seem to realise, which is probably why they can’t win overseas, that the Super 12/14 is really not about beating SA teams – its about winning against all Super 12/14 sides, especially against non SA sides.
Keo notes that when the Bulls fixture list is taken into consideration their hard games were at home and soft games were away. While it can be argued that the Bulls didn’t draw up the fixture list they just took advantage of it, you can also argue that when you look at the season as a whole and weigh up the level of difficulty the Sharks had to overcome to match the Bulls on points, especially with 5 overseas games, there really is no sensible, balanced way of comparing the 2 sides. Given their past record the Bulls wouldn’t even be in the top 8 had they faced the Sharks’ fixtures.
On Saturday, if the Bulls manage not to disgrace themselves again overseas, let alone win, fantastic for the Bulls. If they can come within 2 points of the Crusaders, as the Sharks did, then they have a legitimate right to feel that they are at the top of SA rugby.
However, we’ll only really know how good the Bulls are during next year’s Super 14, when they have to play their toughest games overseas.
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