AJ feels no pressure

AJ feels no pressure

21 Jul 2006

Sharks skipper AJ Venter, who leads his team into the Blue cauldron of Loftus on Friday night, won’t be affected by the hype surrounding the game.

“The only pressure we’re feeling is the pressure of rectifying what happened in the Super 14 game in April,” Venter told keo.co.za. “Last week’s game doesn’t feature in our minds. We’ve moved past that as a team. Our challenge now is to fix what went wrong the last time we faced these guys.”

The two sides produced one of the games of the Super 14, with the Vodacom Bulls resisting a relentless second-half barrage by the Sharks to win 34-27. In fairness, the Pretoria based side deserved to win. Their forward play was sublime and was wholly responsible for their 27-3 half-time lead.

It’s an open secret that the Bulls will attempt to reproduce the gameplan that saw them triumph on that day, but Venter warns that you consider the Bulls a one dimensional team at your peril. “They have a fantastic backline too,” he said, “They are all attacking and physical in their approach. We don’t underestimate them at all.”

One point of interest will be to see how the 19-year-old Brad Barrit stands up to Pedrie Wannenburg, Warren Brosnihan and Tim Dlulane attacking his channel from the base of the scrums, rucks and mauls. Barritt prides himself on his defence and he, together with inside centre Gobani Bobo, will have to be impenetrable in this facet of play to prevent the Bulls gaining momentum and taking on juggernaut-like characteristics.

Venter concedes that Butch James’s Springbok call-up will have a two-fold impact.

“Butch is a big loss because not only is he a phenomenally skillful player, but he is also a senior member of this team. You need guys like that when you play games like this.” But the hard man believes the Springboks will benefit greatly by playing James. “We think that Butch will spark a fire in the Springboks that has been missing at No.10. He’ll make a huge difference.”

Two loses in succession will be a big blow to Dick Muir’s side, but his skipper refuses to think that far or that negatively. “A win will mean a lot to us because the Bulls are a very good side,” Venter said. “But Naas Botha once said: ‘The Currie Cup is not won in July’ , so we’re not putting any unnecessary pressure on ourselves.”

By Ryan Vrede


29 Comments

  • 1.cane: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:15 am

    Yes

  • 2.cane: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:16 am

    The quick and the dead.

  • 3.Spook: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:16 am

    Gonna be a great game!!

  • 4.Sremrots: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:19 am

    “AJ feels no pressure” , its because he is not the one playing the All Blacks.

  • 5.big g: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:22 am

    because AJ is a DRAGON…

    captain my captain, the enforcer…

  • 6.Cape Shark: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:23 am

    Jondood, if the sharkies win, your nick will be JOndood Cape Shark’s little B#$ch!!

  • 7.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:32 am

    Hoekom soek ouens altyd revenge vir n vorige game? Gewoonlik as hulle dit se verloor hulle weer! As hulle net stilbly oor die vorige game sal dit beter gaan. Hulle refresh eintlik net hulle memory oor hoe hulle verloor het, en gaan een of twee digetjies teen hulle…dink hulle dadelik aan daai vorige keer.

  • 8.Cape Shark: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:38 am

    Supa I am so with you boet!! Forget what happened before, it’s a new game in a new competition with different conditions ffs . I’m sure it’s going to be farking cold at Loftus tonight.

  • 9.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:46 am

    Cape

    Ja, and not even half the team is the same players. Its a night game, different competition etc.

  • 10.cab: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:49 am

    robbie williams has brought out a new single, perhaps he will eclipse the Hoff as Loftus’ favourite son.

  • 11.Cape Shark: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:53 am

    We are black we are white we are going to win tonight.

  • 12.JH: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 10:58 am

    Aj too slow to the breakdowns leave it to the youngsters. He would never have made an impact against all blacks.As a fanatical Blue Bull supporter from NTvl days, at the beginning of this CC season I had taken the bold move to predict Sharks would win the CC (obviously good coaching by Muir and Co) But I change my Mind the Blue Bulls will whip them goldfish and will whip them well. WP coming through strong too, which will be great for rugby all round. Bulls to win against Wp in the final. Nuff said

  • 13.Skim: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:06 am

    gonna be an Excellent game….
    looking forward to it.
    Speaking of forwards……

  • 14.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:08 am

    hope you’re right JH…

  • 15.Provvas: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:13 am

    I hope the sharks win this one….It will put this thing about the bulls being this yaers contenders to rest and we all can move on….They dont have that Aura anymore as a team that can veat anyone at moftus, so it should be taken away now…

    The way they are talking these two teams as CC contenders is laughable…..
    I believe the Cheetahs, Wp and sharks will be the contenders….with the Bulls just being no 4….. Watch this space in 2 weeks…

  • 16.Windhoek.Lager: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:26 am

    Ja, AJ, the Currie Cup isn’t won in July but it can be lost in July. Just ask the Lions.

  • 17.hdp: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:30 am

    Bulls 42 – 33 Sharks

  • 18.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:35 am

    provvas…provvas…provvas…wake up now…here is your coffee…you were dreaming…time to go to school now.

  • 19.hdp: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 11:54 am

    WP to get a big fright from the Valke…

  • 20.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 12:01 pm

    Gaan die game wees om te watch die naweek met ‘n lekker stywe dop in die hand. En moreoggend sal ek maar die dop los , te vroeg om te dop en te kyk hoe die bokke speel. : )

  • 21.hdp: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 12:04 pm

    Luke + backline speed to be the difference

  • 22.bluebarb: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 13:00 pm

    hdp, Andre,

    you guys realise that if the unthinkable happens and Lucky Luke gets selected for the boks, along with him goes any hopes of WP getting to the CC final?

  • 23.hdp: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 13:14 pm

    WP + Final is like dividing by zero, not going to happen…

  • 24.TheMightyQuin: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 13:31 pm

    Definitely gonna be a good match to watch tonight. The Bulls tend to be at their most vulnerable in a Friday evening game.

    I guess it is lucky that Luke was not called up otherwise Watson Province (formerly Western Province) will not get anywhere this year.

  • 25.ChrisK: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 13:33 pm

    SKY EPG is showing Sharks vs Bulls live on Sky Sports xTra at 18.00 GMT, seems all those emails worked….

  • 26.Slappes: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 14:00 pm

    Sharks to take this one by 20. Aan al die blou seekoei supporters – liefling…. o k@k daar skop hy mis!

  • 27.hdp: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 14:56 pm

    In 20 years perhaps. BBUUULLLLSSSSS

  • 28.USA Shark: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2006, 21:01 pm

    Make all the Sharks Boks!!

  • 29.BoksRFoks: Reply to this comment
    22 Jul 2006, 05:31 am

    Why is AJ playing in this match? Shouldn’t he be in the Bok side in place of Quota Player?

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