Sharks searching for discipline
9 Mar 2010
Jacques Botes is hoping the Sharks get out of some ‘bad habits’ in order to cure their ill-discipline.
The Durbanites have received five yellow cards in four matches, two of which have been for killing the ball at ruck-time and the other three for foul play. Andy Goode has only played two matches, and has been carded in both, while the Cheetahs fixture was the sole match where they played 80 minutes with the full compliment of 15 players.
The outcome is four straight losses, with lack of discipline the main reason for defeats against the Chiefs and Waratahs. The Sharks’ attack has also been poor, while without the ball they have lacked the trust in their defensive systems and have given away penalties.
It cost them in the second half of their loss to the Cheetahs, where a string of penalties proved the difference. Against the Chiefs, the visitors scored 13 points while John Smit and Bismarck du Plessis were off the field, including the only try of the match with the latter watching from the sidelines.
Most recently against a misfiring Tahs outfit on Saturday, the Sharks rallied to scored eight points with 13 men on the park, but conceded a Daniel Halangahu try with one man down. The Sydney-siders were clearly off form, and if the Sharks had managed to keep all their players on the pitch, they should have put the Tahs away.
‘Our discipline has really let us down throughout the tournament,’ Botes told keo.co.za. ‘We’ve prided ourselves on that aspect of the game in the past, but five yellow cards in four games isn’t good enough.’
Two of the sin-binnings to Smit and Goode have been influenced by the stricter law interpretations at the breakdown, but in general the lack of discipline points to problems within the camp.
‘At scrum-time, decisions are 50/50 as all sides think they’re right. It’s a bit of a gamble. At the breakdown, we have to get out of some bad habits from last year. Hopefully that’s the last you see of it.’
Against a Brumbies side renowned for their phase-play and keeping ball in hand, the Sharks will have to exhibit discipline in defence that has been lacking throughout their campaign.
‘Everyone has predicted this kind of game will favour the Brumbies, but against any teams dominant tackles still help. We just mustn’t get into old habits and commit too many guys to the rucks.’
Botes has been rotated with Keegan Daniel throughout the tournament and is part of a group of five loose forwards who regularly feature for the Sharks.
‘It’s not set in stone who will play each week between Keegan and I, and it’s not based on the opposition,’ said Botes. ‘It just depends how the body holds up, and one of us could start two or three matches in a row.
‘It’s interesting having five loosies, not many teams have that in their squad.
‘What gives us confidence is looking at the personnel we have around us. We believe we have the right people in the right places. Previous experience also helps. We’ve been through some dips, but we also have been through good times.
‘We know what we need to do to get it right and win games.’
By Grant Ball
25 Comments
9 Mar 2010, 05:52 am
geez ..5 yellow cards 4 games is heavy. Its the foul-play cards thats most dissapointing. Sharks can beat the brumbies but its gonna take an effort of note. Plumtree must start showing some consistancy in selections with regards to the front row and half-back pairing. That to me is the biggest reason for the sharks poor showing.
9 Mar 2010, 06:30 am
This is for the afficionado – with apologies to those bloggers who dislike detailed analyses!
I posted this a few days ago:
After almost 30 years of involment in relatively high-level rugby (the latest as attack and strategic coach in the English National League 1) and recently having called it a day – retiring to my Tanzanian game- lodge (under construction) – I very rarely post comments anymore.
BUT, as a born and bred Shark (Banana Boy in my days) I feel it necessary to issue a heartfelt yet stark caution to the Sharks management concerning the general man-management of players and the balance within the squad.
The Sharks are not just struggling with the various individual issues being mentioned by all and sundry, i.e. the fly-half problem (real though that is); the front-row balance (and therefor implied captaincy issue); the exigencies of fitting in with “national strategy”; the second-row issues, the loose-trio combination, the lack of penetration, and so on and so forth.
The real problem, in fact critical danger, is much more insidious – for we have seen MANY a good side slide into VERY long (and expensive) slumps due to this before – and that lies in the fact that the coaching (and procurement) MANAGEMENT is getting the BALANCE of the overall squad wrong.
This is caused by two factors: Firstly they have allowed (or been unable to resist) KEY players to depart (sadly, often in frustration – and I do have this first hand). Secondly they have failed to identify and groom reliable and especially “like-for-like” replacements for those!
Part of the reason for these departures is due to player mismanagement (and I say that with apologies to some VERY GOOD coaches). This mismanagement has occured over some years (both under **** and more recently by John). Much of this is due to their (morally proper) attempts at “fitting-in” with national strategy.
This “loss of players” now has particular effect upon the fly-half issue.
Butch James, (great player that he remains – observe Bath, with and without him), was always going to move on for the strength of the European currencies, albeit towards the end of his career.
BUT Francois (Steyn) was an absolutely KEY player for the future – and was utterly mismanaged (by Sharks – and National – coaching staff alike)!
Had they had the vision of being patient and carefully honing the young Steyn as a pivot, and NOT shifting him about incessantly, THEN they would NOT now be scratching about for a fly-half – and be doing precisely the same with Pienaar to boot.
Pienaar, on the other hand is personally, and talent-wise, more inclined and suited to the scrumhalf position, JUST as STEYN was inclined to the fly-half position (despite his occasional gaffe’s there – albeit at 19, 20 and 21 years of age)!
I know that the average blogger gets bored with long analyses – but it is absolutely crucial that the Sharks remedy this balance in the SQUAD, not so much just focussing upon salvaging the situation as it is now (for the horse has bolted). In short their immediate and future identification, acquisition and development of talent in the RIGHT positions is absolutely critical and imperative!
My serious advice to Pienaar is to move elsewhere very, very soon – NOT out of spite to the franchise, but to save his career (think Gawie Visagie, Gaffie du Toit, Brent Russell et all)!
Obviously Kockott could do the same – but I feel the latter fits in better with the Shark’s overall strategy at present. It will thus suit his career better than that of Pienaar’s to remain with the Sharks.
Pienaar should (ideally) be looking at the Bulls, or the Stormers (maybe even the Cheetahs) – and then as a scrum-half! If he is to go abroad, then it should be to Australia and NOT Europe – in his case. He needs to find his feet on fast fields and within a fast-moving game-environment. Being shifted about, and thus unsettled, is going to permanently harm his career prospects, including as an international!
Equally so the Sharks need to resolve the front-row issues. They simply have to decide what THEY want (as opposed to the experimental demands of the national squad)! In short, what do they need: is it a functioning scummaging unit, or one that makes way for a brilliant captain, but sacrifices forward domination?
Actually the same applies to the National Sqaud. The point is that, in this respect, they simply HAVE to make a decision that will WORK! They cannot try “for the best of both worlds” – and then have neither! The World Cup is but one and a half seasons away!
If the Sharks continue to vacillate in this fashion (on both of the above issues) – then the inevitable results are already clear! And that will become entrenched and difficult to resolve.
Much the same applies to the national squad – but cancel the second-row issues and replace that with even more serious “third-row” problems!
In a subsequent post I added this: Andy Goode is a capaple and honest player who won’t let the Sharks down, but he is as close to a “kicking flyhalf” as England has produced. And so he is not going to add “shape and structure”, in fact he will need that to entrenched and established beforehand in order to make his contribution count at all.
So it is still over to the coaching, and especially the Sharks procurement, staff.
Realistically this season’s Super 14 is pretty much over for the Sharks. HOWEVER there is much more at stake – specifically a squad for the future – or a long downward spiral….
9 Mar 2010, 06:38 am
Too dirty to win.
9 Mar 2010, 06:52 am
@cyberscamp: Well said. In fact, maybe the Keo staff should rather hire you.
9 Mar 2010, 07:07 am
@cyberscamp: #2 why should we be subjected to the same post a week later?
9 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
@cyberscamp: you are overstating your case….
good read…
9 Mar 2010, 08:11 am
@cyberscamp:
agree with you… especially on Frans Steyn… how we so badly mis-managed and let him go is beyond comprehension…
you and I are in a minority of two people who believe he should’ve been left at flyhalf…
back to this thread…
someone needs to speak to John Smit… his attitiude, tone of voice when speaking to the ref and rolling of eyes etc… is setting the tone for the rest of the team and the reason the discipline is so bad…
and John is better than that…
9 Mar 2010, 08:25 am
@cyberscamp: It’s my first time reading this and I must say I agree wholeheartedly.
I get the impression that the moment a youngster like Frans Steyn, Brad Barrit, Brent Russell and the like (and probably even Luke Watson, Bismarck du Plessis and Butch James) gets to a certain stage in his emotional development and is brimfull of confidence (yes maybe even over-confident in some cases)and hence becomes outspoken and cocky and “strong” (dare I say a little demanding) within the team set-up due to his powerful self-belief and conviction that he is the best in his position, and begins to challenge and threaten the the staus quo and thus the harmony in the team, there is a backlash from certain sectors within the leadership and management, and conservative “Kamp Staaldraad” disciplinarian tendencies come to the fore, and we all know that the mastermind of the “Kamp” and of mindgames is in charge of player procurement and youth development.
Here I am talking about things like dropping a player just to reign him in a little, playing guys out of position because the coach or national interests dictate, etc. We all know that highly talented youngsters in any sphere of life, be it sport, art, science whatever, are highly strung, demanding and very temperamental like the worst prima donnas and need to be handled with care, and by that I don’t mean that they need to be pampered or wrapped in cotton wool, but that their pshyces need to be built up and dealt with in a wise and circumspect manner. There is nothing as bad as whe a player does not feel the coach appreciates or values his worth to the team, so even if he just starts to doubt it becomes like acancer that can precipitate rot within the team’s spirit in no time, and one guy can cause an entire team to crash and burn.
Now I know the disciplinarians amongst us will be up in arms right about now, but that is exactly what I am talking about, and there is too much talk about this kind of thing filtering through from all echelons, so one has to believe that where there is smoke there is a fire.
9 Mar 2010, 09:15 am
I hope Rudolph put Jannie Kannie Scrumnie through a ‘staaldraad’ of his own this week. That trip was ridiculous.
9 Mar 2010, 10:13 am
@cyberscamp:
I have said this for a long time now.
The Sharks have all the tools and resources to be successful, as they have been for large parts in the last 20 years.
Currently, you struggle to get that one guy to bring everything together.
9 Mar 2010, 11:30 am
i think Barney ate it.
9 Mar 2010, 11:33 am
To PissAnt: Good to see are still active here! To the others, thanks for the general appreciation of the post. Let’s hope the call gets taken up and propagated by other writers. Eventually it will get a hearing where it counts! BTW: I am posting from a handheld in my beloved and remote bush camp – and loving it all – though the handheld protocol is a bit rudimentary! But rugby is still in the blood, and will always be – so one sometimes can’t resist!
9 Mar 2010, 11:58 am
I wonder if Andy not so Goode will manage 3 yellows in 3 games?
9 Mar 2010, 12:10 pm
Good luck with that!
Come on, do us all a favour and knock over the Brumbies. Come on lads.
9 Mar 2010, 12:24 pm
I’m the hell in with the Sharks and their stupid problems. Some serious lack of cajonas amongst the players and the management. Pienaar needs to man up and start acting like a big boy by playing at 10. He’s about 50 times more skillful than Goode. That flippin hillbilly needs to pack up and go back to France asap. Worst Super rugby purchase of all time. Straueli’s fckwit *** needs to be fired for his shocking acqusitions. Jannie should be dropped for the next few games until he can learn some discipline. He’s meant to be a doctor for God’s sake. He should be leading by example given his position in society. Odwa slo-mo needs to pack up as well and make way for Mvovo. Adi must stay at 13. Its his best position. Brumbies must be licking their lips right now, they are going to murder this kak Sharks outfit.
I fear for the future of the Sharks because next year will see mass walkout of players and management. No coach of quality is going to want to come near us. Not while Straueli is still there. Dark years ahead.
9 Mar 2010, 12:25 pm
@WP_: Brumbies are going to kick our sorry assess into next year.
9 Mar 2010, 12:30 pm
KZN King Shark
Well that’s positive. Hopefully not, the Sharkies have a decent team, they just need more confidence and a bit of luck.
9 Mar 2010, 13:17 pm
@KZN King Shark:
9 Mar 2010, 13:18 pm
I know where they can find discipline. It’s inside their trophy case! It’s just been so long that that everyone has forgotten where it is! ….couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch of blokes!
9 Mar 2010, 14:05 pm
@cyberscamp:
The loss of Barrit also needs mentioning. 12 is as big a problem as 10
9 Mar 2010, 14:59 pm
Barritt left because of Springbok favouritism, in the 2006 and 2007 Super rugby comp he was the best 12 is SA and he got shafted by Jake White, he should have at least been given a shot during that international season, then he would not have been in line to play for England, I said to my wife when the news of him becoming eligbile to play for the poms was made public that he would one day be the difference in an England victory over the Boks, just wait and see. Then when the Boks returned with the cup they shafted him again, practically forcing the Sharks to play Steyn at 12, if I were Barritt I would have left too.
Now after all that, Steyn leaves too, don’t get me wrong he was a wonderful player for the Sharks and SA and should never have been allowed to leave.
As mentioned before the back office needs to work on their player retention and the team needs to work on holding their nerver and not making stupid mistakes.
9 Mar 2010, 15:36 pm
@KZN King Shark: Criticise past performances, but have some faith for upcoming games and be positive! Sharks supporters are always accused of being deserters when the team is playing kak, don’t justify those criticisms.
There were enough positives (more negatives, admittedly) to take from the Tahs game to justify an optimistic viewpoint on the Brumbies game!
9 Mar 2010, 15:38 pm
@WP_: You wouldn’t be cheering the Sharks on considering how a Sharks win would benefit the Stormers would you?
9 Mar 2010, 16:35 pm
I agree that the likes of Frans Steyn & Ruan Pienaar are & were mismanaged.
But to look at it from a coach’s point. He is under pressure each & every week to win, especially at the Sharks.
So if you have players like Butch James, Frederic Michalak, Juan Martin Hernandez as has been the case over the last 4-5 years as your flyhalf it is understandable that Fransie didn’t get an extended run at 10.
And there were times where Frans did get a run but was so erratic everyone was begging for him to return to 15.
So it is easy to point fingers but could we foresee 3 months ago that we would have a serious flyhalf issue with Hernandez, Pienaar, Dumond & Meyer?? I don’t think so.
The sharks have lost 4 from 4 but it could quite easily been 3 from 4, only the Crusaders put us away, but that said we haven’t looked good.
What are the internal issues?? I hope their aren’t any!
Please Sharks tighten up on discipline & basics.
9 Mar 2010, 23:54 pm
IMO, the new laws do allow for counter rucking, and that is why teams with bigger loosies are getting turnover ball. With the old interpretation, players like Heinrich, Smith and Pocock had much more impact.
This idea of not committing too many to the ruck shows a lack of desire desire to turn possession over so obvious against the Tahs. Of course once the ball is at the back, there is no point, but the clean-out and counter-ruck still have a large part to play.
I think too many teams are ignoring the turnover opportunity that exists at the breakdown. This is a game for the big boys now.
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