Daniel denies Sharks rift
16 Mar 2010
Keegan Daniel says there’s no in-fighting in the Sharks camp.
With five losses from five starts, the Sharks find themselves in the unfamiliar 12th position on the Super 14 log. Despite the player drain over the last couple of years, the Sharks still have one of the best squads in the tournament as they regularly field over 10 Springboks, but continue to disappoint their fans.
With every loss, the talk of a split between captain John Smit and the Du Plessis brothers Bismarck and Jannie, continues to surface. Bismarck has had to sit on the bench for two games, Jannie has started a couple, while Smit has started all the matches so far.
Daniel predictably backed his team-mates and coach, and said there were no off-field problems, although on the field the trio all look visibly frustrated. They have all been sin-binned throughout the season, while the Du Plessis brothers lambasted replacement scrumhalf Rory Kockott late in the Brumbies match for what they deemed a poor decision to pass to Jannie as the Sharks looked for the winning try.
‘Talk of a split is bullshit,’ Daniel told keo.co.za. ‘Personally, I say there is no rift in the camp. We are the ones here and we know what’s going on. People are just looking for a story and are looking for other reasons for the losses. The mood in the camp is great, we all see how we hang out together and get along.
‘If people think a rift is the reason for losing, then that’s what they must write, but it’s not true.’
Whatever the reason for their poor form, the facts are that the Sharks have lost seven consecutive Super 14 matches and have won just one from their last 10. Most recently they went down to the Brumbies 24-22, the fourth time this season they’ve lost by less than five points.
‘I wouldn’t say confidence is a problem, although anyone will tell you that after five losses it does become harder to pick yourselves up,’ said Daniel. ‘We are positive as we’ve been so close in losing by narrow margins. We’d be having a different conversation right now if we’d won those.
‘But we haven’t been clinical enough in closing out games after being in good positions. Indiscipline again cost us against the Brumbies, as two penalties led to their tries.’
The Sharks’ last victory in the competition came against the Highlanders, who they face on Saturday at Carisbrook. The Landers return from their South African road trip, where they were hammered by the Stormers and Bulls. They will also be jet-lagged after the return journey.
John Plumtree’s charges have also won on their last three visits to the House of Pain, and if they don’t repeat that this year, more questions will be rightfully raised.
‘They say history doesn’t lie and we have been successful there, but we mustn’t take anything for granted,’ said Daniel. ‘We’ll go in with confidence after doing reasonably well, but the Highlanders are still a Super 14 franchise who can play good rugby.’
Meanwhile, centres Adi Jacobs (knee) and Riaan Swanepoel (ankle) are battling to be fit for Saturday’s match, while prop Deon Carstens is also struggling with a knee injury.
By Grant Ball
303 Comments
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16 Mar 2010, 15:07 pm
But how is it that we were so successful in 2009 with Smit at tighthead??
16 Mar 2010, 15:08 pm
lol, just joking with you mostly, but am serious on Smit, he’s going to be invaluable 2011 RWC.
i’m telling you if he’s there, we shall win yet again, bet the house on it.
16 Mar 2010, 15:08 pm
Relax fellas barney will be there for the wc next year because the divmeister decrees it.. we need to look after him until then to get him right…we can play bismark into the ground in the meantime…
16 Mar 2010, 15:09 pm
@iori Yagami: CJ a little average at tighthead in my opinion. He also went backwards in Test rugby at the end of last year.
16 Mar 2010, 15:10 pm
@gunther: @201
Agreed. So we need to rest Smit desperately…but when?
16 Mar 2010, 15:12 pm
@Mutant: Agree with you, we need him at the WC. He is the glue that holds this team together.
16 Mar 2010, 15:13 pm
@cab: @169, I must say that I find your comment re: Transformation, primitive and inherently racist.
16 Mar 2010, 15:14 pm
@Mutant: Right now, sharks losing anyway.
16 Mar 2010, 15:14 pm
@gunther: Ja I do work at city of cape town. Why you ask?
16 Mar 2010, 15:15 pm
Mutant
Right now I would start as soon as they get back from tour, complete break for 5-6 weeks for conditioning with the bol fitness team and then some games off the wood for the sharks for the final couple if super 14 rounds..
No currie cup either..
16 Mar 2010, 15:17 pm
@XhosaKid:
ok, if you must say it, but i dont know why since i dont know what colour transformation’s skin is.
16 Mar 2010, 15:18 pm
@gunther: & @iori Yagami:
Makes the most sense to rest him asap after tour but seriously doubt the Sharks will let that happen. They need to start winning and a lot of their team is based around Smit. So basically in reality I can’t see that happening.
16 Mar 2010, 15:20 pm
Time to fix me a Shark Burger on the Brook barby.
H I G H L A N D E R S !
16 Mar 2010, 15:20 pm
@gunther: Ja no currie cup for core Boks this year.
16 Mar 2010, 15:20 pm
i mean as far as i know trannie could be a 7ft3 boerseun from de aar who likes to blog in pyjamas and a bra.
16 Mar 2010, 15:21 pm
Iori
Parking tickets!
16 Mar 2010, 15:24 pm
@cab: priceless!
16 Mar 2010, 15:25 pm
@XhosaKid:
what on earth is primitive/racist about roundball?
16 Mar 2010, 15:25 pm
@gunther: Lol oh sorry not my department!
16 Mar 2010, 15:26 pm
@cab: I don’t think that Smitty should be the TH but there’s no doubt he is the greatest Springbok captain ever, how many times have we seen the boks collapse without his leadership? I say move him back to hooker with Gary Botha as backup…get rid of Bismarck and his fat-*** brother, he WAS one of the most promising hookers we had but he’s gone 30 yards backward in the last year, his neck can’t support the weight of his inflated head anymore…
16 Mar 2010, 15:27 pm
Mutant
Sharks season is as buggered as a cheeky altar boy .. He should be bought out of his sharks contract and go to pay for play.. That way the boks get first call on his time.. should be that way for all the senior players .,
16 Mar 2010, 15:29 pm
@cab: ya Cab, I’m sure, whatever man, that was racist and you know it.
16 Mar 2010, 15:29 pm
@Atreides: Agree, but dont throw Bismarck away just yet, he still has more to offer.
16 Mar 2010, 15:31 pm
Iori
Story of my life!
16 Mar 2010, 15:36 pm
@iori Yagami: I don’t doubt he has the potential, but he’s shown a remarkable lack of maturity for a supposedly senior Springbok, especially at a time when the Sharks need their senior guys to step up….
16 Mar 2010, 15:37 pm
@XhosaKid: Man that’s a tattered, soiled, dog-eared card you’re waving around!
16 Mar 2010, 15:39 pm
@Atreides: well, Cab, has dug his hole and quitely jumped in, while you still acting ( I hope) ignorant.
16 Mar 2010, 15:41 pm
@rangerman: #198 what did wyatt crockett & ben robinson do to john smit?
@cab:well mr know-it-all & your gatgabba rangerman, you are the first to throw insults & disparage bloggers who don’t agree with you. You say smit is the best option @ tighthead in the country and i show you what the french, italians, irish, crusaders, waratahs, wallabies did to him & the best you can come up with is that i must go watch football? Umsunu wakho…
if you have no facts don’t debate…
Everyone is aware of smit’s past glories, but those are meaningless if he is getting drilled week-in week-out
16 Mar 2010, 15:41 pm
@Atreides: True. His late tackles is getting to me. Its totally unneccassary.
16 Mar 2010, 15:43 pm
@Black Panther: Normally that would incur a little banter from us Sharkies…..but just cannot argue with that one right now. Geez that sucks.
Also, really chaps my *** when journos always refer to number of Boks in a team. It implies these are current boks and they should win. Just because you have a team of 10 “Boks”, most of them has beens by the way, are you meant to win everything? For example, Terblanche, Murray, Jannie, Muller, Carstens, Ndungane.
With that logic if they fielded a team with Straueli, Teichmann, James Small, Percy and **** Muir we would win?
16 Mar 2010, 15:46 pm
Smit stays guys finish and klaar. G2g safe blogging
16 Mar 2010, 15:48 pm
@Transformation: yoh!
since when was i the first to throw insults around mate?
you have just ahd a nice go at me calling me a gatgabba and msunu?
when did i insult you?
no man, i think you are being a little precious buddy. you dont like my point of view?
shampies
learn to live with it julius 
16 Mar 2010, 15:50 pm
@XhosaKid: Not ignorant, just that black insecurity gets up my nose
16 Mar 2010, 15:55 pm
@rangerman: i tagged your post and i asked you a question if i wanted to call you anything would’ve written it there…so relax.
I also tagged cab and proceeded to reply to his earlier post, finish & klaar…
16 Mar 2010, 15:57 pm
@toddke:
Perhaps, and I agree with that theory. But I was at Lancaster Park recently to see Crusaders vs Sharks and, for eg, I saw the Crusaders frontrow manhandle the current Bok-frontrow with some ease. Smit must have left the field 3-4 times beore being subbed, Beast was beasted, and Bismarck was reduced to his usual gig of standing over felled players-on-their-backs with his cocked fist. These were not ex-Boks but the current starting 3 against a 2 x B-Blacks (Ben Franks & Davey Crockett) with the B-hooker, Paulo, sandwiched in between. Their domination was total.
G10 and I agreed pre-season that the decision for Smit to sign-on til 2011 would create massive prob’s with the Sharks and the Boks. He is considerably past his prime and keeping the Sharks in turbo-reverse, and this will leak over in to the Boks. Bismarck, whilst not the finished article, is an amazing player at no2 but noone performs at their best when constantly looking in the rear-view mirror. Look at what Rooney is doing at ManU (grrrrrrrrr) since the peacock, Ronaldo, left !
As an AB fan I say Go Smitty Go !
16 Mar 2010, 15:59 pm
@Transformation:
suck it up man, dont be such a pansy.
16 Mar 2010, 16:00 pm
@Kondi: 170 Man you’re one sick individual. To describe any human being as being like Aids is one of the worst comments I’ve ever seen. You need psychiatric treatment. What’s Smit ever done to you?
16 Mar 2010, 16:01 pm
@rangerman: you earlier post patting cab on the back, what was that all about? What were you insinuating in that post?
16 Mar 2010, 16:02 pm
Cab you say you will bet your house on us winning the world cup with JS playing, then I see you home less in the future. JS must go he is kak.
16 Mar 2010, 16:04 pm
@cab: suck up what really, the fact that you come here and you call other bloggers idiots for holding a different view from your apparently well informed one?
Everyone, including Os must shut up about smit, is that it?
16 Mar 2010, 16:06 pm
@Transformation: cool your jets transie, i am sorry if i offended you me old gatgabba
@Transformation: patting cab on the back?
you mean agreeing with someone i have never met on an anonymous rugby blog?
sheesh, you have become so sensitive of late transie. do i get all uptight when you crow, or agree with opinions that differ to mine?
no, i dont.
so i am not sure what got so far up your nose but i am off to go for a quick dive. i wish you a pleasant day
16 Mar 2010, 16:06 pm
@Atreides: 231
Not insecurity in general?
Only black insecurity?
Bloody hell mate!
16 Mar 2010, 16:11 pm
@Atreides: @231 I dont think many of us here give a **** about how you feel about black people, deal with your **** somewhere else, RT should be you first port of call.
16 Mar 2010, 16:18 pm
@Transformation:
look i dunno what Os has said about Smit or where, i’d be pretty dissapointed if that is the case, since many realised there was more to Os than his scrumming, in fact if you ask Os himself, i#m sure he will admit as much.
The problem is a very simple one, BJ and CJ, the best TH props in the country decided to play their rugby abroad, since there are no other worldclass THs in SA and since Bismarck is a worldclass hooker, the very innovative approach by PdV was to try and move Smit to 3 – it worked far better than anyone expected, and the Lions who prior to the tour were looking to dominate the bok scrum, were totally surprised. The Boks went on to have their most succesful 3N ever despite an ordinary scrum – so you tell me what.
16 Mar 2010, 16:18 pm
@cab: @179
I might just keep that 1 for posterity.
Lovin it !
@cab: @200
and just when you thought the lunatics really had overtaken the assylum…..
“bet the house on it”
simply beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful !
Noone, but noone, does arrogance anything like this.
16 Mar 2010, 16:20 pm
Smit should stay at 2 and not go anywhere near 3. PdV’s is interfering in the Sharks and ******** everything up. I also get the feeling PdV made assurances to Bismarck and Jannie which cannot be backed up. Until Bismarck can sort out his discipline he’s a liability to Sharks and Boks. His loss won’t be that great. Leibenburg and Botha are adequate back-ups maybe also Adrian Strauss. There are far key players losses that would devastate the Boks such as Morne, Du Preez, Matfield and Habana. What the Boks should be focussing their game plan on unleashing Habana. Habs is devastating in space but so under utilised. Same goes for JPP who’s still got plenty of pace. The only way Habs get himself on the scoresheet is by looking for work. Can’t remember last time I saw him put into space.
Anyway back to the Sharks. Maybe Smit should be rested for the next few games. Send Smit on a conditioning and get him back into shape to be a hooker. Let the Du Pleaseme brothers back their arrogant chirping on the field. Give them enough rope and they’ll hang themselves. When they show themselves to be nothing better than a pair of Vrystaat prima donnas drop them like a bad habit along with Ndungane. Put the middle-finger up to PdV. Start a leaner Smit at 2 and draft in Burden as back-up. Move Kankowski to 12 and Alberts to no.8. Inject some pace into the backline with Mvovo at 14.
16 Mar 2010, 16:20 pm
@grant10: Whatever, I was referring specifically to his one post
16 Mar 2010, 16:20 pm
@rangerman: @rangerman: enjoy your dive ymzingeli…i’m not sensitive about anything
16 Mar 2010, 16:23 pm
@cab: @242, I agree with that post 100%, now the question is, what should we do when an “ordinary scrum”, (using your words), has totally disintegrated into complete and utter shambles??
16 Mar 2010, 16:25 pm
@XhosaKid: Lol thank you for illustrating my point so succintly.
Do you even know what race I am? Or are you just assuming? What happened to black pride? Why are you so insecure about being black that you sh*t your panties every time someone refers to anything to do with black people? I make a remark about a behaviour pattern and you respond by accusing me (lol) of feeling a certain way about a certain race? Straw man argument, friend!!!!!
You should go and read Moeletsi Mbeki, I think it would be of great help in changing your view of the world and way of thinking for the better.
Oh, and who made you the spokesperson on the forum?
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