Super Sharks show the way
7 Mar 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day Newspaper column, writes the Sharks are playing the most constructive and most intelligent rugby of SA’s five Super Rugby franchises
The Sharks have the look of a squad capable of winning the competition. They have started well before and imploded but there is a calmness and confidence about this season’s vintage that inspires more than it torments.
The best coached of SA’s teams, the Sharks are also the most organis ed and they have played all of their games with a sustained intensity that has been matched only by the Highlanders, whose win against the Bulls at Loftus was as deserving as it was astounding.
The Sharks’ win was made easier because of the sending off of Force midfielder Rory Sidey for an ugly tip tackle on Odwa Ndungane and they played the last hour with a one-man advantage, but to take five points in their first match overseas is huge.
Bismarck du Plessis and Willem Alberts were again colossal and while we have come to expect the quality of display from Du Plessis every weekend, it is Alberts’s form that is a huge plus for the Sharks.
Alberts and Du Plessis were brutal in contact, and the physical dominance of the Sharks in the tackle and when taking in the ball has been a feature of their play this season. They were clinical in the win against the Blues and ruthless in converting field position and possession into points against the Force.
The pack played with purpose and each individual knows his role in the side. They aren’t afraid to play a situation and will counterattack if it is on, but it is their structure that is their strength and the discipline each player shows in playing within that structure.
Watching the Sharks so far has been a pleasure because it illustrates the quality of players in SA . We do have players who are big, brutal and bright. We do have players who can inspire with their minds as much as with their athleticism.
In the Sharks, SA has a title contender worthy of the hype and coach John Plumtree has gradually improved the side in the past three seasons.
This is a team on the rise and what gives their challenge such promise is that they are not yet playing at optimum.
Their three performances have been measured and there has been nothing frenetic about the manner of victory. They kept the Cheetahs, Blues and Force try-less — and that is a remarkable return given the nature of Super Rugby.
If only the Lions could reflect on such defence and intelligence. The romance with the Lions season is being tested and the hope of the first fortnight turned into horror with the defeat against the Blues.
The Lions again were enthusiastic but they were ineffective in controlling the tempo of the match and they were lacking in leadership in the final five minutes, when better decision-making could have taken them to victory.
The decision not to kick for posts from 35m out with four minutes to play was stupid because it would have reduced the deficit to six points, it would have guaranteed a second bonus point and it would also have set up a final two minutes when a converted try would have won the game for the Lions.
The Lions, as in Cape Town a week ago against the Stormers, had no problem winning the ball and showed good patience to keep the ball, but too often they have not played the pressure moments well. It was all too predictable and lateral in the last five minutes and they never looked like breaking down a tiring Blues defence.
The Highlanders, coached for the first time by Jamie Joseph, have been the surprise of the opening month and any team that can get off a plane from New Zealand’s South Island and put 35 points past the Bulls at Loftus deserves a standing ovation. They benefited from referee Stuart Dickinson’s interpretation at the breakdown, but the Bulls failed to react and adapt to the rulings and they were emphatically beaten in a result that no one, bar the Highlanders, would have believed possible.
The Stormers lacked inspiration in beating the Cheetahs and they are a team struggling a lot more than their league position indicates. They will get better, but they will have to improve monumentally to match the efforts of the Sharks.
483 Comments
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8 Mar 2011, 00:56 am
In an ideal “everyone fit” world I’d like to see
Van Niekerk
Alberts
Brussow
8 Mar 2011, 00:57 am
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-450: cheers skop.
8 Mar 2011, 01:50 am
Interesting things being said about the ref after teh Bulls vs Highlanders game.
Pissant, you quoted someone saying that Stegmann was bad-mannered for throwing the ball to ground after the scrum going the way of the Highlanders.
But in that case I dont think there was a ruck to speak of, and the hindmost player which was their tighthead was on the ground and Cowan was no where near the ball- the ball in this case should be allowed to be played by an arriving Bulls player- in this case Stegmann.
Cowan then engaged Stegmann before another Highlander supporting player arrived, the Highlanders hooker on the ground was simply holding onto the ball at this stage, it doesnt matter for how long it was- it should have been a Bulls penalty. Awarding a scrum to the advancing team is basically reclassifying the breakdown situation there, typical of Dickinson, who also let the Higlanders dive past, and lie all over the Bulls side of the ruck area all night, exactly as he did to the Springboks in last years Tri Nations. If Stegmann was illegal he should have been penalized, Dickinson is wrong either way.
Just saying, but all Stegmann gets for his hard work is criticism from the mob.
8 Mar 2011, 02:11 am
I have not seen the Bulls games but any game played a by Safa team
reffed by that cheating **** Dicko
does not surprise me
if there was cheating ref it is Dicko. He should be sacked or SARU should grow some balls and have him kicked out of S15.
Rant over!!!
What the aussies say:http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/worrybeads-time-as-tri-nations-powers-face-the-keyman-risk-20110308-1bljc.html
8 Mar 2011, 02:14 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-451: I think JVN would work for an expansive team, like say Oz or NZ but SA currently don’t play in a way which utilises his style best.
8 Mar 2011, 02:25 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-454:
Well even the inside centre was illegal, I think with 2 penalizable occurances against the Highlanders for Dickinson to choose from he choose to not do something radically obvious like penalize Stegmann and rather “merely” award the scrum put-in to the Highlanders, which is pretty blatant in my view, and sad that such a man will be reffing World Cup games.
8 Mar 2011, 03:42 am
Os Du Randt Sacking http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Bar-incident-cost-Os-Bok-job-20110307
I have never seen the big man out but I have had the unfortunate evening spoilt by a wanker called Bob Skinstad and his mates. They were blind drunk but they were not happy not been the centre of attention when a live musician started playing but then had to start singing rugby songs to drown out the band. Luckily they were out numbered and told to shut the **** Skindstadoos. Flecky was not happy either but they were heavily outnumbered.
Any good stories on seen any drunk Boks.
8 Mar 2011, 04:32 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-457:
So let me see if I get this…
But Du Randt, unlike Muir and Montgomery, is not bound by an official contract with SARU and at his own request is paid each month as a consultant to assist head coach Peter de Villiers as the team’s scrum specialist….
So three people bound by an official contract with SARU and I have to assume signed some behavioral guidelines in the process got slapped with a wet bus ticket and the consultant got fired! Cool, so the little titbit about money problems actaully referred to them being unable to fire the contracted guys but they can easily decide not to renew his contract as it will not cost them anything?
Makes perfect saru sense…
8 Mar 2011, 16:32 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-434: Chrissake, Dangerman is right.
Look here, you come with your loosie trio of
Fatty Vermeulen
Elstadt
Koster
I’ll come back at you with just the Shark combo’s (would love to include Brussouw) but the following Sharkies will do just fine:
Kanko
Vermeulen
Deysel
You and your little boy loosie will be shown up for the toys they are…
Beyond that I would raise your Elstadt and Koster palooka’s by a Daniel and a Botes anyday, anytime.
Ilanfarkingjo…farking mad as a hatter. You finally lost it…
8 Mar 2011, 18:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-459: Vak, you’ve got me so confused with your fatty vermeulen love I saw my sacrilege I committed… Kanko Alberts Deysel… Take your Fatty and throw him into the sea…
8 Mar 2011, 18:44 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-459: I am sure you must get some of a thrill with these little favourites of yours. One things for sure its not rugger reasons:
Grant – Lambie, Steyn, Jantjies miles better
Fatty Vermeulen – Laugh out loud. 10 better.
Elstadt/Koster – Who the fark are they…
Totally dilly your reasoning
8 Mar 2011, 18:57 pm
I saw Muir at a well known strip joint near Billy the Bums in Durbs in 2007. I was there with a girlfriend…that’s another story.
I saw Andre Nel of the Proteas cricket team fall and cut his eye open on the steps leading off the dance floor at Joe Kools on the Durban beachfront. Just moments before he was the main man of the hour with young girls all around him jiving on the dance floor. Needless to say my mate and I nearly collapsed from laughing. Nel was carted off to hospital and an hour later he was back at Joe Kools trying to look like the coolest dude in town. That was also in 2007.
8 Mar 2011, 18:57 pm
How can you call them super when they beat a 14 man side.To me that is just luck at the moment..Just wait a few more matches and you will see.
8 Mar 2011, 19:02 pm
@Bushboy(jacquesknotter)-463:
Have you just come off the plaas? Cheetahs supporter ne.
8 Mar 2011, 19:16 pm
living in delusional daydreams this little guppieyuppie poefta pretender
Just check the STATS broer then see your overrated gat looming on the horizon
FULL NAME Rynhardt
SURNAME Elstadt
HEIGHT 198 cm
WEIGHT 112 Kg
BIRTH DATE 20 December 1989
BIRTH PLACE Johannesburg
PRIMARY SCHOOL Montagu
SECONDARY SCHOOL Montagu High
FULL NAME Daniel Johannes
SURNAME Vermeulen
HEIGHT 193 cm
WEIGHT 108 Kg
BIRTH DATE 03 July 1986
BIRTH PLACE Nelspruit
PRIMARY SCHOOL Nelspruit Laerskool
SECONDARY SCHOOL Nelspruit High School
FULL NAME Ralph Nicholas
SURNAME Koster
HEIGHT 193 cm
WEIGHT 104 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 February 1989
BIRTH PLACE Robertson
PRIMARY SCHOOL Bishops Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL Bishops College
TERTIARY EDUCATION UCT
Name – Jacques Botes
Age – 30
Club - Sharks
Position – Flanker
Born - Nelspruit, South Africa
Height – 1.82m
Weight – 99 kg
Name – Keegan Daniel
Age – 26
Club – Sharks
Position – Flanker
Born – East London, South Africa
Height – 1.88m
Weight – 94 kg
Name – Ryan Kankowski
Age – 25
Club - Sharks
Position – No 8
Born – Port Elizabeth, S Africa
Height – 1.93m
Weight – 107 kg
Your bunch of above lily pansy poefta guppie yuppies better hope big daddy’s uncles Alberts and Deysel and Bismark are their to protect their show pony pansyasses
cause else the Stormers loosie boys will chew them up for pudding cakes and spit them out again
8 Mar 2011, 19:45 pm
HG your one eyed Sharks view and anti Stormers repitore really leaves you with zero credibilty.
You suceed at being a jester but when it comes to rugby I am afraid no one who has any idea of rugby takes you seriously !!
I will read a Skop post before yours any day of the week as he at least has a rugby opinion.
I read your posts for my daily comic relief, you not yet in Gunthers class though !!
8 Mar 2011, 19:59 pm
FULL NAME Juanne Hugo
SURNAME Smith
HEIGHT 196 cm
WEIGHT 109 Kg
BIRTH DATE 30 July 1981
BIRTH PLACE Bloemfontein
PRIMARY SCHOOL JBM Hertzog Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL JBM Hertzog High
FULL NAME Pierre Johan
SURNAME Spies
HEIGHT 194 cm
WEIGHT 107 Kg
BIRTH DATE 08 June 1985
BIRTH PLACE Pretoria
PRIMARY SCHOOL Skuilkrans Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL Afrikaans Boys High, Pretoria
TERTIARY EDUCATION University of Pretoria
FULL NAME Daniel Jacobus
SURNAME Rossouw
HEIGHT 198 cm
WEIGHT 119 Kg
BIRTH DATE 05 June 1978
BIRTH PLACE Sabie
PRIMARY SCHOOL White River Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL Rob Ferreira High
FULL NAME Dewald Johan
SURNAME Potgieter
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 98 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 February 1987
BIRTH PLACE Port Elizabeth
PRIMARY SCHOOL Charlo Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL Daniel Pienaar HTS, Uitenhage
FULL NAME Petrus Johannes Juandre
SURNAME Kruger
HEIGHT 197 cm
WEIGHT 107 Kg
BIRTH DATE 06 September 1985
BIRTH PLACE Cape Town
PRIMARY SCHOOL Eversdal
SECONDARY SCHOOL Paul Roos Gym
8 Mar 2011, 20:42 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-466: Mini-me, you get back from a bike ride with Gwantie…? A bit moody? All that pedalling causing more of the biyatch to come out than normal or is it just that time of the month?
Well fark off, I don’t care much about your opinion anyway…. Go get dressed back in your leathers and ride on outtahere with the breeze in your face… on your raleigh chopper…
Fckwit.
8 Mar 2011, 20:43 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-467: Ilanjoschmo, did your Nokia jam on one of them stats sites…
No farking idea…
8 Mar 2011, 20:47 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-468:
That’s the best you got ??
Yawn !!!
8 Mar 2011, 20:48 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-469:
Get on the site called Super Supporters bru. There are actually normal people there. Seriously.
8 Mar 2011, 20:53 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-471: Oke, I like teaching the unfortunate ones, the challenged and the just plain delusional… In other words Stormer supporters, mostly
Besides most time normal can get boring after a while. It must be said amongst the looneys on this bit of the blogospheres there are some knowledgeable and just plain nice blokes. You will find I tend to treat them with respect and don’t give them the gears. Indeed, mostly Shark supporters, those
8 Mar 2011, 20:56 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-470: Ja the best I got is that fark I am so happy the Sharks do not have the kit/jersey designer/supplier of the Stormers…. Hope you got your replica for this year. I am sure you and your BMX gang look good in that setup on your Saturday ride down to Newlands
8 Mar 2011, 20:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-472:
Go on post something about rugby, I want a good laugh before I watch Arsenal/Barca……………..I challenge you to get through two sentences without referring to the Stormers !!!!!
Till later, by the way I think most true Shark supporters cringe at the drivel you post !!!
8 Mar 2011, 21:02 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-473:
The new jersey is growing on me !!!!
Sharks had ugly jerseys for years, Mr Price across the chest still looks a bit cheap, but do admit from a design perspective the Sharks jerseys are the best in the competition this year
8 Mar 2011, 21:05 pm
this Herr Goebels guppie yuppie is kakking in his panties
You just need to imagine Elstadt at 198 cm and 112 kg up against Daniels 188 cm and 94 kg
or
Koster 193 cm and 104 kg with a 100 mtr time of 11 sec against Jacqus Botes at 182 cm and 99 kg
No wonder he’s going bossies befok and crying wolf from behind his overrated guppie yuppie pantie liners
Like I said you better pray uncles Deysel and Bismark and Willie Alberts are up to scratch and gooing wal when the sh’t storm comes in on the Stormfront, else you gonna get blown away into never never land, and not know quite wtf has actually hit you overrated guppie yuppie pansies.
8 Mar 2011, 21:06 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-474: Brokeback Stormer poefball supporter… my worst insult ever
8 Mar 2011, 21:08 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-476: Ja now you thinking like a Bulls supporter where beef and size is everything….
No place for the courageous brainy and skilful like Daniel and Brussouw with you…
Caught you out. Undercover Bloubull, ne? I don’t think of it as an insult but I am calling a spade a spade…
8 Mar 2011, 21:16 pm
call it whatever you will but if you happen to lose Alberts at any given time your loosie contingent is well and truly fck’d up to hell and gone
I told you once now and I told you perhaps 10 times already take not, the tide is swinging
This Elstadt kid lthough he don’t show nothing much yet got more than the makings of a Juan Smith replacement, better even than Alberts because of his height speed weight and mobility.
next Koster is more of a true No.8 or a scavenging No.6 than all your flash harry scurrying whipper snapper lighties like Keegan, or the sideways show pony Pierre Spies in drag Kankowski.
Only Alberts, Deysel and Botes are the real tough nuts in your armory along with Sykes and Bismark and your vaunted front row, otherwise pound for pound and kg for kg, the Stormers loosie contingent with these new kids I’m touting and hailing here are going to stuff you up something chronic in the shade, long as Schalk don’t come stuff it all up. You better hope to Heaven that Alberts and/or Deysel don’t go down or you are toast with a capital T.
8 Mar 2011, 21:17 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-478: the moron forgets how the self same sharks loosies destroyed his little WP toughies
in the super 14 and currie cup
8 Mar 2011, 21:23 pm
that was Deysel, Alberts and Kankowski that took Schalk, Frans and Vermeulen down in the CC and S14, but it was actually Jdup, Smit and Beast that did the damage upfront against Brok, Liebenberg and Moller which is a no contest.
I am talking Vermeulen, Elstadt and Koster here, against your current crop of Kanko, Alberts and Daniel or Botes
If our tight five can find parity, we eat you up for breakfast in the loosie dept. if they pick the guys I’m suggesting and don’t give Schalk the captaincy.
Bekker or Van Zyl must captain, or even JdV. and we see who crows last.
8 Mar 2011, 21:26 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-480: Ja tell him SL. Okes have short memory here… there’s a Stormer supporter problem with temporary onset dementia from time to time… Ilanjo is strating to talk like a Bulls supporter though, which generally should mean he is talking more sense relative to those metrosexuals around the mountain… it just doesn’t sound right though… Its these favourites he has that defy logic.
8 Mar 2011, 21:27 pm
Outtahere. Got to go.
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