Sharks must embrace tactical sphere
6 Apr 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that a meeting with the Lions demands a less adventurous approach from the overly-ambitious Sharks.
The Sharks can’t afford to lose to the Lions. They’ve lost three on the trot, two of which they would have expected to win against the Chiefs and Stormers. They’re no longer setting the standard in the South African conference. They’re scrapping for second place.
A win against the Lions will provide some respite as they head into a bye week. While they’re unlikely to make up ground against the Stormers, they do have an opportunity to surpass the Bulls. The Sharks should expect at least eight points (one for a win and one for a bye) in the next two weeks, while the Bulls will be lucky to win one of their next two encounters against the Crusaders and Reds.
The Sharks should expect to win this weekend, but there are no guarantees. They lost to the Lions in the pre-season, and will know that John Mitchell’s charges are more dangerous than their record suggests.
The Lions went down to the Reds last Saturday, but produced a first half-showing that highlighted some potential in the forwards. Andre Pretorius controlled the game cleverly during that opening half-hour, and if he had kicked for goal more accurately, the Lions may have indeed sneaked an upset.
The Lions’ struggle for composure and their inability to finish is costing them. Defence is another ongoing problem, and the better teams have exposed them in this area.
Where they have got it right, in patches, is on attack. The first 30 minutes against the Reds was characterised by good ball control and impressive physicality at the collisions. They took the Reds forwards on in this department, and successfully limited the space available to the free-running backs.
The Sharks are similar to the Reds in that they depend on the momentum of their forwards. It’s the reason they’ve lost three in a row, as when their forwards haven’t dominated, they have failed to control possession and win territory via other means.
They will need to lift their physicality when they host the Lions, but they will also need to vary their attack. This involves unleashing their monstrous ball-carriers from within opposition territory rather than building the attacking pressure from within their own half.
The Lions’ loose approach will provide them with counter-attacking opportunities, and the Sharks are a side that can take advantage of those chances. But when they have possession, they have to appreciate that controlling possession sometimes means kicking for the touchline and then pressuring the opposition at the subsequent lineout and ruck.
They were handed a lesson by the Stormers last week, and it’s one they need to take to heart. The Sharks’ early results overshadowed some deficiencies in their game, as poor ball control and the unwillingness to vary their attack often led to greater periods on defence, and thus a higher count of missed tackles.
The Lions match represents an opportunity to end on a high before enjoying a bye, but it also represents a chance to embrace a more accurate and complete game. They have the personnel to implement this approach, and with the return of Pat Lambie in Round 10, that approach will become more potent. For now, it’s about striking a better balance.
345 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
6 Apr 2011, 09:20 am
sharks needs leadership on the field.john smit should be starting not sitting on the bench.
6 Apr 2011, 09:43 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-50: Carlos was never a good kicker.I was surprised when I heard he was kicking coach. My guess is he will concentrate fully on the back line play. That’s what he was appointed for in the first place. Now the Lions need a defence coach because Carlos didn’t excel in that either. Boots had a rerun of Bands bumping off Carlos just last week.
6 Apr 2011, 09:52 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-52: I saw the Bands bump too the other day. Never gets tired.
6 Apr 2011, 09:53 am
Where’s that fella these days?
Really faded off the scene quickly
6 Apr 2011, 09:56 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-18: PissAnt, I feel the same. This could be a chance for Bulls to beat Saders. Without Carter they never the same.
Said on the Kiwi thread here yesterday that Bulls could beat Saders. Tell you what if they do, reckon Bulls will be the hardest team to beat after. Their confidence will be massive. I also feel they could beat the Reds in Brisbane. Reds have to travel back from Cape Town. Not easy that.
Good luck to Bulls really hope they do.
6 Apr 2011, 09:57 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-53: Bands could have been one of the greats, but his kryptonite was food and a phobia for the treadmill. Like you said…. that had off never gets tired.
6 Apr 2011, 09:59 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-56: He always looked like he was one pick-and-drive short of a cardiac arrest. Even before kick-off.
6 Apr 2011, 10:00 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-53: Add his bulldozing run, S14 semi-final 2007, McCaw out for the count. Lovely stuff.
6 Apr 2011, 10:10 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-58:
Ritchie still makes a little wee when he hears the word bands.
6 Apr 2011, 10:20 am
Embrace the tactical sphere… Sounds like Straulie is up to no good again. I bet they must embrace them naked in a cold pit.
6 Apr 2011, 10:34 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-39: don’t forget that genia also owned Fourie dupreez
6 Apr 2011, 10:39 am
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-51: unfortunately in this case,the leadership john brings comes at too high an expense
6 Apr 2011, 10:44 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-50: Carlos Spencer was teaching Elton to kick????, LOL!!!!! , Ooh my god!!!!
6 Apr 2011, 10:48 am
This is going to be the game of forwards. With Jannie, Beast, John Smith and Bismarck in the front row I am sure they will dominate the scrums. Even if John Smit plays at loosehead prop, he will be scrumming against Pat Cilliers who is seriously not a good rugby player – a Lightweight. Sharks released him, so they didn’t see potential in him either. JC agains Jannie… 50-50. Bandise not bad but workrate sometimes a bit too low in comparison with Bismarck.
Think the Sharks will take this one!
6 Apr 2011, 10:54 am
@Volcano(Volcano)-64:
I was at the pre season game at Newlands, Cilliers gave JS a torrid time !!!
Sharks pack was comprehensively drilled, Sharks cannot allow this to happen on Sat, not sure they should be selecting JS at LH !!
6 Apr 2011, 11:13 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-60: how did streuli manage to get into the franchise after staaldraad? is the union family owned?
6 Apr 2011, 11:18 am
mainland: he got in there on ‘merit’, for rugby reasons alone
6 Apr 2011, 11:23 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-67: you need a really good reason to have that guy there
6 Apr 2011, 11:25 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-67: Like offering Ludeke a job with a record of 2 wins in 26 games, pure “merit” I tell you…
6 Apr 2011, 11:40 am
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-51: no
6 Apr 2011, 11:53 am
It’s important for john smit to be playing and captaining regularly because whether we liked it or not he will be the captain and number two of the boks at the wc.just hope he stays away from 1 and 3.
6 Apr 2011, 12:21 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-69: like keeping eric sauls on for years after he routinely selected midgets and clearly couldnt turn youth talent into a winning team?
6 Apr 2011, 12:35 pm
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-71: i predict he will be on the bench covering 2 for the Boks… PdV doesn’t have the balls to drop him completely and isn’t stupid enough to play him at prop, so he’ll take the lukewarm approach and keep him on the bench, imo.
6 Apr 2011, 12:39 pm
Sharks and Saders WILL win this weekend. I have no doubt. With or without Carter. Stormers will need to turn up to beat the unpredictable Reds.
6 Apr 2011, 12:41 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-74: i don’t know about this week but the sharks will definitely win next week and bag the four points.
6 Apr 2011, 12:42 pm
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-75:
LOL yeah that is a cert!!!
6 Apr 2011, 12:57 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-65: come now JR you know full well JS had just come back from a neck op and had not played for 8 months
is that not what warm up matches are for ?? getting practice , getting back into things???
6 Apr 2011, 12:58 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-77: then choose him at 1 ….or 3 …this weekend?
6 Apr 2011, 13:12 pm
@grant10(grant10)-78: are you JR?? was wondering
and i dont choose the team
just pointing out to JR that his example is not fair
I’ll stick to being a good supporter and let the expert (PLUM) do the selecting
6 Apr 2011, 13:21 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-79: bissy will get a break i reckon…
6 Apr 2011, 13:24 pm
@grant10(grant10)-80: grant i think so too , means smit will be 2 with beast and jannie at prop , thats a very powerful front row
smit line outs are good , but its in the loose we will miss bissy
he a fetcher of note
6 Apr 2011, 13:27 pm
Barney is gathering momentum.
the more he plays the sharper he will get.
the shorks will rip the lions a new poeper
I hope GoldenballsGumede kept his receipt.
6 Apr 2011, 13:28 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-72: wow!!, funny you would show your ignorance and lately your racially influenced bias, do you know who was the first South African coach to win an IRB junior World Cup.?
6 Apr 2011, 13:28 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-81: agreed…
Maybe let Van Staden play at 3 as well
Jannie looks moeg
and i rate that van staden highly.
but plum may be a bit scared…it really is a do or die game.
may well be the same team as last Sat !
6 Apr 2011, 13:30 pm
@grant10(grant10)-80: the boks management needs to see smit on the playing field whether he is turbo-reversing or not.
6 Apr 2011, 13:32 pm
@grant10(grant10)-84: grant there i also agree
i really like van staden and i reckon he wont let the team down and should get a start
6 Apr 2011, 13:33 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-83: rangerman used to be a very objective blogger but changed since mixing with sharkslover.very sad indeed.
6 Apr 2011, 13:33 pm
yeah grant it all depends if plum is prepared to gamble a bit
i would also like to see bosman play 10 and bring in adi at 12
6 Apr 2011, 13:36 pm
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-87: piss off twat , go start you **** elsewhere
6 Apr 2011, 13:44 pm
at the moment we can safely say that the sharks depends on one person,lambie,to keep themselves in the super 15 title race.without lambie their 10,12 and 13 axis are in a shambolic state.can that improve?i don’t think so because these players at best should be playing at varsity cup level and not super rugby level.i really do believe that the sharks are struggling with depth problems and a prime example of this is the case of oupa terblanche who by now is probably planning the finer details of his 50th bash.
6 Apr 2011, 13:51 pm
I honestly feel the more Smit plays the more his lack of hunger and or form will be exposed….I say this with no malice….it is simply my opinion.
I also think the lions…sharks game will be 1 of the best of the weekend.
Players like Whiteley, Pat Cilliers, Kockitt will be all out to prove themselves….and the Mapoe saga is still a raw wound!
Going to be a helleva interesting game.
6 Apr 2011, 13:54 pm
@grant10(grant10)-91: i believe that those lions players will be seriously stoked for that game.sharks might be heading for defeat number 4 here.
6 Apr 2011, 13:55 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-88: Now, that would be the best selection in the absence of Lambie, gradually Plum is showing that he is a forwards coach not a head coach, Bosman plays closer to the gain line and Adi Jacobs wins one on one with any centre in the world.
6 Apr 2011, 14:01 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-93: kid i always been an adi fan , just remember though he has been out with a long injury layoff
yes i know some cry about his defence , but there are very few c enters that read gaps then adi and he runs off the ball so well
6 Apr 2011, 14:01 pm
Adi Jacobs one on one with any centre in the world?? fark!! TIK is getting stronger and stronger by the day!
6 Apr 2011, 14:02 pm
@grant10(grant10)-91: no mallice seen grant , i kbnow its you point of view , its just when you post it all the time , which you have not , and i see it as we are discuusing the issue at hand
6 Apr 2011, 14:04 pm
@Sonny_bill_is_k@k_Mossie_is_king(WO_to_kill_Sir_Elton)-95: very interesting nick…..yet again.listen here chomma,sharkslover is entitled to his opinion.
6 Apr 2011, 14:04 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-93: Adi Jacobs would have been punished by Frueun & SBW just the same ……….. time for the Sharks to buy some decent backs , they have lost too much quality
6 Apr 2011, 14:04 pm
@Sonny_bill_is_k@k_Mossie_is_king(WO_to_kill_Sir_Elton)-95: lol yes we can name many better centers , but he is not as bad as some make him out to be
6 Apr 2011, 14:05 pm
@Lucem Petimus(Lucem Petimus)-92: the leeus will be highly charged….i watched the pre season game at newlands….i know only a warm up….but lions came out breathing fire!
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.