Complete performance
20 Jun 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says the Bulls were unable to cope with the Sharks’ intensity at Loftus.
This was the 80-minute performance Sharks coaches John Plumtree and Grant Bashford had demanded. This was the reason so many believe the Sharks are SA’s premier side. This was a Saturday night when players did their talent justice and delivered for themselves and their loyal support base.
The Sharks required something monumental to beat the Bulls at home and they produced a colossal effort to end the Bulls’ charge for a third successive Super Rugby title.
The winning margin flattered the hosts, who scored in the 39th minute and the 78th minute to threaten the miracle of escape. But the Sharks were not to be denied the rewards of a performance that combined brute force with the wizardry of French flyhalf Frederic Michalak, the poise of fullback Pat Lambie and the power running of wing JP Pietersen.
The Sharks’ attack was the best it has been this season because the forwards won the collisions, the set phase was strong, and Michalak and Lambie offered so much variation in their roles.
The Sharks lack a midfield and second row of international class, but at Loftus every player exceeded expectations and some may spend their careers seeking another such performance.
To beat the Bulls in Pretoria the opposition players have to sustain an intensity that is unrelenting. The Sharks did this and the hardened hosts didn’t quite have the pedigree to resist.
Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez ended their Bulls careers with defeat — the Bulls’ third in Pretoria this season — but these legends of the game did not go quietly. Botha provided early thrust and confrontation. Matfield was desperate and dutiful and Du Preez’s introduction in the final quarter didn’t give him enough time to influence the result.
The Bulls gave it everything and this was a match won by the Sharks and not lost by the Bulls. The better side on the night won. The Sharks forwards did the job and with a stable and consistent platform, flyhalf Michalak’s game management helped define the result.
Lambie certainly ensured his place in the Springbok World Cup squad as a utility player. He is good, whether he wears 10, 12 or 15, and Pietersen is playing even better than he did in 2007.
It was a brilliant night for South African rugby and again reinforces the optimism that a successful Springbok Rugby World Cup defence is possible.
The Stormers’ win in Bloemfontein was never going to match the Sharks’ victory for drama and intensity and it all seemed a little after the fact.
Not that it was any less impressive: the reshaped backline delivered the expectant result and Bryan Habana even managed to get over for a try.
Peter Grant’s return at flyhalf gave the Stormers direction and their attack was more fluid and decisive. Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Gio Aplon, Duane Vermeulen, Andries Bekker and Schalk Burger were at the forefront of everything and Francois Louw again ruled the breakdown. Louw’s international fall from grace is not justified and you won’t convince me that he doesn’t belong in a Bok training squad, at the very least.
The Stormers, with a home semi-final in a fortnight, have the easier route to a final, with the Sharks in New Zealand this weekend against the Crusaders.
The international travel in this competition means every home team starts with an advantage, but you would have to be pretty one-eyed not to acknowledge the incredible journey of the Crusaders to win the New Zealand conference. They haven’t played a match in Christchurch because of the earthquakes that destroyed their city and claimed the lives of many of their friends.
The romantics would want to gift them the title, but the Sharks have never been known to romance the opposition and that match will be the highlight of the weekend’s play-offs.
The Blues, at home, should beat the Waratahs, who never travel well to New Zealand, and the conservatives would pick a Reds vs Blues semi-final in Brisbane and a second visit of the season to Cape Town from the Crusaders.
The tournament organisers will believe they got the format right as two teams from every conference qualified and the play-off finalists were determined only in the last weekend of the regular season. The crowds in SA and Australia have never been bigger and television audiences have also improved.
The rugby, though, hasn’t matched the hype around the tournament expansion.
Matches like the Sharks’ win against the Bulls have been too rare in a Super Rugby season that combined too little of the exceptional with too much of the mediocre.
127 Comments
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20 Jun 2011, 13:55 pm
ja, i suppose there is a cannon fodder element to the whole thing with fringe players being thrown into the breach to protect overplayed players.
but 7 wings still seems a bit much imo.
20 Jun 2011, 13:55 pm
I said it before and I’ll say it again, this list means very little. It says more about the omissions than the inclusions.
I’ll bet Mujati wasn’t even considered. For many reasons, the least being possibly that he’s not interrested, Oh and the fact that he’s not eligible, as I think we’ve said ad nauseum here.
20 Jun 2011, 13:56 pm
interesting stat, that schalk has 63 caps 65 (13 tries) points and jean deV has 67 caps and 95 (19 tries) points.
20 Jun 2011, 13:57 pm
i am surprised there is such a groundswell for mujati to be picked actually.
on what basis can we measure him against our local players?
but surely if he has already represented the boks he is eligible to do so again?
20 Jun 2011, 14:01 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-104: ask Transie to explain, something about citizenship vs residency vs passport holder
20 Jun 2011, 14:02 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-101: What it says if you read between the line is that apart from maybe Brian and JPP, they are unsure about the other two options.
Same with picking Muller and Hargreaves. Not sure about Flip, and maybe one of the others.
You can’t take Flip, Danie, Johann, Andries, Victor, Bakkies, Alistair. So at least 2 will drop out, if you include Danie as a loosie, which throws the problem over to the other side with the loose forwards.
20 Jun 2011, 14:02 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-104:
We have serious deficiencies at tight head. Most okes are looking for a Superman to save the day. Besides, the raving reviews overseas require at least a look-in. Government kinda changed the rules in the middle of the game, and now requires only SA citizens to represent official SA teams. Same with Beast last year…
20 Jun 2011, 14:05 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-105: no thanks, i donbt trust transie as he has proven himself a bit xenophobic and he supports mugabe.
besides for that, he is a great bloke.
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-106: fair enough.
@Melchizedek(Melchizedek)-107: not a good look so soon after the xenophobic riots imo.
20 Jun 2011, 14:07 pm
The bulls can still make the final. They just have to find some tickets in time !!
20 Jun 2011, 14:11 pm
@gerhard(bokdrol)-109: i imagine there are quite a few bulls supporters with season tickets at Newlands. perhaps they will rock up for a semi with the crusaders in their black and red outfits
20 Jun 2011, 14:21 pm
” the crowds in Australia have never been bigger ” . Huh??? In Sydney the crowds have been very poor. Don’t know about the rest of the country but union is struggling against league , aussie rules and now soccer/football.
20 Jun 2011, 14:23 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-53:
Probably that but Mr Pocock played a true number 6 style than Schalk. The game Schalk played was more a seven.
20 Jun 2011, 14:30 pm
@superba(superba)-111:
Exactly…I think waratahs have had really dismal attendances.
20 Jun 2011, 14:35 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-108: umsunu wakho
20 Jun 2011, 14:43 pm
@superba(superba)-111: League is a great game it has to be said, fast paced and exciting. AFL is odd, but it is exciting too, I can understand why Union battles. But as for soccer… wtf, about as exciting as watching dead people dance.
20 Jun 2011, 15:04 pm
with such low attendances it just shows people arent interested anymore. i think the reason why our australasion opponents have no bums on seats is because of our currently legendary springbok team
20 Jun 2011, 15:32 pm
Well the Stormers looked more dangerous on Saturday than in any other game this year. The attacking game was good , don’t know what happend with defence this time round. Stormers can go all the way from here on.
20 Jun 2011, 15:55 pm
@Andre_WP(Andre_WP)-117:
Sure, under the old firm of Jonker @ProLegota cranking up the magic :
They looked pretty lethal too in the first round against the Cheetahs at Newlands under Pro Legota.
20 Jun 2011, 17:20 pm
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-113: waratahs dont stand a chance.
20 Jun 2011, 19:08 pm
total garbage this article.
if mark is going to write this rubbish he must eff overseas and go and write for some dustbin rag that has 2 readers. some f@#$ing p@#s and his wife.
20 Jun 2011, 19:38 pm
@BlueBlood(BlueBlood)-120: how mature?? verlang jy weer na jou dae in Danville?
21 Jun 2011, 05:09 am
@Wezwp(Wezwp)-119:
Against the Blues I dont think so as well….all the injuries going into this match is going to be hard for them. If they get through though then most injured players will be back and they will beat the reds…unfortunately!
21 Jun 2011, 05:11 am
But if the sharks beat the crusaders and the waratahs win. I would put the tahs over the stormers if the tahs are back to full strength.
Could be all aussie final and you would see many saffas do catch up shopping with their wives and *** boyfriends.
21 Jun 2011, 09:36 am
Keo, Louw’s rise to international level was never justified. Other than one steal he was barely in the game this weekend.
And the ‘reshaped’ Stormers backline also let 4 tries through. I hope you’re not thinking Habana ‘is back’ just because of a silly try like that? Keo, your granny could have scored that try!
PS: Funny that nobody noticed that 3 of the 4 tries against the Stormers were scored through JDV’s channel.
21 Jun 2011, 10:26 am
The Bulls could have taken it but the coaching staff made a few errors because of predetermined substitutions and failing to play the moment.
Subbing Chilli for Botha was idiotic. Bismarck only looked good when Chilli was off. Outplayed in the tight – popped every scrum and nullified in the loose by Chilli. Chilli has come of age at last and was the best hooker on the park. Bismarck might look better ball in hand but he’s a shocking liability in the scrum. Chilli also took more men to bring him down because he has a lower center of gravity and goes in low not upright. He’s also a real menace on the ground and can do some great fetching. With Brussouw and Chilli SA could seriously boss the ball on the ground.
Taking Bakkies off when he was playing well was also a mistake. Should have been on for as long as possible.
The Bulls wings are defensive liabilities and GVDH should have been off for FDP earlier.
Such a close game and could have been won by the Bulls because of the tight margin.
Michalak has definelty cured the Sharks problems with finding penetration throughout the season. However I fear for their defence in the SBW channel overseas as well as their forwards – Mostert is good but I can’t shake off the feeling that the Sharks locks are just a tad lightweight?
Crusaders to play the Stormers, Sharky boys. Wish it were otherwise.
21 Jun 2011, 10:31 am
Another thing:
JDV is not the defensive colossus you WP writers make him out to be. Please give it up.
The unluckiest man not to be in the training squad is Doppies Le Grange. Way better defensively than JDV and can also steal the ball in the ruck. On attack might also be as good at getting his outside man away.
Francois Louw is over-rated too. If you compaer him with Stegman, they are both penalty liabilities but Stegman’s far higher work rate and ball-stealing places him above Louw. Stegman just needs a klap around the ears to make him box a little cleverer.
21 Jun 2011, 13:57 pm
@gerhard(bokdrol)-109:
wicked 
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