Tahs edge Sydney epic
24 Mar 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on a compelling 34-30 victory for the Waratahs over the Sharks.
The Tahs probably weren’t the better side on the balance of play. But they needed and wanted this more. They never relented at any stage, despite the Sharks mounting considerable pressure on them. Their mettle was tested and they responded in emphatic manner to break a losing streak that threatened to compromise their campaign.
The Sharks will lament soft moments that kept the Tahs in the contest. They had their hosts on the ropes at various times, but couldn’t land the knock-out punch.
They seem to have made strides in remedying their inconsistent attacking play. They looked good when playing through phases, especially when their primary strike runners in the pack get their hands on the ball. Those heavies were dominant in the opening quarter and allowed the Sharks to deplete the Tahs’ defence and hurt them in the wide channels.
They went ahead in this manner three minutes into the contest, with a slick interchange of passes on the left wing culminating in Lwazi Mvovo sprinting in for a try. Pat Lambie added the extras then kicked a conversion to give his side a 10-point lead.
The Tahs looked largely impotent when they sought to play expansively. Credit to the Sharks, who withdrew men from their breakdown contest, fanned in defence and isolated ball carriers, forcing turnovers.
The Tahs’ lateral shuffling posed little threat and they should have been more direct than they were. Indeed their only first half try came after an erosive multi-phase move that finished with scrumhalf Brendan McKibbin sniping around a poorly guarded ruck fringe to score.
McKibbin kicked the conversion to go with an earlier penalty but the Sharks hit back immediately, mauling powerfully, Keegan Daniel crossing the whitewash. The Tahs spurned a chance to go ahead, Adam Ashley-Cooper knocking on with the tryline beckoning, and they had to be content with another McKibbin penalty that left them trailing 17-13 at the break.
The Sharks looked vastly superior and threatened to score every time they were able to get continuity in their play. The Tahs also had no rebuttal to their rolling maul, and Bismarck du Plessis emerged from one 7m from the tryline and simply swatted away the tackle attempts of two defenders to score. Du Plessis started the season slowly but he has gradually found his stride and is showing glimpses of the form that made him the world’s best hooker in 2011.
Lambie landed the conversion but the Tahs refused to succumb, responding with two converted tries in seven minutes to take the lead for the first time. For all their attacking advances the Sharks continue to undermine their cause by falling into a slumber at crucial times.
Lambie levelled the scores with 18 minutes play but you sensed the Sharks, with the better, more experienced bench, would edge this one. The replacements galvanised the visitors, upping their tempo and forcing a series of breakdown infringements, one of which Lambie banked to edge his side ahead with nine minutes to play.
But the Tahs’ deep desperation drove them on and Tom Kingston finished a move that’s birth can be traced back to their own 22m. Berrick Barnes kicked the conversion that required the Sharks to score a try for the win. It wasn’t to be and the Tahs’ players’ celebrations at the final whistle indicated just how much the victory meant to them.
158 Comments
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24 Mar 2012, 08:11 am
@44, sorry my bad..on the blackberry, watching the game and not watching what I’m typing..
24 Mar 2012, 08:12 am
Come on Sharks you can do it !!!!!!!
24 Mar 2012, 08:14 am
Oh! Probably the first right pick from last seven in a row?
It can’t be true.
24 Mar 2012, 08:15 am
What a game… 2012 an awesome season so far!
24 Mar 2012, 08:15 am
Dam !!!! Disappointed…… Good game though.
24 Mar 2012, 08:16 am
I predicted the Sharks to go down by 5 on Superbru. Close enough
24 Mar 2012, 08:17 am
Eish : (
24 Mar 2012, 08:17 am
where’s Herr Gonads.. Sharkievarkies first loss on the road.. 3 more on the cards…
too bad too sad .. Sharkievarkies all bluster with no brains nor balls.
24 Mar 2012, 08:17 am
Good game
Well played meyer bosman and pat lambie
Motm… mckibbin
24 Mar 2012, 08:19 am
That’s the way it goes sometimes.
24 Mar 2012, 08:19 am
The introduction of conferences has made me support the Stormers only. Any knock to a local team is a benefit to the Stormers.
24 Mar 2012, 08:19 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-58: HG never lets facts get in the way of his posts. Don’t waste your time.
24 Mar 2012, 08:21 am
What a great game! A pity the Sharks didn’t take the points at goal when on offfer. They could have stolen this one me thinks. A pity but Bosman played really well.
24 Mar 2012, 08:22 am
Sharks defending not good though. They slip tackles way to easily. Anyways they played really well and it was entertaining.
24 Mar 2012, 08:23 am
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-52:
Your team did well though! Could have gone either way…
24 Mar 2012, 08:23 am
Sharkievarkies better get messiah Frankiesteyn on board quick else they going nowhere slowly
24 Mar 2012, 08:24 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-61: Sadly that has been a result. Although I always try and support an local team against an overseas one.
Can’t help it,
In this case I hedged my bets by betting on the tah’s on Superbru and rooting for the Sharks. My Bru is so stuffed already I don’t mind losing the points if it means a win for a local team.
24 Mar 2012, 08:25 am
Plumtree made a huge blunder.
He substituted Bresler for Burden just before our scrum put in in there half with 1 min to go. That meant Coetzee had to go to lock with Burden and flank. Our scrum disintegrated and a penalty awarded to the Tahs. Game over!
We might not have won but surely if you have the last scrum put in of the game you make substitutions that aren’t going to compromise possession.
24 Mar 2012, 08:27 am
People should drop the name-calling.
It’s childish.
24 Mar 2012, 08:27 am
Hope the arrogant Sharks supporters would pipe down now. This is a weak Tahs team on a low.
24 Mar 2012, 08:27 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-61:
I still don’t get this bullshit garbage that you gotta support saffa teams in this competition.. this competition was never about nationalities.. always about regional franchises against each other .. so I’ll support Cheetahs and perhaps Lions against Kiwi-Aussie teams but not Bulls or Sharks.
24 Mar 2012, 08:31 am
As a sharks fan I am embarrassed, the amount of space given to the Tahs is very concerning. When you base your defensive play on the hope of turnovers, and they don’t come, the opposition is going to make easy meters. This is a weak Tahs team, and a very unfit Sharks one.
Coetzee is the find of the season though. Come on Cheetahs!!!
24 Mar 2012, 08:33 am
Headline should read ” Sharks throw it away”!!
24 Mar 2012, 08:33 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-70: Is that so? Where, on this thread has a Sharks supporter been “arrogant”? I can quote a few of your posts though, and who do support? The “brok”(e)backs?
Farken typical Cape numbnut.
24 Mar 2012, 08:34 am
This **** of a weak Tahs team is rubbish! An away game is always difficult!!
24 Mar 2012, 08:36 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-58: Yes, your worst nightmare is here, music “fundi”…
Wait, just let me swallow this nice chunk of bacon….
Mmmm, greasy pork….smells good… tastes good
24 Mar 2012, 08:36 am
HG relax… The Stormers have to still play difficult away games… We will see how big mouth they get!!
24 Mar 2012, 08:40 am
Well said Dawn…
24 Mar 2012, 08:41 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-62: Right… what you mean to say is that anyone who sees through the “awesome” “inside” knowledge of the Keo “Captains of Industry” and calls it for what it really is: a cosy little local clique of bloggangbanging fantasists, really just has to let the “facts” speak for themselves….
Its a reason why Keo is quite uninteresting lately…
24 Mar 2012, 08:42 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-74: I should have used you as a prime example. You should actually zippit – your team is going knowhere. I really don’t know why you’re big bek. How big do you feel now? No one gave the Stormers a chance in this competition and I still think they’re outsiders yet you always spew superior Sharks drivel. Can’t wait for the Stormers to put the double over your team again this year. I’ll be the first to rub your nose in it!
24 Mar 2012, 08:45 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-69: Tart…
24 Mar 2012, 08:46 am
I give up.
24 Mar 2012, 08:48 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-80: Get it off your little pigeon chest, PeeWee… Thats my boy….
And don’t forget to bend over and take it if the Lions C Team show your “great” Donkey led team where they really stand….
PS… Don’t forget to boo Joe Pietersen like a good Stormersader supporter…
24 Mar 2012, 08:48 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-79: Checkmate.
24 Mar 2012, 08:48 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-71: Heavens Glory Hole will disappear again if the Sharks flatter to deceive lol. I used to support all local teams (its kinda hard supporting NZ and Aus teams) but some supporters can make you dislike unions too. Like the last bastion of great SA hope – the Tjarks.
24 Mar 2012, 08:49 am
Dawn
Don’t… you’re way better than that…
24 Mar 2012, 08:51 am
bad luck sharks,atleast we got a away bonuspoint which could be worth gold at the closing stages of this comp.
24 Mar 2012, 08:54 am
In all seriousness. A good game, no complaints… The mighty Sharks ran out of steam and just couldn’t close it out.
Most enterprising backline in SA by a long way…
We just have to sort out the second row and then the next 3 games on tour are ours for the taking…
24 Mar 2012, 08:56 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-82: @stormersboy(stormersboy)-84: @ufo(ufo)-86: Aaah sweet… Group therapy is… sniff, sniff….So touching…
24 Mar 2012, 08:58 am
@<a href="#comment-2090204"@stormersboy(stormersboy)-84: Don’t stress yourself about Heavens Glory Hole. He won’t be around much in the coming weeks.
24 Mar 2012, 08:59 am
JPP and Beast also would have made a difference… at least 10 points difference… But no sweat…
Loving the type of rugby played by the Kings Park champs
24 Mar 2012, 09:01 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-90: Herman…?
24 Mar 2012, 09:04 am
Stop being a d oos so early in the morning
24 Mar 2012, 09:06 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-93: Talking to yourself…self absorbed? Just look up and straight ahead… Instant cure… No worries.
24 Mar 2012, 09:08 am
Gotta love the Stormer mentality when saying the Sharks going nowhere after only losing 3 away games and Stormers havent played away yet… Boggles the mind!!
24 Mar 2012, 09:09 am
Save your spleen for later when the donkeys get beaten by the Lions
You’ll have a bigger audience
24 Mar 2012, 09:10 am
No one is taking any delight over the Sharks loss.
They played well and could have won.
But that’s the way it goes.
24 Mar 2012, 09:11 am
I don’t know what your problem is with me but your comments are out of line.
24 Mar 2012, 09:11 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-89: Feeling left out?
Poor baby.
I’d offer to put your dummy back in but in most cases you are the dummy.
24 Mar 2012, 09:14 am
Hahaha
Throwing temper tantrums in the sandpit with all the class and emotional maturity of a spoilt 5-year-old girl… spitting dummies, screaming, flat on stomach banging fists and kicking feet, throwing sand in all directions while everyone else looks on in mild bemusement…
then gets on with their day…
The real joke is you’re too fuckingthick to be embarrassed by your own immaturity…
sheesh no one would ever believe you’re an adult man
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