Errors continue to hamper Sharks
3 Apr 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes that the Sharks will need to sharpen their attack if they hope to nullify the Hurricanes’ threat in Wellington on Friday.
The attacking games of the Sharks and Stormers haven’t been up to scratch in 2012. For the Stormers, tries have been hard to come by. For the Sharks, four-try efforts haven’t necessarily guaranteed winning results.
While it may seem like the Stormers and Sharks have something in common, their problems on attack are very different. Each side has what the other lacks, that is the Stormers have a powerful and accurate pack that has excelled in the ball retention stakes, while the Sharks have the finishers capable of making the most of turnover opportunities.
The Sharks have scored 15 tries in six games, which makes them the fourth-highest try-scoring team in the competition. And yet, they sit in sixth place on the overall log. Incidentally, the Hurricanes are in seventh position despite the fact that they have scored the most tries in the 2012 tournament (20).
Both teams have won three and lost three, which confirms that try-scoring ability doesn’t necessarily guarantee results. The Sharks have been lethal from turnover ball, but haven’t produced controlled performances with ball in hand. Handling errors have hampered their development as an attacking unit, as have injuries to second row personnel.
They’ve completed some incredible wins thus far, rallying from a 17-0 deficit to beat the current Super Rugby champions in Round 4. Last week, they hung on for a narrow win against the Brumbies, their first victory in Canberra since 1998.
The Brumbies dominated possession in that fixture, and if not for their own inability to protect the pill in opposition territory they may have secured the result. They were denied at the death when Stephen Moore knocked the ball on in the Sharks 22, a mistake that summed up their night.
It’s the kind of mistake that has afflicted the Sharks, as they’ve struggled to mount an assault via a controlled multiphase approach. Their handling and decision-making has let them down, and the frustration has been patent. It didn’t cost them in that clash with the Brumbies, but they should be wary of the Hurricanes’ tendency to turn opposition mistakes into try-scoring chances.
When the Stormers played the Hurricanes in Round 1, they went into that game with the intent to starve the Kiwi side of possession. There was always the threat that the Canes would pounce on turnover ball and translate that opportunity into points, but for the most part the Stormers looked to play the game in opposition territory and keep the ball away from the Canes’ dangerous broken field runners.
The Sharks have a different philosophy to the Stormers, but they could benefit from adopting a tighter, more conservative mantra this Friday. They could also take a lesson from the Lions match against the Hurricanes, where the Lions’ high-risk, run-from-all-corners strategy played into the Hurricanes’ hands. The Hurricanes may be more structured under Mark Hammett, but they still have the ability to dominate when the game is loose.
The Sharks were once again solid at the set piece last week, securing all 11 of their lineouts. They conceded all their penalties at the ruck or maul, but a total figure of six penalties against the Sharks suggests they have improved their discipline. They need to extend this accuracy to other areas of their game, as the Hurricanes won’t be easy to topple in the Cake Tin.
It’s sounds obvious, but they need to look after the ball. And after losing in the last 10 minutes in Sydney to the Waratahs, and so nearly blowing it in the dying stages of the Brumbies clash, they won’t need reminding that 80-minute efforts are required to win big Super Rugby matches.
We’re yet to see this Sharks side produce a balanced showing. They’ve made some notable improvements since embarking on their Australasian tour, but they need to start producing consistent performances week after week if they’re going to remain in the top six.
72 Comments
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3 Apr 2012, 13:56 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-50:
Keegan still a decent squad player
The rest YES forgot about Joubert hes pap
3 Apr 2012, 14:06 pm
the sharks won their game on saturday in spite of daniel imo.
he’s kak but ok for kzn..just never bring him anywhere near the bok setup.
3 Apr 2012, 14:12 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-49: Odwa
Always loved this guy! and Botes! but I agree
3 Apr 2012, 14:23 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-53:
Always digged Odwa, a true pro but after 10 years @ Sharks he has done his service…Time for him to get his dollars up overseas-France.Has versatility(11/14/15) and kicking game and defense to be an asset up there plus fields are slower in Europe.Good servant.
Same with Botes.
But with likes of Coetzee,Mthembu,Stander in loose fwds stocks as well as mjekevu,Jordaan,Sithole in outside backs waiting to make impact big stage…Its time
3 Apr 2012, 14:25 pm
Sharks will beat the Hurricanes, we just starting to get in the groove. Just have to stop giving away so many penaltys.
3 Apr 2012, 14:33 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-55:
The Sharks only conceded 7 penalties against the Brumbies and 6( i think) against the Tah’s. There has already been a huge improvement.
3 Apr 2012, 14:57 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-37: don’t bother Shawty, Dracula hates Bismarck & Lambie, he has NOTHING goos to say about them, even of Bissie earns MoM he will come here and slate him…
rest easy, plus expect him to be vulgar any second now
3 Apr 2012, 14:59 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-55: kick as much ball or allow the hurricanes to have as much possession as you allowed the brumbies, the hurricanes will bury you!
3 Apr 2012, 15:12 pm
Transie agree! They have a good backline with xfactor all over! Best is to keep the ball and play phases…
3 Apr 2012, 15:14 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-57: Thank you for the warning, I am prepared
As I read his post I thought that he was talking out of the part the anatomy he sits on! I’ll skip all his post in future 
By the way in just 10 minutes Queens and College U16 are playing in the Skonk Nicholson festival, would sooooo love to go but can’t get away from work
But tomorrow I am going to go watch College Vs Husdson Park, see the school where the Ndunganes learnt their trade 
that one at least kicks off after my slave shift 
3 Apr 2012, 15:18 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-59: HOpe Plum got that memo too! The senseless kicking against the Brumbies was giving me real anger management problems on Saturday!
3 Apr 2012, 15:21 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-54: You know I really like Mjekevu, I watched him in the dessimation of the Free State in the Vodacom cup, and I cannot believe the Lions would let him go! And Mthembu just cannot wait for him to join the Snrs! He had a real good game. Which was Ironic just after that ijit manager of his said he didn’t rate him
3 Apr 2012, 15:32 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-62:
Mjekevu & Mthembu have game,BIG time.Both still young 21..Add Breinhardt Stander as well.
3 Apr 2012, 15:48 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-63: I just hope they stay at the Shaks, Rudi’s record at keeping young talent is not looking too good!
Any way tweeps will chat again tomorrow, I am off to watch what is left of the Skonk Nicholson Festival everyone have a great evening.
3 Apr 2012, 15:53 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-64:
Dont count on it.
But I hope so too.
3 Apr 2012, 15:53 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-1: I can certainly see why u so uptight about bissi. U must have an argument whenever u bring up your opinion on him. More than 1 or 2 people rate him very highly, he might not be at his best, but all (ok nearly all) of us know what he is capable of. Talking about hookers I’ve been very impressed with chiliboy this season. Think the boks will have good cover from the wood…
3 Apr 2012, 15:55 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-62:
Both played a brilliant game. The white kids were showed up in that game against Freestate. Mtembu has a career in waiting at The Sharks and he’ll be a gamebreaker and potential star.
3 Apr 2012, 16:23 pm
@toastyrat(toastyrat)-66: Bismarck is no different now to what he has always been. As for Chiliboy? He has been in great form the last year and outplayed Bismarck in their last three meetings quite comfortably. He is far better than any other hooker in SA. It’s unfortunate that he does not have the media on his side to manipulate the masses like Bismarck. Just like every other myth in SA rugby, i.e., Watson, Britz, Krige, Pretorius, Rose. As it stands, Chiliboy must be our starting Bok hooker. Hopefully Heyneke is more like Jake and willing to give the media idiots the finger when deciding to make the right call.
3 Apr 2012, 16:58 pm
@ transie, sadly have to agree with you, if we give away possession this weekend we pickled, oh and Dracula has a point about Bismarck , he is not all that.
4 Apr 2012, 00:11 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-63:
Yeah I agree Mthembu in particular looks really good and I with our current loosie situation if he keeps this up his form will simply demand he get a look in. Likewise Mjekevu, besides JPP our centres have been kak this season, Joubert and Bosman seriously have to go, Whitehead can stay but Wandile deserves a chance sometime this season.
4 Apr 2012, 05:46 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-54: Odwa is a very weak defender. He was soley responsible for Mogg’s try on Saturday. Just let him straight through. Also seen Odwa get bounced off numerous tackles when playing the ABs. He is dead average. I don’t understand why Plumtree persists in selecting him. Why isn’t Sithole at 14? He is a speedster like Mvovo.Your backline should always be stacked with pace. You’ll never see Odwa skinning two backline players like Mvovo did last weekend.
Amazing stuff. He was running parallel alongside Pat McCabe before hitting the turbos. Good to see Mvovo growing in confidence and backing his pace. He’s maturing nicely into a decent winger. Sharks need to build their game plan around putting Mvovo into space. He might be the fastest winger in the world but he’s got pace to burn and he will outstrip most backline players in Aus and NZ. A powerful weapon in our arsenal so under-utilised. Plum is a dof coach!
4 Apr 2012, 05:51 am
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-69: Lets drop Bismarck and exile him from the country. He’s a charlatan! A hooker should be making at least 10 steals a game, should never ever get tackled and should be solely responsible for the entire team’s go-forward. Yep its time to kick Bismark out of SA for good!
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