Steely Sharks compound Blues’ woes
13 Apr 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on a 29-23 victory for the Sharks over the Blues that plunges the Auckland franchise into crisis.
There was a shared sense before this fixture that technical and tactical superiority would be less important to the Blues than sheer guts and grit. They have endured a battering in the press and public for their mediocrity and their rebuttal had to be good. It wasn’t. Far from it. There was only a small measure of the guts and grit their situation demanded. Their attacking play was sterile and their defence continues to be generous. Coach Pat Lam is surely now on the brink of losing his job.
Coming back from 15-0 down to trail 15-13 at the break suggested that they still had a little character. They were undoubtedly the better team in the first half, the Sharks’ two tries in that period coming thanks to two intercepts. Outside of that the Durban side failed to trouble their hosts. Certainly they were physical and organised on defence, but they profited from the Blues’ wastefulness in excellent positions. The Blues would finish with 17 handling errors and this was ultimately terminal to their cause.
The best of their spurned opportunities fell to Ma’a Nonu, who knocked on 7m short of the tryline. The Blues had reigned themselves in after a tactically cavalier start to the match and by the 30 minute mark were troubling the Sharks with their ability to play through multiple phases as well as their lineout and breakdown contest, the latter being the source of numerous broken field opportunities they failed to exploit.
But they would have been satisfied with the two-point deficit going down the tunnel and then elated at scoring a converted try just after the restart to take the lead for the first time. However, in typical Blues fashion, they fell into a deep defensive slumber and conceded two converted tries in five minutes, the first from Keegan Daniel and the second a controversial Tim Whitehead score. The midfielder clearly knocked the ball forward into a Blues player but recollected en route to the tryline.
The Sharks’ bench gave them fresh attacking and defensive impetus but they couldn’t manage the try that would surely have sealed the result. With 13 minutes to play Gareth Anscombe kicked his side to within a converted try of taking the lead. But the Blues looked every bit a team who lacked the belief to grab a win from that position. They made fundamental errors, while the Sharks were tactically masterful in closing down the game.
They return to Durban with five points from this match and two tour wins from four matches – an acceptable return that aids their push to top the SA conference. The Blues are left to pick up the pieces of a season that one senses is yet to reach its nadir.
630 Comments
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14 Apr 2012, 01:55 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-446: “Warathas for instance will not let Legota reffing in their matches no matter what.”
IMHO, it’s Kaplan. 2 wins in 16 Tahs games.
14 Apr 2012, 01:57 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-376:
haha
HG ya twat.
Good on ya for the win dude, really put the final nail in the Blues year, poor buggers.
But i am sure your still not happy with your Sharks performance. seriously, if they played any other team like that in NZ they woould have lost, but hey, they didnt and a win is a win.
Congrats man
14 Apr 2012, 02:05 am
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-499: “And one of the teams to beat the Canterbury Crusaders in C’church was none other than Western Province”
Was Western Province called Northern Transvaal or Cats then?
14 Apr 2012, 02:09 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-596: HG is funny? Bwahahahahahahahahaha. You guys must pity the guy or have a real k@k sense of humour in banana country.
14 Apr 2012, 02:12 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-596: admittedly skop’s generally neurotic about some things like say, schalk @ 1st receiver, but he succesfully takes the piss out of many a guppy, you know it, i know it
14 Apr 2012, 03:32 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-484:
Bit rich coming from the Poopaloopa with one of the worst tipping records since 2004!
14 Apr 2012, 04:46 am
What is this Shark – Stormer thing? You guys both have beaches, an ocean, 50,000 seater stadiums, funny accents.,,,,
Kiss and make up.
14 Apr 2012, 05:05 am
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-607:
It’s a Poopaloopa and HG thing…
14 Apr 2012, 05:09 am
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-413:
Spiros talking out his a-hole again in trying to have a dig at a Saffa team, so many holes in his article but I will limit my reply to 3 points only.
First, in respect to the Bulls not lodging a formal complaint within the 4 hours. I thought it was made clear that indeed it was NOT required and the Committee has NOW changed the requirements requiring a formal lodgement…going forward!
Second, I assume the SMH did not carry the photo of Flip with his bloody eye so that means there are none. Time to get your head out you arse and look a little further than Sydney plonker.
And lastly, very convenient in referring to 10.1 (b) when we look at the obstruction to show how wrong the ref and his assistant was but what about 10.1 (c)? I assume his law book stopped at 10.1 (b) so I thought I will copy and paste 10.1 (c) for him, Mr Integrity and the rest of the idiots so quick to have a go at anything from SA…
10.1(c) Blocking the tackler. A player must not intentionally move or stand in a position that
prevents an opponent from tackling a ball carrier. Sanction: Penalty kick.
So yes, feel free to address any of the obove if you feel like it, knowing Spiros it will never happen.
14 Apr 2012, 05:18 am
And while I am at it, why has nothing been said about this incident anywhere?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L74InuQ6LfM
Check at around 2.12 of the clip and see the beer can just missing Burden as he scores the try. This from the same mob who creamed their pants when one of their players was hit with an empty plastic bottle…or does it not count when you to drunk to hit the player?!
14 Apr 2012, 05:23 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-609:
Spiros hasn’t written anything objective since his brilliant Wallaby/AB history books which were completed over two decades ago…
But that Carter call was 50/50… just where was Carter supposed to go… stop dead in his tracks… pull-off the side-step of the series?
14 Apr 2012, 05:25 am
It was most probably thrown by a nz cricket player.
14 Apr 2012, 05:27 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-610:
Same as nobody mentioned anything about the Hurricane’s 6 throwing several upper-cuts in retaliation for JDP’s slap…
Would love to see every ‘holier than thou’ Kiwi team get smashed this weekend!
14 Apr 2012, 05:27 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-611:
I agree it was 50/50 but it had nothing to do with him not being in front of the ball carrier as they keep on telling us. Seems Pro knew more about the laws than most punters and Spiros.
On that, which other captain in world rugby will argue with a ref like Mr Integrity did and get away with it? Again not even a wisper on the decent he showed.
14 Apr 2012, 07:19 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-609: flip’s eye was cut in an earlier move when he went in for a tackle, he was taken off to the blood bin. the picture bandied about does is NOT evidence of flip having been gouged.
#jusayin
14 Apr 2012, 07:39 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-611:
Carter should have continued his line supporting the ball carrier without putting his hands on Basson and preventing him from defending.
Its quite clear So a penalty was 100 % correct
14 Apr 2012, 07:50 am
607@KLeuter…. Used to be a Stormers/Bulls thing, got really ugly, Bulls and others left, used to be tons of Bulls supporters to quarrel with here.
14 Apr 2012, 07:51 am
This has been highly entertaining!
14 Apr 2012, 08:04 am
I see that this Steve Walsh was his terrible self again yesterday.Not technical at all in his officiating
14 Apr 2012, 08:06 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-611: No way, that call was not 50/50, Carter makes a move to block, check it out again
14 Apr 2012, 08:07 am
@JL1(JL1)-619:
Equally bad to both teams
Old Steve “let the game flow style” missing lots, and clueless with the scrums
14 Apr 2012, 08:13 am
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-621: Yes, poor towards both teams. 2 tries for the Blues should not be allowed and 1 for the Sharks
…..and not a word about the Kiwi cheat throwing a can at Burden
14 Apr 2012, 08:16 am
@JL1(JL1)-622:
What is classic is Walsh’s expressionless face after making the mistake, leaving all the players speechless
14 Apr 2012, 08:20 am
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-623: These refs earn good money and it is time that they get to be held accountable for their actions
It may even be another bookie scandal
14 Apr 2012, 08:22 am
@JL1(JL1)-624:
Yeah I agree
14 Apr 2012, 08:46 am
50/50 my hairyasshole.
Carter puts his shoulder into the defender and then uses his hands to shove him away.
Classic gridiron stuff.
Anybody who can’t see that shouldn’t be let out unsupervised.
14 Apr 2012, 22:16 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-602:
Agreed,sharks will be hard pressed to beat a rampant top of the log chiefs side gonna run them ragged.
15 Apr 2012, 11:24 am
@skyewalker(skyewalker)-627: It’s as clear as day to see how you want the game to go. In another thread you openly declare your desire and support for the Chiefs to beat the Sharks. Comment stored. See you next weekend.
15 Apr 2012, 15:55 pm
after all the hoo-hah about the empty plastic bottle tossed at kevvie from some loftus lowlife………
not a mention anywhere in the nz press about the can thrown at craig burden as he scored against the blues.
in fact, nz herald edited it out of their video highlights !!!
why are we not surprised.
15 Apr 2012, 17:44 pm
@charo(charo)-629: Extremely hypocritical, isn’t it? Doesn’t cast the kiwis in a very sporting light, both the action itself and the reaction (or lack of it).
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