Steely Sharks compound Blues’ woes

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

Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All

  • 51.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:41 am

    @Todd W(Todd W)-46: You forgot Fatty Boom Booms…

  • 52.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:43 am

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-48: Boorish? Plum is actually quite articulate compared to some coaches….

    Have you heard Pat Lam speak…?

  • 53.charo: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:43 am

    @JL1(JL1)-13:

    howzit boet.

    sitting here in blighty and can’t find the game on sky.

    do you know which channel it is on?

  • 54.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:44 am

    TRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

  • 55.race of tan: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:47 am

    charo – still waiting for http://kostatz.webs.com/ to come up online

  • 56.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:48 am

    JPP is the best 13 in SA…

  • 57.PrickBoks going South: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:50 am

    sh*tty teams, those that are more

    sh*tty

    than the other

    need to rely on cheap intercepts for their points because they are too

    sh*tty

    to construct them.

    Like the Shawks and the PrickBoks.

  • 58.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:50 am

    @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-56: Pffff…

  • 59.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:51 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-57: Pull my finger….come, on dare you.

  • 60.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:52 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-57: Lol

  • 61.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:53 am

    Come on Sharkies… Dont play sillybuggers

  • 62.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:53 am

    Good one Lambighini…

    The best 10 in SA..

  • 63.Guns: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:54 am

    Lets go Sharks!!!!

  • 64.Sydney Shark: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:54 am

    Burden is like lightening!

  • 65.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:54 am

    does anyone have the game online?

  • 66.PrickBoks going South: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:55 am

    far far

    FAR

    too

    SH*TTY

    to construct them !

  • 67.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:56 am

    Oh Yes…

    Go you beauties…

    Burden the 2nd best Hooker in SA

  • 68.rugby911: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    http://www.k0staz.webs.com/

  • 69.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    I like the fact that the Sharks have fire back in their bellies……nice to see. 2nd game on tour was always going to be the toughest.

  • 70.castlelager: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/46291/1/blues-vs-sharks-live-stream-online.html

  • 71.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-66: Lol

  • 72.Slappes: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    Sharks playing good, blues are pathetic.

  • 73.PrickBoks going South: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:57 am

    Blues SH*T

    Shawks, slightly less sh*t

    but sh*t, nevertheless

  • 74.Slappes: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:58 am

    Blues missing all kick offs wtf

  • 75.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:58 am

    Burden the fastest Hooker in SA…

    Faceoff – Burden vs Brits… Whodaman?

  • 76.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:58 am

    @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-52:

    Set-in-his-ways, unimaginative, lacking innovation… need I go on?

    Great pace by Burden!

  • 77.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:59 am

    Here we go… The revenge of the refs…

  • 78.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 09:59 am

    @castlelager(castlelager)-70: thanks!

  • 79.race of tan: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:00 am

    charo – don’t try:-
    http://kostatz.webs.com/

    TRY
    http://www.k0staz.webs.com/

    a zero instead of an o!!!

  • 80.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:02 am

    Sharks hardly playing rugby – Blues even less so

  • 81.PrickBoks going South: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:03 am

    if the game gets closer on the scoreboard, the cheating Yappies can always play their latest trump card from the drawer of deceit

    the gouging allegation.

    who would have guessed anyone would, ever, stoop THAT low.

  • 82.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:03 am

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-76: “Set-in-his-ways, unimaginative, lacking innovation”

    With a wing at hooker…

    Trying a wing at centre…

    Lacking innovation, unimaginative? Come now.

  • 83.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:04 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-81: Lol…

  • 84.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:05 am

    Hows the game going, the ref, is it a open or close affair?

  • 85.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:05 am

    Great D boys…

  • 86.charo: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:06 am

    @castlelager(castlelager)-70:

    cheers – got it.

  • 87.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:06 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-81: Shame you must be bored. Go ask your mommy for another *******

  • 88.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:06 am

    @Atreides(Atreides)-87: b lowjob

  • 89.logie_Jumpbuck: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:07 am

    @PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-81: love your enthusiasm boytjie! Keep it up….at least we have some entertainment on here now that tackler has gone mia.

  • 90.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:08 am

    @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-82:

    When has his game-plan EVER diverted from bashing it up far too up-right with the same forwards, fluke intercepts and simply swinging it wide aimlessly?

    And I mean including at Wellington… he stuffed Weepu’s career… he stuffed Kockott’s career… but hey… as long as you fans continue to think he’s a Super Rugby quality coach… be satisfied with the mediocre results and never being a play-off threat…

  • 91.Sydney Shark: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:09 am

    @logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-89: Tackler was far more eloquent and sharper than this foul-mouthed doos hahah! Its like comparing kak with fine SA wine!!

  • 92.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:10 am

    Its actually laughable the way these Blues are playing. That the Sharks are camped in their own half is even more worrying against a team as poor as this.

  • 93.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:11 am

    Yes cmon Sharks! Who had Blues for their superbru?

  • 94.Slappes: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:12 am

    Try blues

  • 95.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:14 am

    Lekker man Blues!

  • 96.charo: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:14 am

    do these kiwi officials know anything about scrumming.

    htf did that scrum not get blown up?

    boolshyte of the highest degree

  • 97.PrickBoks going South: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:16 am

    amazing to think that not only have the Yappies perfected gouging techniques over the years, they have now reached the halcyon heights of putting in to practice orchestrated, coached, allegations of gouging during the game as a means of stalling a dominant opposition team.

    Genius really, the old school legends of Argentina and Sth France must be toasting the twisted depths of the Yappie gouging masterminds.

  • 98.stormer in a teacup: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:16 am

    Come on the Sharks.

  • 99.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:17 am

    Oooo Blues just made this game interesting!

  • 100.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment
    13 Apr 2012, 10:17 am

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-90: He got the Sharks into the playoffs just last year… He coached the SHarks to CC victory the year before and finalists last year. Yes, Sharks lost but cant begrudge the Lions.

    The waratahs game could have easily gone Sharks way but for the proverbial bounce of the ball and the questionability of refs eyesight… it would be 2/4 so far. However today looks okay and it could be 2/4 which wont be bad.

    Canes were an aberration.

    Don’t know about Weepu but Kockott stuffed his own career all on his lonesome.

    You talking out of your dutpipe now.

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