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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13 Apr 2012, 13:06 pm
@David…… What a strange thing to say
13 Apr 2012, 13:08 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-348:
Dont you get tired of that? Surely your mind needs something more challenging than juvanile banter every post?
Really spoils an otherwise good rugby blog. Have you tried BBM or mixit?
13 Apr 2012, 13:11 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-349:
Just take him seriously for a while, puts him off his stride.
13 Apr 2012, 13:12 pm
332 @Houston….. My introductory cage roof is now being redone for the third time, every one needs to look again for some reason instead of just saying to the contractor you know what we want, remove it and do it again. Humans !!!!!!!! This is seriously interfering with my rugby.
13 Apr 2012, 13:14 pm
@Stawm(Stawm)-353:
I did, he instantly resorted to 2 word (and I used that term loosely) responses.
Too easy really.
13 Apr 2012, 13:16 pm
Transie as far as I remember Whithead was ahead of Sadie in the pecking order untill he got injured… He left Stormers and rehabilitated at Sharks…
13 Apr 2012, 13:17 pm
Looking at the bigger picture…if the Stormers and the Cheetahs manage to pull off wins against kiwi teams it will be a great weekend for SA rugby,provincialism is so yesterday.
13 Apr 2012, 13:19 pm
@skyewalker(skyewalker)-357:
absoloodle…!!
13 Apr 2012, 13:21 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-349: Hey my Pillowbiting chamwari, relax man… I know the Sharkies won and the glee is a bit absent this weekend so far, but no need to get personal…
Afraid it aint going to get much better with that bubble looking precarious tomorrow… And the Pienkies looking like they could slipstream the Metrosexuals on the log, and even the Cheetahs in with a good chance against the Chiefs…
Refugee teams rule this weekend I’m afraid…
Sorry for yoooo – ooooou
13 Apr 2012, 13:22 pm
@Stawm(Stawm)-352: “BBM or mixit”… youwannawhat?
13 Apr 2012, 13:24 pm
Luvving this….
A Mighty Saaarks win gives so much unhappiness in Cape Town…
Oh Dear
Say after me:
“Refugee All Saarks”….
In your best Carnival Style.
13 Apr 2012, 13:26 pm
@skyewalker(skyewalker)-357:
maak die bulle almal bokke!!!
13 Apr 2012, 13:27 pm
The Sharks will need to sort out their loose maul before the Chiefs game. What’s woefully lacking is a decent fetcher. The Chiefs will be licking their lips in anticipation of stealing Sharks ball and turning over possession in the ruck.
13 Apr 2012, 13:28 pm
well done to the sharks, Blues are abject at the moment though…………never thought to see the day when a a once proud rugby franchise would fall so far………anyway take South African wins all day everyday.
13 Apr 2012, 13:37 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-362: I have faith that HM will come up with the best possible bok team and play the in-form players available to him,then again bulls rugby is winning rugby…usually.
13 Apr 2012, 13:49 pm
If Warren Brosnihan is so terrible,what your thoughts
on”telling tackle ” and “men a plenty”
Bladen.
13 Apr 2012, 13:51 pm
Question should obviously end with ?????=
13 Apr 2012, 13:52 pm
hahaha
And out he comes, only time we see HG is when the Sharks win. I wondered why its been so quiet on here and just realised that the Sharks lost, thrashed last week. Only the true fans came out that week.
13 Apr 2012, 13:58 pm
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-366: Bladen forgets who is playin sometimes – quiet a scream !
13 Apr 2012, 14:04 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-340:
Whatever you Stormersader wannabe.
‘I only support the Kings!’ Ya, pull the other one.
13 Apr 2012, 14:05 pm
so who had stand-out games for the sharks…
and who had stand down games…?
13 Apr 2012, 14:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-361: luuurvvee away, you little delusional man.
I’m happy with the Sharks win, I always support SA teams over overseas teams. Just sad people like you take joy in other teams losses.
I predict the Stormers to beat the Saders tomorrow by 9.
Hows your predicion ratio going? reckon you are 0/6 for the Stormers games, so pretty bad I guess.
13 Apr 2012, 14:11 pm
Good luck Stormers.Give them hell.
13 Apr 2012, 14:12 pm
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-372:
bah, dont worry about HG, he will go missing again next week. Chiefs to hammer the Sharks next week
13 Apr 2012, 14:13 pm
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-372: I know that you do find it difficult to read sometimes but as this master predictor stated before,
by the grace of the ref obliging gimme penalties at the end of games I was wrong about the Breezing Brokebacks against:
the Lions
the Bulls
the Sharks
But only just. Especially when the better, more complete side did not win on the day…
Some would call it a fortunate combination of events (the penalties, that is). I would call it a determinate pattern…
In words more understandable to the likes of you:
You were Lucky, Jong
13 Apr 2012, 14:14 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-368: Haven’t seen the likes of you in a while… Still strumming away while watching the sheep, uh, I mean, your wifey….
13 Apr 2012, 14:21 pm
Seems everyones getting a bit bored with HG’s juvanile retorts.
13 Apr 2012, 14:24 pm
@Stawm(Stawm)-377: Btw, its juvenile, son… You enjoying the read?
Another HG Box Office thread comes to a close…
13 Apr 2012, 14:26 pm
Maybe 400 will be good…
Oblige the Mighty Refugee All Saarks…
Go on, will ya?
13 Apr 2012, 14:35 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-375: As the great Gary Player said, the more you practice the luckier you get.
Well one things for sure nobody gave the Stormers a chance, at the beginning of the season it was the Sharks who was the team that had the best chance out of the SA teams, and where are they now, 7th place, Yes the team with the best draw are in 7th place, and look they don’t even have to play the Crusaders. The Sharks lost 42 – 18 to the Hurricanes what a disgrace, even the Cheetahs beat the Hurricanes, oh I forgot, the Hurricanes were lucky to beat the Guppies.
13 Apr 2012, 14:36 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-378:
Great, see you the next time the sharks win.
13 Apr 2012, 14:37 pm
@Kea-Cat(KEA)-380:
Touche
13 Apr 2012, 14:37 pm
Probable/Possibles Bok Trial
15. Viljoen/Taute
14. Le Roux/Aplon
13 JPP/Ebersohn
12 Steyn/JdJ
11 Habana/Mvovo
10. Lambie/Steyn
9. Hougaard/McLeod
8. Spies/Strauss
7. Alberts/Potgieter
6. Brussouw/Coetzee
5. Kruger/Bekker
4. Etsebeth/Flip
3. Jannie DuP/WP Nel
2. Bismark/Chilli
1. Greyling/Coenie
Dunno about beast
13 Apr 2012, 14:39 pm
Kea if anything the Stormers have the better draw… 5 straight home games then away to Lions then Home… Come on… Sharks first 2 away to bulls and stormers…
13 Apr 2012, 14:41 pm
HG Viljoen has not looked good for me… Out of position a lot and bad defence…
13 Apr 2012, 14:42 pm
Heyneke will pick
1-Coenie
2-Bismarck
3-Jannie
4-Etzebeth
5-Bekker
6-Brussow
7-Burger
8-Spies (c)
9-FDP
10-Morne
11-Habana
12-F.Steyn
13-JDV
14-JPP
15-Lambie
Bench: Greyling, CJ, Ralepelle, J.Kruger, Alberts, Hougaard, Aplon
Which I think is a good team.
But I would be tempted to go for
1-Coenie
2-A Strauss
3-Cilliers
4-Etzebeth
5-Bekker
6-Brussow
7-Vermeulen
8-J Strauss
9-FDP
10-Goosen
11-Habana
12-F.Steyn
13-JPP
14-Aplon
15-Lambie
Bench: Kitshoff, Bismarck, WP Nel, Alberts, Burger, Hougaard, JDJ
13 Apr 2012, 14:43 pm
Bad news for the Guppies, they still have to play the Lions at Ellias Park.
13 Apr 2012, 14:44 pm
Happy to see Whitehead doing well. Hell, i still remember “yoda” Jacobs playing for Sharks…it was painful
13 Apr 2012, 14:53 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-383: You have no idea, do you?
13 Apr 2012, 14:57 pm
@Kea-Cat(KEA)-380: Sharks have the best draw? lol
Listen here. I will give you cold logic why Stormers are on borrowed time:
- Super Rugby 2012 is not RWC 2007. AC is caught in a time warp of how Rugby should be played.
- Stormers have been successful with there game style up to now because teams have not cracked the defensive pattern. Similar to last year when the Reds B team and Saders C team cracked the Stormers pattern, teams will do the same this year sooner rather than later.
- The significance of this “cracking” of the D is several fold:
– Stormers D pattern actually adversely affects their offensive ability/capability
– Consequently there is no plan B if the “pressure and hold” does not work.
– Chasing a game will be a difficult option for the Stormers. I doubt they are capable of this. But if they have to, their D will be severely compromised. (This might be tomorrow’s scenario btw). They will look more of a sieve than the Sharks in one of their French moments this year.
Injuries are going to happen which will disturb the balance of this team quite acutely because although their gameplay is limited and severely lacking in offensive capability,, the Stormers have a fortunate blend of players that add up to more than the sum of their parts at present.
This limited, but admittedly well oiled team will fall apart at the seams if an injury happens to, say, 3 of Etsebeth, Kolisi, Duvenhage, Pietersen, Kitshoff simultaneously. Or if Burger returns, who will upset the balance of the side.
Stormers have peaked way too early… Maybe there will be enough time to recover after the slump, but by then, other more complete and talented teams like the Sharks, Bulls and Cheetahs will probably have surpassed them and will be peaking at the right time.
13 Apr 2012, 15:00 pm
Nice win.HG called this one the whole week.
I see the 2 most emotional sides losing this weekend.
Blues are one and lost already,the brokeback lads are the other.
13 Apr 2012, 15:01 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-385: Maybe. But there are signs of excellence especially on attack.
13 Apr 2012, 15:02 pm
SAAAHKS!!
13 Apr 2012, 15:03 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-391:
Jis meneer, hoe lyk dinge aan daai kant van die draad?
**** hier – wat het ooit geword van die GoGo-inisiatief?
13 Apr 2012, 15:04 pm
pity for my ‘bru, though. thought the blues would do it…
13 Apr 2012, 15:06 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-391: Good man
Howzit Fern. Must pass the baton on.
Much Cape-esque unhappiness with the Sharks win….
Outtahere
13 Apr 2012, 15:11 pm
@John Galt(John Galt)-370:
nice, now retort cause you know i’m right! bwahahahaha
i support the EP Kings ONLY!!!!! fark all the other saffa sides
13 Apr 2012, 15:12 pm
Sharks played a team that’s where on the log…………….a team that made 17 handling errors in 80 minutes and yet the meek gold fish still made heavy weather of it. The Sharks have no structure and against a team with structure will be found wanting. Bring on Kings Park.
13 Apr 2012, 15:13 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-397: Come now Transie, I know you are a huge fan of the Griquas too
13 Apr 2012, 15:15 pm
@Markel77(Markel77)-388: what about riaan swanepoel & andries strauss? you loved them?
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