Ruthless Sharks flay Force

Ruthless Sharks flay Force

12 May 2012

RYAN VREDE watched the Sharks reignite their play-off challenge with a 53-11 bonus-point victory over the Force.

Despite the emphatic scoreline, the slick performance the Sharks have been in search of continues to elude them, but in the context of their play-off charge they did what was required.

While they bagged the all-important four-try bonus point, their attacking play generally lacked variety, innovation and precision. Instead they relied too heavily on individuals to inspire or fed off the Force’s numerous mistakes. A better team would not have been as defensively generous as the Force were this evening and the Sharks will know they have work to do in this facet of play in the coming weeks.

However, there was certainly plenty for them to be pleased about. Defensively they were outstanding, exhibiting good structure and bossing the gainline through brutal hits that never allowed the Force the opportunity to build attacking momentum. There are attacking concerns from structured play, but they remain a side capable of crossing the whitewash and if they can marry that with a high defensive standard they will advance their play-off cause and be very difficult to beat.

Then there were the individual contributions from key players. Beast Mtawarira was industrious in attack and defence, Bismarck du Plessis carried powerfully and was a force on defence, Paul Jordaan looks a good fit in the Sharks’ problem position of outside centre and there was a strong showing from lock Anton Bresler.

But the most lavish praise must be reserved for the brilliant young Marcell Coetzee. Coetzee, who turned 21 this week, is a Springbok in the making and is likely to be one within the year. His attacking work-rate is phenomenal and he rarely doesn’t make yards at the gainline. His tackle fight is equally efficient and he appears to possess a degree of mongrel that you can’t coach. The South African loose forward factory regularly churns out gems, but he was made in the luxury division and boasts performance specs well beyond the ordinary.

The Sharks effectively sealed the result five minutes after half time, Louis Ludik crossing on 41 minutes and Lwazi Mvovo intercepting twice to score and add to Steven Sykes and Jordaan’s first half scores, the latter crafted by a sublime Pat Lambie break. The Force’s resistance crumbled thereafter and they became a soft target for the Sharks, who added to their try tally through Craig Burden and Jacques Botes.

The conference title is probably beyond them, but with two matches against the Cheetahs and one against the Lions remaining you have to fancy the Sharks’ chances of making the play-offs. Consistency has eluded them and that needs to change. This performance was flawed but can certainly be the catalyst for their final surge in the league phase.


168 Comments

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 » Show All

  • 1.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:10 pm

    Come on you Sharks. Keep up last weeks momentum. You can lose next week.

  • 2.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:15 pm

    Go Sharks!

    And go Cheetahs later tonight!

  • 3.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:17 pm

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-2: Cheetahs going to cause a huge upset… I hope.

  • 4.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:17 pm

    Btw well done to your Bulls yesterday. Great to see SA teams touring so well this year.

  • 5.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:18 pm

    ^^ Yebo Tac!! GO SHARKS!! Go Cheetahs!!! :D

  • 6.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:19 pm

    @Guns(Guns)-5:

    Need the Sharks to stay in the hunt. That will keep them hungry and motivated to beat the Stormers at King’s Park.

    And the Cheetahs can do us a huge favour by winning today.

  • 7.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:26 pm

    No more upsets today.
    Sharks and Stormers at home will be far to strong for the Force and Cheetahs respectively.
    And tomorrow the Reds will bring the Chiefs down to earth with a huge bang.

  • 8.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:28 pm

    @Robzim(Robzim)-7: Stormers far to strong for Cheetahs? Think it will be closer than you think. Hope you proven wrong.

  • 9.Meerkatte: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:31 pm

    Cheetahhhhssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 10.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:34 pm

    where are that province stroker
    it is called mr price kings park
    no the shark tank…

  • 11.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:35 pm

    @Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-8:

    It might be close as the Cheetahs will probably lift their game as they usually do when the play either the Bulls/Stormers or Sharks. So i do expect quite a battle. I just cannot see them winning though- specially not in Cape Town. The Stormers just cannot afford to lose at home if they want to stay in contention to win the SA conference so even if things go bad for them today they will probably still ‘force” a win.

    They flippin better :)

  • 12.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:39 pm

    Fern drunk already.

  • 13.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:41 pm

    @Robzim(Robzim)-11: What you say makes sense but I think we can pull it off today. Stormers, as far as I understand, have a poor track record for the game after their bye. History means nothing but it is something to hold onto for today. Newlands is going to be awesome. Just hope we can back it up with a win.

    I would like the Stormers to do well this year and even win the thing they must just lose this game. lol. And in Bloem.

  • 14.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:41 pm

    A draw in cape town would also be fine.

  • 15.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:42 pm

    dawn
    relax
    please

  • 16.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:42 pm

    dawn from hereon please ignore me
    i will ignore you

  • 17.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:43 pm

    Yeah Cheetahs will take the draw.

  • 18.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:44 pm

    No truce for you, small wanger

    They love to hate you

  • 19.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:44 pm

    marcell coetzee is a very good player

  • 20.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:45 pm

    The Stormers may be done with their overseas tour, but they still have to go to Loftus, Kings Park and Bloem, whereas the Bulls have already beent to both Bloem and Newlands.

    So things very even at the moment, especially if the Cheetahs and Sharks can remain competitive in the latter part of the comp.

  • 21.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:48 pm

    Anyways good luck Sharks hope you get all 5 points and good luck Stormers… may you lose within 7. hehe. I’m off to Newlands now!

  • 22.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:49 pm

    @Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-13:

    The Cheetahs are my second favourite team but I would prefer for them to bag their 10 points when they play the Bulls and Sharks- I will be very happy to give them 1 point today though to make sure they keep far ahead of the Lions.

    Lets hope it’s a good match though- I think steve walsh is the ref so it should be an open game.

    I just hope Steve is strict at the breakdowns and keep an eye on Brussow- no need for him to “steal” too many balls today- next week he can go for it again, lol.

  • 23.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:50 pm

    I gotta back the Cheetahs,I lived there for a year.
    got no connection to the cape.

  • 24.David: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:53 pm

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-20:
    I see you’re hoping one of the other teams will do the job for you against the Stormers, before you play them at Loftus.

  • 25.Cheetahs27: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:54 pm

    @Robzim(Robzim)-22: We can take Stormers and Sharks next week. Not so sure about Bulls at Loftus but will have to wait and see. Heinrich going to put in a MoM performance today along with Sias. Open game will favour Cheetahs.

    Good luck bud. Got to go now. Don’t want to miss this. May the best team win with no moans about ref at the end…

  • 26.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:56 pm

    @David(David)-24:

    Nope. But we still have the Highlanders, Chiefs and Sharks away. Of which we could lose all three.

    In which case the Stormers would also need to lose 3 more games – of which today would be a good start.

  • 27.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 16:56 pm

    @Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-25:

    Cheers, have a good one.

  • 28.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:03 pm

    Go the Sharks!

  • 29.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:03 pm

    Dancing girls now have dancing boys

  • 30.SpiesIsWorthless: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:04 pm

    Andy Cap commentating :(

    You know the guys not a really a fan of rugby, wish he’d piss off.

  • 31.David: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:04 pm

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-26:
    When do the Stormers still have to go to Bloem?
    Durban isn’t really an away game. :lol:

  • 32.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:08 pm

    Cap says this is penultimate game of the round but there’s another game tomorrow morning

  • 33.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:08 pm

    Decent tackle Bambie

  • 34.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:10 pm

    Gday Guns. I expect nothing less than 30 point victory.

  • 35.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:12 pm

    Pathetic Call! F I hate refs all of them and their f penalties f nobs.. Penilised for doing well! Refs have faaar to much controle stupid evolution gone backwards.

  • 36.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:15 pm

    Dearest Dawn,

    I hope your right!!

    Can’t say I see it..

    Although force making a good few erratic errors.

  • 37.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:16 pm

    Easy Try gone..

  • 38.The_Don: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:17 pm

    Anyone know a good live stream for this. Thanks

  • 39.SpiesIsWorthless: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:17 pm

    Sharks are atrocious. A joke team that doesnt deserve 5000 fans at their stadium let alone the masses that come along every single week. There’s clearly a lack of other sporting teams to support and the Sharks have a bit of a monopoly going.

  • 40.SpiesIsWorthless: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:18 pm

    The Force dragging the standard down? The Sharks have been dragging themselves down and shooting themselves in the feet all season long.

  • 41.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:18 pm

    glad Jpp didn’t score there. blatant obstruction at the ruck

  • 42.SpiesIsWorthless: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:19 pm

    @The_Don(The_Don)-38:
    http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/51374/1/sharks-vs-force-live-stream-online.html
    http://www.lshunter.tv/rugby-live-streaming-video.html

  • 43.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:19 pm

    Another great take by Bambie under pressure & yet there are still those fools out there who do not see his value..

  • 44.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:20 pm

    dawn

    penultimate is the one before the last one. so he was correct

  • 45.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:21 pm

    Pops! You still here!

  • 46.Guns: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:22 pm

    Yebo Sykes!

  • 47.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:23 pm

    good try. though Bismarck should have been penaliaed for taking a player out.

    and I thought only kiwi teams cheated?

  • 48.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:23 pm

    No man there’s another game after this, which is the penultimate.

    He’s wrong!

  • 49.The_Don: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:23 pm

    Thanks and great user name SpiesIsWorthless!

  • 50.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 May 2012, 17:24 pm

    watching the game Dawn. early Sunday morning here

    enjoy.

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