Cooper’s absence gives Sharks a gap
17 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the Reds will miss Quade Cooper’s attacking influence as well as his kicking game when they host the Sharks this Saturday.
Cooper has been suspended for one match following a dangerous tackle on Berrick Barnes, and not for the first time this season Ewen McKenzie will ask a utility player to fill the Reds’ flyhalf void.
A serious knee injury sustained at the 2011 World Cup sidelined Cooper for most of this year’s Super Rugby competition. As a result, the Reds haven’t been as much of a threat on attack, and haven’t been as effective at implementing their kicking game via that imposing Wallabies halfback pairing.
The Reds have looked a better side since Cooper’s return, and scored a bonus-point win over the Waratahs last Saturday to claim the Australian conference title. However, it is Cooper’s transgression and subsequent suspension that could prevent the Reds from advancing any further in this tournament, as they don’t have another player in the same class.
Former Wallabies centre Tim Horan said as much following Cooper’s dangerous tackle. Predictably, McKenzie has responded by pointing to the Reds’ earlier performances when Cooper was still on the sideline. McKenzie cited wins that were achieved without Cooper, and believes that the Reds will cope with the most recent setback and progress to the semi-finals.
McKenzie has also said that the Reds ‘owe the Sharks one’, referring to the Sharks’ win against the Reds in the league phase. It was in this match where the Reds’ flyhalf problem quickly became a nightmare, as further injuries to flyhalves resulted in Will Genia finishing the game at pivot.
Genia will miss having Cooper on his inside this Saturday. The Wallabies halfback pair was integral to the Reds’ success in the 2011 Super Rugby competition as well as the Wallabies’ Tri-Nations victory. Both are outstanding individual players, but that halfback combination is more than the sum of its parts.
Every opponent of the Reds has been on a ‘Get Genia’ campaign this season, and attempts to disrupt the Reds at source is no new tactic. The Sharks will surely aim to bully the Reds up front and deny Genia a platform from which to play, but they should also work to further negate his space.
The fact that Cooper is not on Genia’s outside means there should be more pressure on the scrumhalf to play the role of general, as well as provide the attacking impetus. It’s a lot of responsibility, and the Sharks would do well to use this pressure to their advantage.
The Sharks will be without three key players of their own, as Pat Lambie (ankle injury), Pieter-Steph du Toit (ankle injury) and Frans Steyn (ineligible) will not be available.
However, it is more significant that their heavy hitting Springboks should be back in the starting line-up. The inclusion of Willem Alberts and Bismarck du Plessis will aid the Sharks’ quest for gainline supremacy, as well as the aim to stifle Genia’s influence.
Steyn has made a massive impact since joining the Sharks, and the Durban-side will miss his physical influence as well as his prodigious boot. Coach John Plumtree has the option of moving Tim Whitehead to No 12 and bringing Paul Jordaan in at No 13, but a like-for-like replacement would be more prudent. Meyer Bosman is an imposing physical specimen and has the type of kicking game that is so often the difference in tight play-off matches.
It’s a big ask to travel across the world and win a play-off, and I’m not suggesting that the Sharks will have it easy in Brisbane. But there’s little doubt that the absence of Cooper will effect the Reds’ balance and increase the chances of a Sharks upset.
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827 Comments
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17 Jul 2012, 19:43 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-696: there’s no towel to be thrown here fakefck … I smack your highfalutin fat ego from here to Timbuktu and back again.. big bamboozled realfck impostor… what you realfcked wifey twice and you produced two little kiddywinkies from your realfck escapades .. now you so proud of your realfck pro-generating … you a little peanut brained lightie of absolutely zero consequence.. get that through your pisswilly little faked out brain…
17 Jul 2012, 19:43 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-699:
Agreed
When do you get your EU passport?
17 Jul 2012, 19:49 pm
@fitz1ella(fitz1ella)-701: Only a wimp with the teeniest of pricks ever feels the need to stoop to the level of family bashing. You’re the only one going on about wives and kids and procreating. Not me. I never said a word about it, so where do you get this “proud” nonsense? That’s your issue, remember, not mine.
17 Jul 2012, 19:51 pm
I checked out KP’s claim today.Apparently after taking a few wickets and scoring a very aggressive 60 odd against the English touring team he was dropped by the Dolphins for their next game.In his book he states that he felt deeply hurt at this treatment.Apparently Nasser Hussein was very impressed with his performance and encouraged him to go to County cricket…and the rest as they say are history.In England he played for Nottinghamshire and when he complained that the pitch was hindering his batting he was told to f-off by the Notts captain.Well he actually already decided to leave Notts when they got relegated.Looks like Kevin was born with an ego.
17 Jul 2012, 19:57 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-704:
Cl?ve R?ce persuded h?m to go to Notts.
Used the way he was treated ?n SA as a source of mot?vat?on.
17 Jul 2012, 19:59 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-705: You been drooling into your keyboard again?
17 Jul 2012, 20:00 pm
Already got it mate.Using it for the first time this Friday.As I said before,on my way to Paris to see why Fransie Steyn enjoyed the Boulangeries so much.Will try to catch the games but will set the DVR just in case.Waited far to long for it fighting with Irish bureaucrats… but worth the wait. No more visas…sweet.Love Paris and used to pay 60 euro for a visa.
17 Jul 2012, 20:00 pm
you little fake proudly projected your fakefck status as a realfck.. did you not?
it came from your own profane highfalutin brain.. not mine… and you alluded to me as what again..? spit it out fakefck … your escapades in life produced real progeny or they as fake as you little fakefck make out others are..?
17 Jul 2012, 20:03 pm
This battle is messing with my chi.
17 Jul 2012, 20:06 pm
This is pathetic, really.
Katman, just leave it. There is no victory here.
17 Jul 2012, 20:06 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-706:
No ?ts my BB. My daughter’s us?ng my laptop. Don’t know whats go?ng on,
? = eye
17 Jul 2012, 20:06 pm
@fitz1ella(fitz1ella)-708: Your kids aren’t something you can claim as an achievement. The biggest arseholes in the world have produced children, some of whom have turned out quite remarkable. Fathering a child doesn’t mean a thing. Being a father to them does. And I’m not surprised at all that you can’t tell the difference.
17 Jul 2012, 20:07 pm
Yes.He played for one of those league club teams before Rice offered him a contract at Notts.Unless you are an international player that’s normally where you start off and then hoping one of the counties notice you.
17 Jul 2012, 20:08 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-711: Maybe this is the end of Blackberry, as everyone has been predicting. I hope not – I still have a year left on my contract.
17 Jul 2012, 20:10 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-707:
How long did the process take?
Yes the visas, my parents are going to the UK and France and the cost is only surpassed by the hassle to get it
17 Jul 2012, 20:13 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-714:
Naah, they’ve got a big market in the less developed countries, they had a whole program about RIM on CBC the other night
The new Samsung is starting to eat into Apple’s market though
17 Jul 2012, 20:20 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-716: Also, watch out for the new Nokia tablet phone. Colleague of mine just got one yesterday, and it looks pretty cool.
17 Jul 2012, 20:23 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-709: your little fakearse prat is a pisswilly little pratass prick who thinks he’s an arbitrator of reality.. the little fakeass runt needs his highfalutin fakearse kicked and his over aggrandized brain fixed because he reckons his fakearse upbringing is ratified in the halls of fake society and somehow by his own fake decree superior to another… its little fake runt punks like these that need the biggest lesson in humility…
17 Jul 2012, 20:24 pm
This country is a bit screwed at times but I am not gonna knock them too much.My daughter is receiving a great education.After five years legally in the country you are eligible to and then you have to pray to your gods that the process don’t take longer than two years.Recently they have sped up the process where you can it in about 6 months time.I think it’s got more to do with their economic situation because it cost you 950 euro to put down first after the minister has given you the go ahead to become a citizen.They give you a month to pay that 950 otherwise you have to start all over again with the process.Normally I had no problems with the French embassy here and usually waited 7 days for visas.
17 Jul 2012, 20:31 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-710: you too crawl up this katmanpunks little fakefanny
@>^..^< katman(katman)-712: my kids are not any achievement of that I am absolutely aware… its your little fakefck brain that classified yourself as a realfck and others are what again?.. fckface.. spit it out … punk… delusional little runtcnt prick .. you reckon you such a realfck .. and self proclaimed arbitrator of what comprises real from phony….
You the kind of little fucknut prick that needs your over aggrandized fakefck face fixed.. pronto.. little fucknut fakearse highfalutin prick…
17 Jul 2012, 20:33 pm
So Manisha is out and Deena and Sue-Ann the only ones remaining!
Wow! What a fantastic series they have put together and hats off to all the contestants!
Man we made this beautiful homemade pizza the other night, plus a few other tricks up my sleeve but I don’t have guts to go and try my luck on Mawsterchef
(Please if you know the ultimate winner dont tell write it here)
17 Jul 2012, 20:38 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-719:
> This country is a bit screwed at times but I am not gonna knock them too much.
They love rules and red tape eh?
> My daughter is receiving a great education.
Friends of ours moved to Vancouver, he said his small kids gets a better free education here than they did at the expensive private school in SA. His boy is ADHD and they supplied an extra teacher`s assistant to help free of charge
> After five years legally in the country you are eligible to and then you have to pray to your gods that the process don’t take longer than two years
Here it’s three years till you’re eligible and then about another year
17 Jul 2012, 20:43 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-717:
Nokia (the say No-key-ya over here
)isn’t that popular, the sure love their iphones
Blackberries are more isssued as company phones
When we got here we were surprised to see how expensive cell phones and contracts are compared to SA. We had to take three year contracts and buy the phones
Broadband and internet is a lot cheaper and faster though
17 Jul 2012, 20:43 pm
Victoriabok
You don’t have to repeat everything everyone says. Exhausting to read, double the effort.
Just answer. Stop copy paste.
17 Jul 2012, 20:44 pm
You can say that again Victoriabok.They are as tough as nails here.I think it’s less years in Britain as well and in the majority of western European countries.
17 Jul 2012, 20:47 pm
Skoppie and katman OR katman and Skoppie
Gentlemen
Let there be love shared amongst us; I wish you both a peaceful night and a lovely day tomorrow
Take it eezy…
17 Jul 2012, 20:50 pm
Time to go as well.love and peace lads.
17 Jul 2012, 20:52 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-725:
You should try to get into the US, they sure make it hard, friends of ours gave up after nearly ten years, the company that employed him went bankrupt in 2008 and he had to find another job fast and couldn’t so the CIS simply tore up his paperwork and he had to start from scratch again.
They decided to rather come over here instead
17 Jul 2012, 21:46 pm
@ Skop and Katman,
Why don’t you two just get a room already?
You guys can sort among yourselfs who does the Realfuck and Fakefuck.
With all this anger and passion, you guys might need some vaseline
17 Jul 2012, 21:54 pm
There is no point or value in arguing with Joel the snoek. Don’t argue with the insane.
17 Jul 2012, 22:02 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-729:
How would you be sure fakefuck isn’t faking it?
17 Jul 2012, 22:09 pm
I can imagine the two of them trying to outdo each other in bed.
*skop bends over*
Katman: (thrusting and yelling) is this REAL? Ah ah what was that? Is this fake or is this REAL?
Skop: (in agony and yelling) FAKE… Its ah ah REAL fake.
Both end the evening cheerful.
17 Jul 2012, 22:12 pm
@ victoriabok,
Ha ha
Does it matter?
17 Jul 2012, 22:23 pm
So there’s a lion and a cheetah racing. The cheetah wins and the lion says “Hey, you cheetah!”
Then the cheetah says “Stop lion!”
17 Jul 2012, 22:27 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-732:
> Katman: (thrusting and yelling) is this REAL? Ah ah what was that? Is this fake or is this REAL?
It’s real beatch, look at the scratchmarks on your chest
17 Jul 2012, 22:29 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-732:
> I can imagine the two of them trying to outdo each other in bed.
> *skop bends over*
Thank you very much for putting that image in my mind
17 Jul 2012, 22:48 pm
Someone mentioned this just yesterday and it is so true.
A few years back it used to be Bulls vs Stormers on this site.
Everything went apeshiyit for a while (transie and hater (rossoneri) joined the site at that time and did their best troll impressions to upset the “establishment”) and the Bulls left in droves.
There are hardly any Bulls fans left on here whilst the numbers of Stormers has multiplied like bugweed seeds shat out by birds.
Things have simmered here for a while but it now looks as Stormers vs Sharks has taken on the main billing.
I am glad to see my fellow Sharks giving the Stormers a bloody nose, not just on the rugby field.
17 Jul 2012, 23:01 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-737:
As a Bulls fan I could never understand the pure venom between the Stormers/WP and Sharks fans
I could understand if they hated us, but why each other?
They’re both the same type of coastal teams, one more English speaking, the other more Afrikaans but still shouldn’t the fans have more in common?
17 Jul 2012, 23:10 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-737: I reckon its because most Sharks supporters, coming from the Last Outpost, the Land of the Zulus, and Little India just dont take themselves and this site too seriously and too personally… In essence we are shitstirrers and bullshit spreaders deluxe…
It gets easier and easier with these Breezers… You almost don’t have to do a thing anymore… Plant a few “trueisms” and then just watch the KKK punch themselves in the teeth… repeatedly… To great mirth
PS. Luvving the angst and tension at the moment…
17 Jul 2012, 23:13 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-739:
Hello HG, how’re they hanging?
Speaking of the Zulu’s, we saw Johnny Clegg perform here last night, the place was crawling with Saffas
Have a look at post 732, the mental image would be forever ingrained in your mind
17 Jul 2012, 23:13 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-738: These Capies, well the Keo kind, tend to take themselves a little seriously…
Its a comedy gift with huge potential that just keeps on giving…
Of course most of us don’t hate the weazelly little mofters… we just like having a good larf at their expense
17 Jul 2012, 23:15 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-741:
> Its a comedy gift with huge potential that just keeps on giving…
Like Herpes?
17 Jul 2012, 23:16 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-739: lol, I like your style. I like seeing Stormers ducking and diving and wailing and weeping. It’s naaice. It makes me larf. Things are quiet now though, must be some heavy gerbilcavitystuffing happening.
17 Jul 2012, 23:18 pm
When last did Tackler visit this site? Is he alive do you think?
17 Jul 2012, 23:18 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-740: Sheezus 732 is a beaut
Hubbadahubbada… I know, that you know, that I know, that you wanna…. (Skop in best Mr T impression)
Osiyeza Johnny… awesome…
Asimbonanga…
Must have been special… how many were there… what sort of venue?.
17 Jul 2012, 23:18 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-743:
Keo the brave but smelly little Gerbil is drawing down some serious overtime?
That is if they can ontspan-die-boude before Saturday?
17 Jul 2012, 23:19 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-742: Fuckyeah… Table Mountain strain…
17 Jul 2012, 23:20 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-743: I think they regrouping… all 5 of them… or maybe 15… Multinics
17 Jul 2012, 23:23 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-746: lol
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-748: lol the whole multinics thing cracks me up.
17 Jul 2012, 23:23 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-744: I reckon he may well have tangled with the wrong Maori in his new homeland… Maybe told the bro that the New Zealand Maori rugby team is racist… or maybe even caught up with a premenstrual Pooper….Well we can always hope
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