Sensational Sharks smash Reds
21 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on the Sharks’ 30-17 hammering of the Reds in Saturday’s play-off in Brisbane.
After the Bulls’ dismal effort in Christchurch, the Sharks have turned in a rousing physical performance to not only keep their own title hopes alive, but those of a nation.
The resounding victory in Brisbane has set up a semi-final showdown against the Stormers. What this means is that one South African team will definitely progress to the grand final on 4 August.
The Stormers will be difficult to beat in Cape Town, but the Sharks will fancy their chances given the manner of victory at Suncorp Stadium.
It was a superior forward performance that set the platform for what will go down as one of the great Sharks Super Rugby victories. On the back of that forward dominance, the Sharks piled on the points in the first half, and defended like demons in the second.
Some might say that the Sharks had their fair share of luck in this encounter. Indeed, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie would have felt a strong sense of dejavu as starting flyhalf Ben Lucas was carried off in the 21st minute, an injury that forced star scrmhalf Will Genia to shift to No 10.
Lucas had been ineffective while he was on the park, and it didn’t help that his forwards were copping a hiding at the collisions and breakdowns. The Reds certainly missed Quade Cooper’s decision making in that key position, and after Lucas cried off with injury, the Reds also missed Genia’s impact at No 9.
But while this certainly worked in the Sharks’ favour, the visitors made a great deal of their own luck. Travelling across the world for this fixture was never going to be easy, and doing so without Frans Steyn and Pat Lambie was expected to detract from their performance.
They went into the game as underdogs, but from the first whistle they showed the mongrel, desire and precision to win the key battles and eventually the match.
Apart from the raw power at the collisions (the Sharks pack was superb and the decision to play Willem Alberts at No 4 was vindicated), the decision making by the heavies was a real highlight.
The Sharks forwards would place their counterparts under pressure at the rucks, force the turnover and then produce some dazzling offloads that kept the movement alive.
They converted every early opportunity, racing to a 10-0 lead inside 13 minutes. By the half-hour mark they were 20-3 up, Freddie Michalak nailing a drop goal to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Genia would leave his mark on this match with an important play moments later. Spotting Jannie du Plessis defending on the wing, Genia directed play left and linked up smartly with Scott Higginbotham. The Wallabies loosie delivered the final pass to Genia, and at 20-10 the Reds were still in with a chance.
The period before and after half-time belonged to the Reds, but they were undone by their high-error rate as well as some stunning Sharks defence.
In fact, it was a sharp piece of pressure defence that created the Sharks’ next try, Charl McLeod reading the play beautifully and picking off a Genia pass.
The scrumhalf raced 75m to score, and at 27-10, the whole complexion of the game changed again. Another Sharks score would win the game, and the Reds would resort to some desperate tactics in an attempt to close that massive gap.
They turned down numerous shots at goal in search of a seven-pointer that would bring them closer, but their inability to win the collisions cost them at every turn.
While the Sharks spent almost the entire third quarter defending in their own territory, their ferocity at the point of contact was as rabid as was at the start of the game. They turned the Reds over from five metres out on several occasions, and again it was sharp decision making that cut down the Reds’ attacking space.
The Sharks had a further chance to score when Lwazi Mvovo broke from deep to spark a great period of attacking rugby with the offload in contact again a prominent feature. The ball eventually flew to the hapless Meyer Bosman, who tripped over his own feet and fell agonisingly short of the tryline. Fortunately for the Sharks, it was a gaffe that didn’t cost them on the scoreboard.
The Reds finished strongly in the final five minutes, but by then the result was beyond doubt. Radike Samo crossed the tryline and Genia converted, but all this served to do was lend some respectability to the scoreline.
The Sharks were more dominant that the final scoreline suggested, and that final try will not detract from what was their best defensive performance in 2012.
Scorers:
Reds – Tries: Will Genia, Radike Samo. Conversions: Mike Harris, Genia. Penalty: Harris.
Sharks – Tries: JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Charl McLeod. Conversions: Freddie Michalak (3). Penalties: Michalak (2). Drop goal: Michalak.
1,036 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 16 [17] 18 19 20 21 » Show All
22 Jul 2012, 13:23 pm
@spartan-784: I’d agree with your assessment. I’d like to see the Chiefs win, that way we are guaranteed a new winner.
I agree – the Bulls looked to have given up before the start whistle.
22 Jul 2012, 13:24 pm
And Kallis continues to cement his place as the greatest player of his generation.
22 Jul 2012, 13:25 pm
Eish… are there 5 or 6 “supporters” of the “Top” team here… or are there actually just 2… Talking to themselves…
Multinic, schizophrenic paradisio here on Sunday Keo….
22 Jul 2012, 13:26 pm
@wooden spoon-801:
i would love a chiefs vs Sharks final
Imagine Bissy giving sunni bin williams a flatty?
Priceless!
22 Jul 2012, 13:26 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-799:
seems you know a lot about me and my wife.. what you know fuckface.. if your charrachickie feeds you boerie breyani’s she ain’t a true charrachickie.. that’s fo sho.. go ask her she knows the drift.. that’s if she a true charrackickie and not a double up fraud like you…
22 Jul 2012, 13:28 pm
@Heavens Game-803: there just me and me and me and me.. multinics in plural harmony..
either way Sharkshits don’t stand a chance.. better bring your knights in shining armor because Saturday is a whole new kinda upending parade…
22 Jul 2012, 13:29 pm
@fitz1ella-805:
skoppywheter she is true or not in your mind,we love each other.
simple
you sound like a nazi
btw bought the boerieroll at a butcher
22 Jul 2012, 13:30 pm
snoekie is always putting people in labelled boxes
22 Jul 2012, 13:31 pm
Chiefs vs Sharks Final would be the best thing for SH rugby… It would nip in the bud forever this “finals” rugby bulldust, especially espoused by the “Top” team where the Ref is relied on for points….
No, for the love of the Game… The final should be Chiefs vs Sharks… Globe Trotter Rugby… Enterprise, Excitement, Energy… and glorious tries…
Can you feel it….
Whoooo yeah!
22 Jul 2012, 13:31 pm
@Heavens Game-798: so you found out Frans ain’t the messiah you thought he was… yeah I coulda told you.. your team better off right now without him screwingup the works…
22 Jul 2012, 13:32 pm
@wooden spoon-808:
and deems himself enlightened
i hope his son has his mom’s gene’s
22 Jul 2012, 13:32 pm
@David-770:
No idea what the Proteas are doing, whom they play and where, haven’t followed cricket since 1993
I leave that to you
22 Jul 2012, 13:33 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-807: she ain’t true.. shows she got about as much real class as you… pity she sold out on reality to follow a fckup fraud like you…
22 Jul 2012, 13:34 pm
@fitz1ella-810:
never change a team that gels and wins at this stage of a comp.
simple.
22 Jul 2012, 13:35 pm
@Hondo-812: now that’s a genuine rugby supporter.. even if his head is a little skewed by political meandering .. skittle sticks is for the birds and the bees and anyone else with knobbly wobbly knees…
22 Jul 2012, 13:35 pm
@fitz1ella-810: Nope Frans screws up nothing… and as the best 12 in World Rugby, he definitely adds more than he takes away… to any team, anywhere…
However, the current midfield of Freddy, Whitehead and Jordaan are doing just fine without him.
22 Jul 2012, 13:37 pm
@wooden spoon-793:
doesn’t sound promising, ’cause you fared him against the likes of Spies, Johnson et al
22 Jul 2012, 13:37 pm
@fitz1ella-813:
you are so bitter i wont ask you about love
dont need to
22 Jul 2012, 13:38 pm
Frans ain’t gonna ‘fit in’ at Sharks.. just like he couldn’t ‘fit in’ before… too many falsified expectations hung around his messiah status neck for him to ‘fit in’ like they thought he was supposed to do.
22 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-818: you know absolutely fckall about love.. all you know is about bending pipes up jackshit arseholes… your charrachickie should actually know about your fake extrapolations of ‘love’ before she feeds you one more of those fake arse laced up boeriebreyani rolls on a Sunday…
22 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
@fitz1ella-815:
I have no interest in corrupted sports, bad for business!
I was at the Wanderers in 1993 to see the pakis throwing away a ODI against SA, lost any interest for good.
Nothing happened since to change my mind, but surely you and David, Mama are all entitled for your preferences?
22 Jul 2012, 13:42 pm
@fitz1ella-820:
look at his nic, his girlfirend must be thrilled
22 Jul 2012, 13:43 pm
Such happiness allround on Keo Sunday after a “lucky” win by the Dynamite….
Happiness in that the supporters of the “Top” team think their team can beat the Sharks…. especially since the Dynamite have now “played their final”…And…
Happiness in that the supporters of the Sharks know their Team can beat the “Top” team… having played a final for the last 3 games already…
BOOM!
Outtahere for now… Lunch calling
22 Jul 2012, 13:49 pm
@Heavens Game-816:
That’s true, but then the whole Sharks team is doing very well now, considered the odd makers gave the Reds a 4:7 to win and that with a SA refereeing team!
Question is how will the Sharks’ pair do against the bulk of the Chiefs for instance? I believe Styen is irreplaceable
22 Jul 2012, 13:54 pm
@Hondo-821:
I thought you believed that the refs fixed the rugby matches, according to your many posts on the subject.
22 Jul 2012, 13:55 pm
@Hondo-821: What you crappin’ on ‘ bout Willis? You reckon every rugby game is fixed.
22 Jul 2012, 13:55 pm
proteas now 505-2
Kallis 123 and Amla 244*
22 Jul 2012, 13:56 pm
this multinic just stepping into the breech to chuck a few overly relevant spokes into this sharkshit extravaganza rolling thunder wheels… for good measure.. till the real wankathon begins.. which ain’t now since Sharkshits got lucky against a depleted Reds team without a captain or a fly half and a ref who cleverly disguised the lucky packet ‘flow’ of the game
@NZINCHINA-822: yip she would have to be blindfolded to be excused from confusing her mind about what ‘love’ actually is..
outa here.. sharkshit exuberant mode of backslap wankathon duly derailed and dutifully deposed… till next time.
22 Jul 2012, 13:59 pm
@NZINCHINA-822:
my nic refers to the fact that i am not a stud and merely scored keewee chicks because i was no 19 in a country where the avg for a female is 20,4 diff partners in their lifetime
as you were.
22 Jul 2012, 13:59 pm
@Hondo-824: The reason HG says the Sharks dont have to play Steyn as its pretty obvious aint it?? he aint allowed to play as per the rules, so whats the point???
So now some take it HG means Steyn aint needed which is not the case, Of course if Steyn was allowed to play HG would have him inm He is just using his head in not trying to put a player in that is not part of the team right now
22 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
Amla 251*
22 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
@Heavens Game-823: “The” “Dynamite” “are” “great” .
22 Jul 2012, 14:02 pm
@David-825:
Your thinking or rather your supposition is flawed
Kaplan never bent a game in his career, even if SARU and Andre Watson instructed him to do so.
Peiper does bend games but couldn’t do it yesterday because his test career would have been on the line.
22 Jul 2012, 14:03 pm
@NZINCHINA-822:
you have also been young and in another country trying to nail a local
your wife is a case in point
22 Jul 2012, 14:03 pm
lunch time 514-2
GC Smith b Bresnan 131 273 20 0
AN Petersen lbw b Anderson 0 8 0 0
HM Amla not out 250 445 29 0
JH Kallis not out 123 253 16 0
Bbaayyyooooootiiful sscorecard it is
22 Jul 2012, 14:06 pm
@sharks_lover-835: The boys are cooking with gas.
22 Jul 2012, 14:07 pm
@stormer in a teacup-826:
Not that simple
It all depends on the governing bodies of the specific sports and their preferences, and if no such an intervention, then it’s a time to make some money on the side for most of the referees
22 Jul 2012, 14:08 pm
will be f’cked to say it but i actually have the utmost begrudging respect for the sharkshits and their team. i reckon the stormers will be in for one almighty f’ckn tussle and good chance that the sharks will just be too strong on the day. if this happens i will support the sharkshits in the final. they deserve to win the whole f’ckn thing then.
22 Jul 2012, 14:11 pm
@fitz1ella-838: If the Sharks beat us I will definitely be behind them against the kiwis. First things first.
22 Jul 2012, 14:11 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-834:
I was also single back then
I found c ondoms,you found a honeytrap
Simple
As you were
Judging by the time spen here in the evenings instead with her things may well be rocky…
22 Jul 2012, 14:12 pm
@stormer in a teacup-836:
They really need to step on the gas after lunch, especially as they have AB, Rudolph and JP to score runs if they throw their wickets away in the process.
22 Jul 2012, 14:13 pm
@fitz1ella-838: nic thief in pure unadulterated glory … wooden spoon thinking he’s a clever little arse creep fucknut in all his pathetic arsecreep glory…
22 Jul 2012, 14:14 pm
@stormer in a teacup-839: that’s a sharkshit posing as me.. most likely wooden spoon.. shows how easy it is to dupe some people who reckon they’re the beeswax of integrity…
22 Jul 2012, 14:15 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-829:
don’t forget the ex pat Saffa’s you did
22 Jul 2012, 14:17 pm
anyway that’s it.. gonna switch off here for awhile
go for glory wooden spoon.. show your cleverdick tricks at how you pose as others with your nic thieving subterranean subterfuge antics….
22 Jul 2012, 14:18 pm
Guess who showed up on another blog!
Congratulations to the Sharks ….that was truly 1 of the best displays by any SA Team in many a year down under! I hope that the performance was a wake up call to Heyneke Meyer and that we have now seen the back of Spies and M Steyn ….the Sharks blueprint is the way to go forward . Marcelle Coetsee is an absolute machine, and the form of Keegan Daniels and Kankowski has created an awesome loose trio….I have my tickets booked for Saturday, going to be a classic….The Sharks made all Saffas very proud yesterday, as for the Buls, well….woeful comes to mind.
Comment 51, posted at 22.07.12 13:51:01 by grant10
22 Jul 2012, 14:18 pm
@sharks_lover-830:
But we all know that Styen is ineligible?
I also believe Lambie is missed at 10, Michalak vs Grant will be another story, the Stormers are a well structured team unlike the mayhem called the Reds, the Sharks also will have to deal with the likes of Joubert or Peiper at Newlands where we all know who SARU’s favourite is?
22 Jul 2012, 14:20 pm
Oh and i have my tickets for Saturday WOODY, FERNY AND HG hope you boys are nice and jealous
22 Jul 2012, 14:21 pm
@Hondo-847: The ref is Walsh for the Stormer Sharks match Hondo
22 Jul 2012, 14:32 pm
Here is a FAR better balanced outlook on how Sharks got gifted a win by Ref and TMO yesterday.. and contrary to the wankathon being displayed around here..
and this from a genuine Sharks supporter IN Brisbane.. not a brow beaten one eyed moegoe who are prevalent by the handful around here..
This also from ‘another blog’
‘I have never been a fan of keegan daniel… what he produced yesterday was freaking amazing. That pass that put jordaan away was insane! I apologise to Keegan for the past, I am a very big fan now!
With regards to the aussies not being classy in defeat, yes Genia wasnt very congratulating but then again he doesnt have to be since he is right. They made so many stupid mistakes at crucial times which he admitted to and Kaplan had a shocking game. Im a delighted Shark but if the shoe was on the other foot then I wouldnt be too please. The reds flanker score the try and that was around the 55min mark. That is stil a lot of rugby to be played. So he was correct in saying they would have been in with a shout. We werent dominating the second half and I felt the entire time that the reds could still snatch the win. The ausie commentators were saying that the sharks were the best team on the day and I dont think anyone is denying that. I think it was a matter of Genia expressing his frustrations. Anyway thats just my 5 cents.’
I hope we klap those stormers!!!!!!!!!
Comment 38, posted at 22.07.12 08:31:50 by Ozbok
@CapeShark (Comment 36) : Goddard’s decision was based on the question asked by Kaplan. He asked about the first grounding (Digby) not the second grounding (flank). As far as im concerned that was a try. and with 25min left in the game things could have been different.
Comment 39, posted at 22.07.12 08:34:45 by Ozbok
Pages: « 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 16 [17] 18 19 20 21 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.