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, 14:38 pm
@fitz1ella-850: I dont see you crying however Skoppie when the Stormers won matches when they were aided by the Ref making mistakes??
get over it, move on, rather spend the time thinking of how to beat this Sharks unit come Saturday
I for one think the Sharks are in for a very hard match, sore bodies, tired after having to have traveled half way around the world etc against a team fresh and well rested and at home.
Focus old chap focus, or maybe you feel this is an easy win for your team???
22 Jul 2012, 14:39 pm
@NZINCHINA-844:
hehe
go find the post you asian milf fecker
22 Jul 2012, 14:41 pm
louis oosthuizen teeing of now
who will the keewees be shouting for?
22 Jul 2012, 14:42 pm
greens reading 10.5 on the stimp meter.
22 Jul 2012, 14:44 pm
@sharks_lover-851: ask your nic thief buddy WS what I think.. he seems to be able to put thoughts in my head even better than you do..
gonna be a tough match and Sharks won’t have so many open sesame gifted opportunities that Reds handed them on a gilt edge plate yesterday.
22 Jul 2012, 14:45 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-854: Fern , i am one happy chappy boet, got my tickets for Saturday, btw did you check out post 846 of mine?
22 Jul 2012, 14:47 pm
@fitz1ella-855: Skoppie dont get ahead of yourself, i would never try putting my smart thoughts in your empty head
you can only wish your team could create the Sharks do, thus you can never give credit, but we kinda used to that from you, nothing new………………
22 Jul 2012, 14:48 pm
Cricket score, 519 for 2
22 Jul 2012, 14:50 pm
Kallis on fire
22 Jul 2012, 14:51 pm
@sharks_lover-857: see if your ‘creative’ team can outsmart and out maneuver our dour brain dead unimaginative non creative one next week.. that’s all that counts.. until then all your thoughts whether you think them to be smart or otherwise are simply semantics…
22 Jul 2012, 14:51 pm
Kallis is racing to 150, 138no after 3 quick 4s in the over
22 Jul 2012, 14:52 pm
don’t need to plenty of others read it
22 Jul 2012, 14:53 pm
@sharks_lover-856:
amen brother,you preached it.
aiken just tee’d off.
22 Jul 2012, 14:54 pm
The first time in 15 years a SAFFA team throws the ball around/off loads and its beautiful rugby, I thought they called that islander basketball in the republic?
22 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
English bowlers are taking a pounding
22 Jul 2012, 14:56 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-863: yeah i am cannel hopping like crazy between the 2 channels
22 Jul 2012, 14:57 pm
@NZINCHINA-864: Not true mate, Natal and Free Sate rugby has always been known for that kind of rugby, specially in the earlier years
22 Jul 2012, 15:00 pm
@sharks_lover-867:
The Banana Boys in the late seventies was not shown on “the rugby chanel” in nz.
22 Jul 2012, 15:03 pm
@sharks_lover-867:
yer I know mate just plenty around here call it islander basketball but what they really mean is they don’t have the players with the required skills to play that type of game, the Sharks were very good last night and a pleasure to watch, the Chiefs, Crusaders, Canes, Blues etc all play like that ,so much better then watching the caveman stuff we saw earlier in the night from the Bulls
22 Jul 2012, 15:05 pm
Skoppie see for me it is simple,
I will be proud of my team no matter what come Saturday, after the injuries they have had this season? specially the first 10 matches of the tournament, to achieve what they have so far? excellent i would say.
With everything going against them they still in there with a shot, I mean i have seen so many posts from Stormer supporters saying they would never make the play offs etc, yet this self same team might well end your hopes come Saturday???????????????????????
I for one knows that if we lose, i can with content say we tried out best with all going sgsinst us we went further than expected, not so??
If the Stormers lose will you guys be saying the same?? Or will there be an outcry of being let down again?? Another year, another empty cabernet? Ask yourself those questions
22 Jul 2012, 15:06 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-868:
22 Jul 2012, 15:07 pm
@NZINCHINA-869: true, and thanks for the compliment
22 Jul 2012, 15:08 pm
@sharks_lover-870:
my dad took me to my first game at kings park in the late seventies
do you remember that redbrick building that sold vetkoeke?
boetsak biltong and those boiled aniseed sweets
sitting on concrete stands
how far we have come…
22 Jul 2012, 15:08 pm
To add to my post 870? If the Sharks win?? oh hell i would be over the moon and of course this place would be like a morgue for a couple of months
22 Jul 2012, 15:09 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-873: Oh hell boet i remember that place, best vetkoek ever
22 Jul 2012, 15:14 pm
@sharks_lover-875:
only a old timer will know about that spot
ernie has just tee’d off.pin high
22 Jul 2012, 15:23 pm
Hope somebody remembered to give every Sharks player his flight socks for their trip home. It is a long flight after all.
Hopefully Amla can become the first SA player to score 300 in a test match.
GO… Hashim…
22 Jul 2012, 15:36 pm
@nama1-877:
it is par dor the course on any international flight bar air new zealand.
singapore air is the best.
22 Jul 2012, 15:37 pm
@nama1-877: yeah man…am so excited for Hash!
it will be momentous if he gets there.
go Hash!
22 Jul 2012, 15:37 pm
@sharks_lover-870:
I, on the other hand, have seen so many posts from Shark supporters saying they would never make the play offs. They’ve even drawn up a petition to get rid of Plumtree when they were “convinced” that the Sharks won’t make the play offs.
Congrats on your team going through.
It will be one hell of a game next week at Newlands, I believe.
Amla breaking the SA record for the highest score in a test match.
Previous record was 278* currently held by AB de Villiers.
22 Jul 2012, 15:41 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-878:
Good. There’s no worries then. Hopefully that information will allay any fears that Puma might have.
@Transformation-879:
Yeah man. Really hope he gets there.
I think if he gets there today, AB and Greame will soon follow him in scoring 300.
22 Jul 2012, 15:49 pm
@nama1-880: “have seen so many posts from Shark supporters saying they would never make the play offs. They’ve even drawn up a petition to get rid of Plumtree when they were “convinced” that the Sharks won’t make the play offs.”….
Ja, can remember a girly with Sharks in her moniker, trying to impress her multinic friends with her desire to see the Sharks lose in order for Plumtree to be fired… like that was actually going to happen anyway…
That facebook petition was constructed by a few farken weazels from that mockcharging “fan” site, Sharksworld, where the Sharks actually dont need enemies with “supporters” like them….
Farken disgraceful little fairweather fucknuts….
22 Jul 2012, 15:55 pm
@Heavens Game-882:
+1
22 Jul 2012, 15:56 pm
I can see this absence of the second Nic ID resulting in a multinic fibbing paradise for the entire next week…
It only convinces me that some of these “well known” and even “nice guy” posters that you get here on Keo are nothing more than HSM employees with the need to generate hits via bullshitt…
Fakes making new nics to talk to themselves…. To convey the conventional wisdom of the “many”… and the “many” actually being no more than a fake handful autocommunicating….
22 Jul 2012, 16:09 pm
@nama1-880: even before the petition, guys like Predawn have been calling for Plumtree to be fired and wanting Sean Everitt to get the job but don’t expect them to man up now that their boss is around
22 Jul 2012, 16:10 pm
hash on 296…a boundary will give him Sparta!
go Hash!
22 Jul 2012, 16:13 pm
@nama1-880: Not gonnA DENY it Nama i seen it too, but thats just the way it is when people get emotional,
But by some its made out in here like its a Sharks thing
amla is my heo man, so much class and talen, and i have had the fortune of meeting the young man,Absolute gentleman
22 Jul 2012, 16:14 pm
298
22 Jul 2012, 16:17 pm
@Transformation-885: even if so transie that does not make it all sharks supporters
22 Jul 2012, 16:19 pm
Kallis is also flying along, worlds greatest player ever
he has played 35 tests less the Tendulkar and only 8 centuries less, but averages higher then Tendulkar, plus far more catches and of course his bowlomg, what a true champion
AND YES HE IS A CAPE TOWN BOY
22 Jul 2012, 16:20 pm
HASHHHHHHHHHHHHH 303 NOT OUT
22 Jul 2012, 16:21 pm
@Transformation-886: A cape lad and Natal lad slaughtering the POMS,
22 Jul 2012, 16:22 pm
hash is SPARTA!
22 Jul 2012, 16:31 pm
22 Jul 2012, 16:32 pm
whats funny is the huge cheers the English crowd are giving their team just for stopping a ball LOL
22 Jul 2012, 16:36 pm
@sharks_lover-889: @sharks_lover-889: i don’t recall ever alluding that it was ALL sharks supporters, generalising is for the intellectually lazy or even cowards!
22 Jul 2012, 16:39 pm
@Transformation-896: I know ,a dn never said it was you. dont be so sensitive Mpondo eish man
22 Jul 2012, 16:40 pm
Lol. And what if the Sharks lose the semi? Can’t escape that they have finished 6th, 9th, 6th and 6th under Plumtree. I would say the time is right for some fresh ideas and perhaps a coach that may be able to take this collectively very talented team to that next level (winning the trophy) which they arguably should have achieved some years ago.
But the Stompies are seeking only to create division amongst the Sharks ranks if they say this means that there is a wilful desire to see the Sharks lose. Of course not.
And let me be very clear. I HAVE NEVER CALLED FOR THE SHARKS TO LOSE ANY GAME AT ANY TIME. If you feel you can show different search the archives and PROVE IT!
Some have openly called for it and that is to be despised.
However if the criticism Plumtree felt has managed to release the finger from his arshlock then perhaps the criticism was justified? It certainly seems as if something has changed, and the improvement is very, very welcome. Of course the fans approve.
I would like to see what happens if Toetie gets a bad run of results? Just how long will the Stompie fans’ patience last? Seeing they magically equate questioning the coach’s tenure to actively wishing losses on the team……… I guess they won’t speak out at all…………..
Farken hypocrites and truth-benders.
22 Jul 2012, 16:47 pm
@wooden spoon-898:
Boet he will tell you he forcast it long ago hehehe
And hey i also critisized Plum, never called for him to be fired, but i did say the coaching staff were not doing their jobs,
this is normal when things keep going wrong
22 Jul 2012, 16:48 pm
Were the Bulls fans were not allowed to celebrate the 2007 Super 14 trophy Meyer coached them to, because many were questioning his job in the years before?
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.