Form will decide Super Rugby semis
23 Jul 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day column, says play-offs are all about momentum – and all the momentum this weekend will be with the Sharks and Crusaders.
The Stormers’ and Chiefs’ reward for claiming the top two spots in the league stages was a home semi-final and a week’s breather in between games. But what was supposed to be a favour for the consistency of the season could be the curse that ends the Super Rugby season for the hosts of both semi-finals.
Form is definitely with the Sharks and Crusaders and form is all that will matter this weekend. League clashes count for nothing when the teams meet in a match in which there is no second chance.
The Stormers, in 2010 and 2011, were the best defensive team in the competition, yet losing in a final and a semi-final is the return of a good side and not a champion one.
This season they’ve exceeded expectation. Their defensive record is unrivalled and so too is their lack of attack. The players have shown impeccable discipline in respecting the coach’s strategic approach to what best suits the strengths of the team. The squad has been depleted through injury, yet the resolve of the reserve players has been strengthened.
You have to applaud the Stormers’ campaign, regardless of whether the climax is a first home final and a trophy or a second successive home semi-final defeat.
A year ago there was an expectation because of momentum and player availability. This year needs more perspective, even if it may bring no comfort.
The Stormers have the respect of every team in the competition and they are now recognised as among the most powerful in the league. It is a respect that has been earned over the past three years through consistent performance. A team whose players were once labelled pretty boys with no appetite for a scrap are now the biggest scrappers in the tournament. Again, this may not be enough to win the title. The quality of Stormers players in too many positions does not match the desire of those who will play on Saturday.
A team doesn’t fluke winning Super Rugby’s trophy. No limited or poor team has ever ended the season champions because when the big moments have come the quality players have produced — and that’s why I also give the Sharks an advantage, despite the travel back from Australia and the venue being in Cape Town.
The Sharks have the greater individual pedigree in the pack and big-name players are flexing their muscles at just the right time. The physicality that was absent earlier won the Sharks the match against the Reds, who had lost just two of their past 23 matches in Brisbane.
The Sharks, individually and as a unit, were brutal in the collisions, but never did the need to impose themselves physically come at the expense of composure or attacking intent.
It was a glorious evening for the Sharks and South African rugby. It also ensured one all-South African semi-final, which means SA will be represented in the final. That makes a statement that had to be made after the Boks’ disappointment of the 2011 World Cup.
It is also confirmation of the strength of the South African game, which is why South African players must always be expected to be among the leaders in the game
We have always had the players, but the belief of those players hasn’t always matched their playing pedigree.
The Sharks never doubted they could win against the Reds because they’ve won there before. The Bulls never believed they could win in Christchurch, despite all the pre-match boasts of changing history and fearing nothing. The result was as predictable as the traditional Bulls success at Loftus.
There is no need for crisis in Pretoria. The best Bulls team in the past decade couldn’t win in Christchurch.
The Crusaders, inconsistent this year, relied on the incomparable Richie McCaw and the equally magnificent Dan Carter. McCaw, in particular, was a beast and to produce a performance of such influence in his 11th season of Super Rugby was monumental, even by his incredible standards.
Carter was as imposing and as good as at any stage of his career, yet even if he had produced the worst game of his life it wouldn’t have changed the result. The Bulls were beaten before they got on the aircraft.
The Crusaders were very good because, like the Sharks, their best players stood tallest. It is why they will beat the Chiefs in Hamilton.
And while it isn’t the popular view in Cape Town, the Sharks have the better combinations and the better individuals.
476 Comments
23 Jul 2012, 09:32 am
Thanks keo , The stormers chance just increased now lol !!
23 Jul 2012, 09:40 am
The entirety of the Stormers game is Tackle, Maul and Popgun kick.
Are they seriously going to maul the Sharks pack?
With that option off the table, all that’s left is Tackle and Popgun kick.
Is that going to win you the game against the Sharks team in its current form?
23 Jul 2012, 09:42 am
Keo… Stormers are favourites…
23 Jul 2012, 09:43 am
@Tacitus-2: Are you a Sharks fan. Cool. I always though you supported the Bulls.
23 Jul 2012, 09:47 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-4:
Tacitus is your typical Bulls fan that revels in the North-South rivalry…he’ll support any team but the Stormers.
23 Jul 2012, 09:48 am
Stormers defense vs Sharks attack… Cracker… But then again Sharks defense has been awesome of late… Got a feeling Stormers will throw it around a bit too…
23 Jul 2012, 09:49 am
My post on the other thread I repeat here…
@Provvas-50: Other than a home game for the final, which is no doubt an advantage and I concede that…. why oh why are the Stormers “the SA team with the best chance to win the comp”…
To help you, lets break this down…
1. The most glaring difference between the two teams was that the Stormers D was more superior throughout the comp… However there is no doubt the Sharks D is now fixed… Evidence – see second half of the game away to the Reds. That D will put the Stormers to shame… (I suspect since the arrival of Frans and the experience of the Sharks players at the Bok camps and England series they have learnt a few tricks)
2. Another glaring difference is the ability of the Sharks to score tries. And the form of JPP – the best 14 in World Rugby at the moment. The Stormers have not fixed this – the way they play the game precludes them from doing this.
3. Another difference is the superiority of Stormers at lineout time… The emergence of Kanko as a roving lineout threat goes some way to coming close to parity… Liebenburg and Fourie can also be inconsistent at throw ins.
4. The first time Stormers played the Sharks this year was when Alberts was decidedly off form, Fred was playing SH, if I remember correctly and also before the emergence of a decent centre pairing which the Sharks now have.
5. Peter Grant and Joe Peterson’s kicking success is 80%+…. Newsflash, Freddy the Frenchman is 80% + too… And Lambie is also an option.
What we see here is a team that has evolved and improved throughout the season vs a team that has stagnated at best and ever so imperceptibly gone backwards…
Sharks vs Stormers
Its Evolution vs Dead End…
And dead end isnt the “the SA team with the best chance to win the comp”… Yes homeground is a huge advantage but a hostile or even neutral ref can nullify this just for a start…
23 Jul 2012, 09:49 am
The Stormers fans seem insulted by any hint that anyone believes another team could possibly be better than their “Unbeatables”.
Seriously in need of a bit of perspective. There’s a world beyond Sir Lowries Pass, chaps.
23 Jul 2012, 09:50 am
Keo with all the Sharks have to go through i reckon form wont be that big a factor,
Will the Sharks beable to give another full 80 min?? i seriously worry about that
But come what may, i will silently try be positive and hope my team comes through
23 Jul 2012, 09:52 am
@Tacitus-8:
@ “There’s a world beyond Sir Lowries Pass, chaps”
23 Jul 2012, 09:52 am
If Paul Jordaan is injured does that mean Steyn can play??
23 Jul 2012, 09:53 am
@Transformation-10:
@THE MAULER-11: Dont think so mate
23 Jul 2012, 09:54 am
Thanks SL! It would be nice though…
23 Jul 2012, 09:55 am
eish Murray won the tri athlon too, what a weekend for SA Sports
23 Jul 2012, 09:56 am
@THE MAULER-13: Sure would be boet
23 Jul 2012, 09:56 am
I reckon one of the keys to the outcome of this game is a less obvious one… It will be the confrontation between Doc Du P and young Ginger Ninja… If Jannie comes to the party and schools the youngster then I suspect this will be a huge chink in the Stormers armour… Whats that term…”Right shoulder”?
All da way…
23 Jul 2012, 09:58 am
@Heavens Game-7: Another Glaring difference is the inconsistency of the two teams Sharks beating Stormers one week then losing horribly to the Lions. Sharks beat Brumbies in Canberra then gets spanked the next week by Hurricanes. Sharks convincingly beat Reds, next game against Stormers….well you catch my drift.
Stormers on the other hand 14 from 16 with the two losses few and far between.
23 Jul 2012, 09:58 am
@Heavens Game-16: Look no doubt HG the scrum is gonna have to be huge from our side, I think Herbst did very well for us on Saturday
23 Jul 2012, 10:01 am
@Sasuke-17: Although true ans something that does worry us as Sharks fans, there is also a little thing you forget?
Since then it seems the Sharks worked on the mental approach, we beat the Bulls very convincingly, the Cheetahs, then traveled to whip the Reds in Brisbane, so there seems to be a little correction made in their mental side going into matches
But again time will tell
23 Jul 2012, 10:01 am
@Heavens Game-7: Stormers have evolved the way to play Super rugby. Watch more teams adapt their style next year, after they win the trophy this year.
23 Jul 2012, 10:04 am
so much provincialism and all to decide who advances to become the runners up for this years super 15..
23 Jul 2012, 10:04 am
@sharks_lover-19: Yes true they have improved it a little bit. After beating the Bulls they struggled in that first half against the Cheetahs only to blow them off the park in the 2nd half. Yes it is going to be a cracker of a game this weekend and let the best team win! Either way we get a S.A team in the final.
23 Jul 2012, 10:06 am
@Sasuke-20: Not sur everyone is too big on the conference trophy.
I mean, none of these conference “winners” will feature in the final
23 Jul 2012, 10:06 am
@Tacitus-8: Tac you’re so predictable. There’s no need to turn into such a sourpuss just because your team has been knocked out of the competition.
23 Jul 2012, 10:07 am
@William Webb Ellis is now at home-21: is it that bad in kiwiland?
23 Jul 2012, 10:09 am
@trupisero-25:
lets hope the final isn’t in Pongoland.
Nobody wants the Southern Hemisphere’s rugby showpiece to be watched by twelve men and a dog.
23 Jul 2012, 10:10 am
Momentum? Let me tell you about momentum. The Sharks were riding a high wave of momentum after beating the Stormers – and lost the next week to the Lions. The 2007 ABs were on a tsunami of momentum when they were beaten by France. Momentum simply means how you did last week. Momentum? Ask Adam Scott. Now it’s all about 80 minutes next weekend.
23 Jul 2012, 10:10 am
@Sasuke-17: Inconsistency seems to have been fixed… or have you forgotten that the Sharks have already played 3 “finals”… The first two where they needed to score more tries than the Stormers have this whole season – i.e. BP wins against 1stly another playoff headed team, and secondly the Cheetahs, who just the week before, the Stormers beat by a handsome 2 points…
Now, in playoffs proper, they just have to win by one, however no-one seemed to remind them off this when they scored 20 points in almost as many minutes against the Reds….
If inconsistency is the mother of all Stormers hope then you better pray for a French style explosion from Freddy…. and if that happens then there is always Lambie to take over the reins…
However, homeground advantage and Sharks travel disadvantage will be significant… But, to be brutally honest – I dont think this will be enough for the Stormers…
But then again this is my opinion, no matter how informed I may be, and I have been incorrect before… Rarely though
23 Jul 2012, 10:12 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-26: lol
23 Jul 2012, 10:12 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-26: hilarious… too funny Gunther,how do you do it all the time, continue to try so hard I mean? ?
@trupisero-25: I have faith that either NZ side can win the final at neeulands… Id guess that most would not think the reverse if the final is in NZ…
23 Jul 2012, 10:13 am
@Heavens Game-28:
BOOM!
23 Jul 2012, 10:14 am
@Tacitus-2: Worked 14 out of 16 times so far.
23 Jul 2012, 10:14 am
@stormer in a teacup-27: but all we heard was how weakened the team was that lost in Dbn, so couldn’t have been that much momemtum gained from that?
23 Jul 2012, 10:16 am
@sparticus-32:
So who were the two opponents it didn’t work against?
Oh, yes. The two other participants of the semifinals that you’ve actually played against this year…
23 Jul 2012, 10:17 am
@WP Till I Die-31: Dynamite…
23 Jul 2012, 10:19 am
E
R
N
I
E
23 Jul 2012, 10:19 am
What was very clear this weekend are that the Saders are a bunch of cheaters. At every breakdown one or more of the opposing players were being pulled in or held back so that they couldn’t defend.
Make no mistake, they deserved the win, more because the Bulls were absolute rubbish than the Saders were brilliant, but their cheating tactics leave much to be desired.
23 Jul 2012, 10:19 am
@Heavens Game-35: @WP Till I Die-31:
23 Jul 2012, 10:20 am
Poep.
You give me such good material.
You do all the hard work for me.
Buddy.
23 Jul 2012, 10:20 am
The johny come latelies somehow sneaked into the semi’s and now all of a sudden they are the favourites, lol.
23 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
@Tacitus-34:
When the Stormers played the Crusaders in Christchurch, they were neck-and-neck up until the end, losing by 7 points.
When the Bulls played the Crusaders in Christchurch, however…
23 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
@>^..^< katman-36:
Ja. Was really chuffed. Funny thing is, I didn’t even know he was in the running, until I switched onthe cricket and the Pommie commentator mentioned that the South Africans have another reason to be chuffed, as Ernie just won the Open.
So I switched over in time for the speeches and presentation of the trophy.
Such a humble guy, and wonderful ambassador for us.
23 Jul 2012, 10:22 am
@Robzim-40: like the Saders ?
23 Jul 2012, 10:23 am
@Robzim-40: Stormers are the favourites Rob, rightly so, but my team is still breathing thus they have a chance
23 Jul 2012, 10:24 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-39: jy bedoel daai ou is soos n poep in n wind tonnel,:lol:
23 Jul 2012, 10:24 am
So, the first game this year between Sharks and Stormers at “fortress” Newland was won by Stormers by the huge margin of 15-12… These were the teams:
15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Frederic Michalak, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Dale Chadwick
vs
15. Joe Pietersen, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean de Villiers (Captain), 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Gary Van Aswegen, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nick Koster, 7. Duane Vermeulen, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. Andries Bekker, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Sharks have moved on considerably since that last showing at the “Fortress”…. Have the Stormers?
23 Jul 2012, 10:24 am
Steve W will be the ref… some call him drunken Steve, others call him Handsome steve… I call him honest Steve.
Stormers by 7.
23 Jul 2012, 10:25 am
@trupisero-43:
The Crusaders did sneak in, but nobody can call them Johnny-come-latelies…
23 Jul 2012, 10:25 am
@sharks_lover-44:
Indeed, it’s going to be a humdinger- lets hope the best team on the day wins and Steve don’t play a big part in the outcome.
23 Jul 2012, 10:27 am
Robzim lets hope Steve doesn’t make a mistake like the 2007 final…
23 Jul 2012, 10:28 am
Seeing as Ernie is sponsored by Boeing maybe they will give us a discount on Zoomers new Jet.
#wemusthaveit.
23 Jul 2012, 10:28 am
@THE MAULER-50: Oh hell dont even go there boet
23 Jul 2012, 10:28 am
@Heavens Game-46: Or was this Stormers team also a “B” team…
You poor angst ridden dumbfucks… I cant farken wait….
BOOM!
23 Jul 2012, 10:30 am
SL lol… Had to mention it… Steve gives me nightmares!!
23 Jul 2012, 10:31 am
@Tacitus-42: Ja, he is a much respected competitor wherever he plays. HIs commiseration with Adam Scott was genuine.
Poor Scott must feel terrible. It really was his Open to win. And apart from missing a 3 foot sitter for par on the 16th, he didn’t do all that much wrong.
One thing he probably does regret is not forking out for a proper caddie, opting for a secondhand Kiwi instead. You get what you pay for.
23 Jul 2012, 10:32 am
@>^..^< katman-36:
Just wrote you an essay but Keo told me I was posting too quickly…
Said I was surfing between golf and cricket – stopped the golf for a while as Adam was three ahead. Went back and saw him in a bad position off the putting green at 17. Then I knew…the choke was about to happen…
23 Jul 2012, 10:33 am
@sharks_lover-52:
@THE MAULER-54:
On a serious note I also have no great faith in Steve but prefer him over Craig Joubert (from a stormers perspective).
23 Jul 2012, 10:33 am
@>^..^< katman-55: hey, you’re talking about the once highest paid sportsman in kiwiland
23 Jul 2012, 10:35 am
@>^..^< katman-55: lol
23 Jul 2012, 10:37 am
@trupisero-58: He prefers racing beat up cars in the mud these days. This guy put caddying on the map in New Zealand, but his heart is just not in it anymore.
23 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
Robzim true… Steve has been quite good this year actually… Lets home he blows a great game… For both sides…
23 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
Home=hope
23 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
Thrilling Super scenario for all but Aussies
JUSTIN MARSHALL
Last updated 05:00 23/07/2012
OPINION: I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out how it happened but somehow Super Rugby has contrived to produce a semifinals showdown featuring the competition’s four best teams and each one could go all the way.
The last month has bordered on a nightmare for Sanzar administrators as they grappled with everything from flawed TMO processes to controversial decisions such as the Reds hosting a playoff most believed they were not entitled to. Those controversies had a serious impact on who played whom, when and where in the finals.
There’s almost some justice that the two best New Zealand sides face each other while South Africa’s two best teams duke it out. I don’t know if it’s fate or fortune that has thrown up such a salivating semis scenario – also guaranteeing a New Zealand v South Africa final – but the fans will be as thrilled as the organisers (all except the Australians of course).
If the Stormers, who convinced me when they came to New Zealand that they are a genuine contender, defeat the Sharks and thereby secure a home final, Chiefs supporters may still feel miffed about the impact the controversial loss to the Hurricanes will have had on their championship quest.
The team most sides don’t want as opposition in a finals scenario is the Crusaders. The Chiefs’ preference would have been for a jaded or tired South African or Australian side. Instead they will face a confident and proven finals force who will arrive an hour after stepping on a plane.
But the Chiefs’ destiny is in their own hands. And if the Sharks do upset the Stormers, and the Chiefs win they will have the home final they believed they were destined for before the TMO saga. That’s something the Crusaders understand.
Chatting to their CEO Hamish Riach before the game, I mentioned the poor crowd turn-out. Hamish said he understood the reasons but, more importantly, pointed out that all within the Crusaders environment were willing the Sharks to keep winning.
“If they keep winning and we keep winning, we’re back in Christchurch for one more game – the final,” he explained.
And on the evidence of the Sharks’ mauling of the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night, who’s to say that won’t happen?
They’re mobile, full of powerful ball runners and know how to win away games, so won’t be daunted by going to Cape Town.
The Stormers and the Sharks are the African title contenders I had expected the Bulls to be. Instead, this year’s Bulls proved to be cumbersome plodders obsessed with kicking the ball to the opposition.
The street savvy Crusaders lapped it up, setting their line, running good blocking lines and punishing a Bulls outfit for their tactical naivety. The Bulls didn’t offer a shot all night.
The Crusaders won’t have it as easy in Hamilton. As they showed when they were down 20-6 in their last encounter and clawed back, this is a far more resilient Chiefs outfit than the past.
The Bulls didn’t know how to climb back into the game last Saturday night. The Chiefs do. It’s going to be a cracking showdown.
The Reds worked hard to get into a position to defend their title and were ultimately assisted by a fortuitous series of results and a hosting anomaly.
But they were never quite convincing and although Australians will be miffed the competition still has a fortnight to go and they have no contenders, they shouldn’t be – their teams haven’t aimed up this year.
The only light at the end of their tunnel is that Robbie Deans will get his players earlier than expected for the upcoming Rugby Championship series. On the evidence of their Super Rugby performances, Robbie is going to need every bit of time he can get with them. On the other hand, the All Blacks selectors couldn’t be happier.
They get to see the two best New Zealand teams go head-to-head in a white-hot, parochial atmosphere in a high-stakes knockout game.
I’ll be especially interested in the halfback battle. The All Blacks will take three halfbacks on the end-of-year European tour. The selectors have had a good look at Piri Weepu and Aaron Smith and with T J Perenara out injured, I’m pretty sure that third No 9 will be either Andy Ellis or Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
Then there’s the locks battle where we get to see if Craig Clarke can advance his dark horse European tour claims alongside Brodie Retallick up against Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock and company. Steve Hansen must be grinning from ear to ear.
23 Jul 2012, 10:41 am
I want to know how it was possible for some eejit to steal my username over the weekend? Don’t these Keo IT fellows block ANY new accounts where names are similar? And don’t they prohibit/block any use of usernames which are carbon copies of others?
I am curious.
23 Jul 2012, 10:41 am
@Gumboots-56: Yes, what’s up with this site? I also get told I’m posting too quickly, after my first post. Also, my phone (blackberry) has switched back to the regular website display and I don’t know how to set it back to the mobile display. I’m sure there used to be a button at the bottom somewhere, but I can’t find it.
I watched most of the golf and only switched to the cricket every now and then. I found it embarrassing to watch, from the so-called no.1 test nation.
23 Jul 2012, 10:43 am
You’d think the Sharks had ended in the top quarter of the log the way their followers are going on.
23 Jul 2012, 10:46 am
@>^..^< katman-55:
Ja, Ernie is a top class person.
Oscar Chalupsky (the loud mouthed surfsk- paddler from Durban who won the famous Molakai surfsk race about 10 times) once bumped into Ernie who was trying to balance a canoe on a lake in the Wilderness area- He gave Ernie some tips, they chatted a bit and after learning that Chalupsky had no decent sponsors and the prize money was just about nothing he offered to pay for the full trip including accomodation in Hawai on condition the Oscar win the race.
He did win and Ernie paid for everything as promised and and also include a fat bonus.
What a legend
23 Jul 2012, 10:46 am
@Michael-66: And how are we carrying on Mickey?? by supporting our team is bad??
23 Jul 2012, 10:53 am
@>^..^< katman-65:
It was a fantastic weekend of sport. Really happy for the Sharks and think Saturday will be a cracker. Either way we have a team in the final. Not going to count my chickens before the fat lady sings on Saturday. Would dearly want a Stormer final but time will tell. We can debate until the chickens come home but only time will tell. The Sharks are playing fantastic rugby and as a Stormer supporter I’m really nervous. We can only hope for the best.
Also hoping the cricket has a fairytale ending too…
Go Boys…
Congrats Ernie the Big Easy…
23 Jul 2012, 10:54 am
@Robzim-67: Ja, I really like the guy. He’s a family man who put his career on pause without second thought to look after his autistic son, and now funds a lot of care and research projects dealing with autism. He has a strong opinion on golf issues and speaks his mind about them, regardless of what the old establishment think, without coming across as a jerk. And he stays relaxed about the game, whether things are going well or poorly for him. He also seems like the guy you want to have a beer with after the game. Quite a few golfers could take a leaf from his book.
23 Jul 2012, 10:54 am
@sharks_lover-68:
Your team is making me very nervous…
23 Jul 2012, 10:57 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-64: when they disable the double nic in the reply then any blogger can register with a new arbitrary nic and just change the “appear as” column to match your nic, this is not the 1st time, when the Boeremag used to rule this place my and a few other’s nics we “stolen” all the time as part of the propaganda masjien..
23 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
@sharks_lover-68: Oh the usual “Cape arrogance”, Stormers don’t stand a chance BOOM, Sharks are so brilliant, “AC writing off the Sharks”, “Stormers thinking they are in the finals already” and all that strawman rubbish.
The Sharks team has too many good players not to be a threat. However, the way certain Shark supporters are carrying on reminds me of Tacitus Homogenious Whoopass of yesteryear.
23 Jul 2012, 11:00 am
@Gumboots-71: LOL
23 Jul 2012, 11:03 am
Thanks Keo, I appreciate the kiss of death you have just blown to the Sharks!
23 Jul 2012, 11:04 am
@Michael-73: BOOM!
23 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
@Michael-74:
Any news on our Alberts, being Vermeulen?
23 Jul 2012, 11:07 am
@Transformation-72: Now that’s a bumble of note. Hell, it must be chaos when everyone starts doing it.
@Michael-73: Just tell Sharks_lover to stick to the promise he made above when he stated that he will ‘stay positive but be quiet about it’. (Since then he has made about 15 posts, so that didn’t last long)
23 Jul 2012, 11:09 am
@Transformation-72:
Now Heavens Game will really have reason to claim a “multinic” conspiracy…
23 Jul 2012, 11:24 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-78: I said quietly confident, where have i said we will win??, again fo seek attention elsewhere, enough said
23 Jul 2012, 11:25 am
@BreakdownBoy-75: Has his “kiss of death” mojo, been operational this year? I have not noticed.
23 Jul 2012, 11:26 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-78: you see, now mine has been stolen too @ #79 hahahahaha
23 Jul 2012, 11:27 am
i think the sharks will have the beating of the stormers.
this is my opinion.
its a gut feel because neither game between the two this year featured full lineups of both teams so we will only see the real deal now, in the semis.
its gonna be epic, like the snoek i shot on the weekend in 20 meter viz.
23 Jul 2012, 11:29 am
Plumtree: Australian rugby needs help
22/7/2012 5:42 AM Vince Rugari
John Plumtree caused a stir this week by accusing a weak Australian conference of bringing down Super Rugby, but he found vindication in the Sharks’ 30-17 win over the Reds on Saturday night.
The Durban-based side booked a semi-final date with the Stormers in Cape Town next weekend after surviving a second-half Queensland onslaught, but in truth the result was never in doubt.
And the Kiwi coach said the victory in front of nearly 37,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium backed up his claim the South African and New Zealand sides in the competition are ‘way ahead’ of the Australians.
“I created a bit of a storm, I didn’t mean to upset everyone like that,” he said.
“I guess the stats and the points do the talking. I really didn’t mean any disrespect to the Australians.
“But maybe they have to look at changing their (eligibility) rules to make sure that they are strong in every club.
“Australia has all the codes to deal with, and that’s not a problem we have in South Africa or in New Zealand. It’s not easy for them to generate a lot of players.
“I don’t know exactly what the rules are but if you look at a side like the Force, they’ve been struggling for three or four years now.
“Maybe they need some foreigners to come in – I know it doesn’t do Australian rugby any good in terms of their national set-up, but at the end of the day it’s not all about international rugby.
“We’ve got a showpiece, Super Rugby, and it’s really important. That’s one of the ways, possibly, and there might be some others.”
Plumtree said it was important the Sharks got off to a strong start against the Reds – and by skipping away to a 17-0 first-half lead, they did just that.
“We knew they’d come into this game with a lot of belief and obviously with a big crowd behind them, so we had to start pretty well and we managed to,” he said.
“The way we played in the first half was just outstanding. We’ve played patches like that right through the year – that’s what we’re capable of.
“The challenge is maintaining it. In the second half we didn’t get any possession and ultimately in the end we just had to hang on.”
The Sharks were assisted by an injury to Reds stand-in No.10, Ben Lucas, who lasted just 20 minutes.
Lucas was the replacement for suspended superstar Quade Cooper, and Plumtree said he was ‘delighted’ for his side when he learned the enigmatic playmaker would be sidelined for the match.
Perhaps he was ecstatic, then, when Lucas went down with an ankle injury and Reds coach Ewan McKenzie elected to shuffle Will Genia into the vacancy.
“I was a little bit surprised they didn’t put Harris at 10 and leave Will at nine,” Plumtree said.
“Will tried to be the playmaker and that allowed us into the game because he was throwing a lot of skip passes and we read them.
“It was actually a big blow for them, I believe, losing Quade for a start and then losing Lucas in a replica of what happened in Durban (in week four).”
23 Jul 2012, 11:31 am
one thing is for sure, there will be a whole lot of south african beef running full tilt into each other on saturday at newlands.
etsebeth, kolisi, bekker, vermeulen vs marcel, alberts, beast, bizness.
storemersfans, you will notice i left out both your props and your red faced hooker.
this was not an oversight.
23 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
@rangerman-85:
tiaan?
the fat controller?
23 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
how can the aussies get 37,000 people to a game and battle for youngsters to play the game though?
i mean the kiwis would give all access tot heir hobbit-holes for a 37,000 strong crowd?
23 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
@rangerman-85: Is that because Brok deserves a post of his own?
23 Jul 2012, 11:34 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-86: yes, mr grumpy.
i will never forget john smiit shoving tiaan up his liebenberg at KP.
it was beyooooodiful.
and biz will grind him to dust and then eat his bones with his porridge.
23 Jul 2012, 11:35 am
@>^..^< katman-88: yes, it goes like this:
beast: hi brok, i am called beast, now that the introductions are over, let me introduce you to your a s s.
23 Jul 2012, 11:37 am
actually it was that wayne grady, the aussie ex wannabe pro golfer, who put the commentator’s curse on adam scott.
when adam was 4 ahead with five to play and ernie was his closest rival, he came up with this pearler….
“nothing aussies love more than beating kiwis and south africans” followed by a hearty chuckle.
can’t recall hearing him on air again for the rest of the afternoon.
23 Jul 2012, 11:38 am
i do notice a little flutter of fear running through the threads since saturday.
sadly i didnt see the game as i was 23 nautical miles north of cape vidal drifting an awesome ledge in 23 degree water shooting gamefish.
but i have cleared my schedule for this weekend.
23 Jul 2012, 11:38 am
@sharks_lover-80: You have to remember to keep breathing this week old fellow. I just seem to be picking up a few, “borderline hysteria” ^5 vibes from you. (Your spelling, grammar etc going to pot in the heat of the moment etc). You seem to be a Hatha yoga type? Take a few extra classes this week…….
23 Jul 2012, 11:39 am
@charo-91: he is obviously not a superrugby man.
23 Jul 2012, 11:39 am
The hype around the Sharks’ form today is very much the same like the week before their thrashing at the hands of the lions.
23 Jul 2012, 11:39 am
@rangerman-90:
Brok and his a.ss are old friends.
They meet every saturday.
23 Jul 2012, 11:40 am
@Robzim-67:
oscar chalupsky is a loudmouth?
are lee and hank macgregor also?
learn something new every day on keo.
23 Jul 2012, 11:41 am
@rangerman-90:
Brok vs Beast – hhmmmm Sharks
Bissy vs Tiaan – Shakrs
Beast vs Ginger – Sharks
eben vs Alberts / Bresler – Stormers
Bekker vs Sykes / bresller – Stormers
Kolisi vs Daniels – Stormers
Elstadt vs alberts – Even
Vermeulen/Fourie vs kanko – Stormers depending who plays
Duvenhage vs Mcleod – even
Grant vs Michalak – Stormers
JDV vs Whitehead turnstile – Stormers
JDJ vs Jordaan – Stormers
JPP – Gio aplon – even
Habana vs mvovo – Even
Ludik/ Lambie vs Joe – Stormers..
23 Jul 2012, 11:44 am
@rangerman-92: Ha ha, we hear about your fishing and diving so often, I’m busy cultivating a sneaky suspicion that you cannot actually swim.
23 Jul 2012, 11:45 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-93: lol @ “spelling and grammar” – dissapline comrade!
23 Jul 2012, 11:46 am
@charo-91:
he was last seen in the Richemont tent.
Passed out under a thoughtful protea arrangement.
23 Jul 2012, 11:47 am
@Provvas-98: Beast vs Ginger – Sharks
???
jannie…
23 Jul 2012, 11:48 am
@>^..^< katman-99: Katman who will you support on Saturday??
23 Jul 2012, 11:49 am
@Transformation-102: Sorry should be jannie, as a backline player I struggle with the 1 and 3 ever so often….
23 Jul 2012, 11:50 am
Look, I’m losing every second post on this forum today, being told that it is a duplicate comment.
When you go back, your post is gone, be it a one liner or a 15 paragraph thesis.
This site is going to pot.
23 Jul 2012, 11:52 am
@Tacitus-105: Ja I had the best reply to HG on his 1,2,3,4, points on the sharks vs stormers.. only to lose the whole reply.. too lazy to type it out again..
23 Jul 2012, 11:53 am
#91 charo – I heard that comment and I also thought: My word, what a complete inappropriate thing to say. I actually enjoyed Adam’s nightmare until Ernie’s winning speech where he sympathised with his buddy. Ernie, you showed us all how to be humble in victory. You are a legend. Also nice to hear Hashim talking in a very humble way. Just a pity our politicians cannot follow suit.
23 Jul 2012, 11:54 am
It basically said:
1. Stormers defense is still better than sharks
2. Line outs will be better for Stormers with bekker as Bissy also struggles
3. Grants kicking percentage is more like 95% than the 80% alluded by him
4. Tries being scored means nothing when you concede as many…
something like that
23 Jul 2012, 11:55 am
@Provvas-103: I honestly don’t think the Stormers should hope to receive any support from the neutrals. I don’t think that is going to happen. All the Sader fans who have tickets will be going ‘Sharks’come Saturday as well.
Oh the irony in watching Sharks_lover and a Cape Crusader fan mormon ^5-ving on Castle Lawns.
I think we’re on our own for this round, much Stormer hating with very little support.
23 Jul 2012, 11:56 am
@Provvas-108:
you’ll win by loads.
don’t let anyone wind you up buddy.
23 Jul 2012, 11:58 am
@charo-97:
Oscar is very loud and rates himself very highly- his brother Herman is just the oppposite. I am not sure about Lee but his son is a cool dude who has mellowed a lot through the years. The competition between the 2 families has been ongoing for many years (started with Surf Live saving in Durban long ago ) but you will probably know that.
23 Jul 2012, 11:58 am
@Pietie-107: I felt bad enough for Adam as it unfolded. But to hear Ernie’s empathy afterwards made it worse. And then they cut to an interview with Adam, and he seems like such a nice, humble fella. There are always losers in sport, but sometimes it’s just tougher than usual.
23 Jul 2012, 11:59 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-109: Merely testing out the lets be behind SA mentality now that the bulls are gone..
see I hate to fall into the group of lets support the bulle when my team is out.. so building some ammo for the future.. hehehe
23 Jul 2012, 12:01 pm
@>^..^< katman-112:
When the Sharks beat the Stormers on Saturday, on the other hand…
23 Jul 2012, 12:02 pm
@Tacitus-34: Both those matches were lost away and in the case of the Crusaders, we lost Bekker and Etsabeth to injury in the first 10 minutes. Seeing as they are a huge advantage for the Stormers it was always going to be tough. How many games would the Bulls have won in Canterbury if Bakkies and Victor had gone down in the first 10 mins?
23 Jul 2012, 12:03 pm
@>^..^< katman-112: still no answer? Saders perhaps your second team?
23 Jul 2012, 12:05 pm
@Tacitus-114:
easy now.
lets not jinx them.
it’s bad enough that keo has thrwon his considerable bmi behind the shorks.
23 Jul 2012, 12:07 pm
@Robzim-111:
what’s your opinion on dawid mocke and have you met him
23 Jul 2012, 12:11 pm
@Provvas-98: hahahaha, bud you left your credibility at the door when you claimed the following:
Elstadt vs alberts – Even
you then went further:
JPP – Gio aplon – even
not in your wildest buddy.
the rest is ok.
@>^..^< katman-99: haha, bud i dont claim olympic status but i am handy in the water and spearfishing is the most addictive sport i have ever tried, seriously it has taken over my life.
23 Jul 2012, 12:12 pm
@ufo-118:
Yes, I have met him- he is a fantastic down to earth guy.
Interesting to note that his dad (Godfrey) who is also a well known long distance sea awimmer used to play prop for Bellville’s rugby club in the “old” days.
23 Jul 2012, 12:14 pm
and of course the frenchie vs grant thing
one a multi capped international, the other a bit part never was bok.
23 Jul 2012, 12:14 pm
@Robzim-120:
yeah… seems to be hey…
doing very well this year and could win the title…
didn’t know that about his dad though…
23 Jul 2012, 12:15 pm
@Robzim-111:
only knew the old man chalupsky when i was a junior at durban surf.
he was a quiet, reserved sort of toppie.
23 Jul 2012, 12:17 pm
cmon stormers fans, who cares who the neutrals support?
do you really expect bulls fans to support the stormers?
laughable really.
as for the cheetahs and the lions fans, they will probably just want to enjoy the rugby without the usual pressure.
its a fantastic occasion regardless.
23 Jul 2012, 12:17 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-110: You have not read the script buddy.
HG has already approached Hugh Jackman to play Plumtree in the Hollywood version. Title: “BOOM”.
I realise and humbly accept that my average, boring, lucky and ref assisted Stormers have zero chance of winning this battle. I only pray that we can keep the scoreline respectable, like 98-12 or so. Listening to the Sharks fans though, I fear even scoring 12 points might be a bridge too far for us.
We have been suitably ‘BOOMED’ before a whistle has been blown in anger.
23 Jul 2012, 12:19 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-125: well at least you are preparing yourself.
but i say rather stay positive, its a game played on grass after all.
23 Jul 2012, 12:20 pm
alternatively, keep up the whole “how dare these sharks fans expect their team to win!”
it naaice.
23 Jul 2012, 12:22 pm
tac
if you get the “you are posting too quickly for this cheapskate sub par website” message, simply hit the “return” or left facing arrow and it will take you back to the thread with your comment still in the comments box.
submit again and it should go through once keos commodore 64 catches up.
23 Jul 2012, 12:23 pm
Is Craig Joubert reffing on Saturday at Newlands?
Hate to sound like Hondo, but if Joubert’s reffing the Stormers are pissing into the wind.
23 Jul 2012, 12:24 pm
@rangerman-119: JOe better the Lambie?? one a Springbok?? the other not??
that in its own is like a stand up comedy remark
23 Jul 2012, 12:24 pm
@rangerman-124:
indeed.
it would be like perving your 18 year old cousin with titties like softly poached eggs.
understandable but not really cricket.
23 Jul 2012, 12:25 pm
@rangerman-128: My comment disappears when I hit the return key. Dialogue box is empty. It could be Explorer though, because I don’t think Chrome does that. Must re-open in Chrome. What a stuff up.
23 Jul 2012, 12:26 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-125: everyone from justin marshall, hamish riach, dave rennie, keo etc have the Sharks as favourites!
BOOM!
Newlands will never be the same after plum ignites the IRANZ -coached Dynamite!
23 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@Jeraldjay-129:
but you won when he reffed you last?
come now.
dont go down that road.
its covered in dogpoo.
23 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@ufo-122:
The only country in the world that can compete with SA in that sport is Australia – Hank Macgregor and Dawid are absolutely top level world class.
@charo-123:
OK, do you knowthe bloke who used to blog here under the nic 4Man?.
He was president of either Marine or Durban surf- i think Marine, though and he knows all the blokes from those days very well.
23 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@Jeraldjay-129: Stormers v Sharks:
Date: Saturday, 28 July
Venue: Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: (17.05 SA time)
Referee: Steve Walsh
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper, Marius Jonker
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
23 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
En toe kak my bulle ook nou Saterdag. Well done my team. A sterling effort considering seeing that in the beginning of the season nobody gave any chance at all. Well doen boytjies.
To the Saaarks and Stormers. All the best on Saturday. You deserve your place and may the best team win. I reckon the Cape outfit might be to good but the Sharkies has struck some seriaas form the last couple of weeks.
Nice game to sit back with a moerse bag of biltong and a coule of ice cold castles.
23 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@Jeraldjay-129:
Steve will do the honours on Sat.
23 Jul 2012, 12:30 pm
Atlast Steyn strikes
23 Jul 2012, 12:30 pm
Steyn to Bopara, OUT
23 Jul 2012, 12:31 pm
iwicket usteyn gottimyes farkoff
23 Jul 2012, 12:31 pm
@Transformation-140: beat you to it
23 Jul 2012, 12:32 pm
I can smellllll a Protea victory today, get Prior out now and the rest will roll like tumbleweed
23 Jul 2012, 12:34 pm
I like Steve Walsh. He always gives the benefit of the doubt to the home team.
23 Jul 2012, 12:34 pm
@Robzim-135:
yeah… australia dominates in numbers…
but dawid currently ranked number 1 in the surfski world series and his young boet jasper rocks in at number 7…
23 Jul 2012, 12:37 pm
@ufo-145: Good morning old chap
23 Jul 2012, 12:39 pm
@Jeraldjay-144: well, he must’ve started that trait after fooking up the guppys in 2007 or after rehab hehehehe
23 Jul 2012, 12:42 pm
@Transformation-147:
aint that the truth
23 Jul 2012, 12:43 pm
@Robzim-135:
yes, i know 4man.
had a beer with him a few years ago in england – he lives near my daughter.
@ufo-145:
fish hoek have done exceptionally well in lifesaving over the recent years – overtaken the big guns like dslsc, marine and pirates. i put it down to enthusiasm from the senior blokes.
23 Jul 2012, 12:44 pm
@sharks_lover-130: Ok, a little BOOM for you. Lambie has not been the form 15 (when he has been fit). By his own standards, he has a had a rather quiet and uninspiring super rugby season full stop, in ALL the positions he has filled. Ludik on the other hand, has been pure class at 15 the last while, and should start for you fellows. If Lambie is fit, he should warm the bench.
So Joe P vs Lambie (this season, and on current S15 form) – Joe P DOES have the upperhand.
And I’m not sure if you were asleep throughout the autumn internationals, but Lambie is not seen as the Boks 1st choice 10, or the Boks 1st choice 15, because he HAS no specialised position – which is a great pity.
As for your Springbok argument….? Spies, Jaque Potgieter and a few others blow your Bok players are ALWAYS the best theory out of the puddling water *wink*
23 Jul 2012, 12:46 pm
Well done Stormers for the topping the log…. excellent display. From a Sharks supporter.
But the real competition starts now!! I can’t hardly wait for saturday. Bissie, Kanko, Beast, Keegan, Marcel all the boys will be chewing at the bit to get out there come 5pm Sat. And I expect no less from the Stormer brigade.
Will be good. Do or die.
23 Jul 2012, 12:48 pm
Too close to call but I go with Stormers by 3, by default of course.
What a way to end this year long fued between the two Coastals
23 Jul 2012, 12:49 pm
@Provvas-116: Undecided. Neither team have put forward a truly convincing argument for the katman’s support. Kind of like watching the Griffons play the Bulldogs. All you really can hope for is some entertaining rugby.
23 Jul 2012, 12:52 pm
@Transformation-133: I know
We are so BOOM fecked that I am going to fire off an email to coach Alistair ASAP. I am going to beg him to spare our boys the humiliation that awaits.
Mental injury is far harder to overcome than a buggered up cruciate, or a torn bicep. We have to throw the game, hand the more deserved SA team the Conference Cup as well for good measure, and tell them to skip CT, and head off to NZ.
This would be the right thing to do.
IRANZ coaching = Facebook petitions (2nd in quantity only to the Stop Rhino poaching batch which pop up daily)
23 Jul 2012, 12:53 pm
De Villiers drops one
23 Jul 2012, 12:54 pm
ahem..
ab knocks on.
scrum england.
23 Jul 2012, 12:55 pm
@sharks_lover-146:
hey SL…
how you holding up there…?
gonna be a ripsnorter on saturday…
don’t know how the fans are gonna cope with the stress…
sharks definitely the form team…
stormers seem to have stuttered and spluttered along all season… just making it to the finish line with a huge back-fire in a cloud of oil-laced exhaust smoke…
sharks looking like a humvee (GI spec) at the moment crushing ll before them with power, speed and style… sharks looking awesome from 1 to 22…
if form is to be the gauge (and what else is there to gauge the teams but current form…?) the sharks should do it without having to engage low-range…
the only thing going for the stormers… imo… is their never say die attitude and sheer determination to win… their bloody-mindedness hard-edged commitment all season has been what has set them apart… imo…
the other thing that has helped us.. is that because we just squeak our wins and don’t score tries or get bonus points and don’t play ‘attractive’ rugby… just about everybody… fans and players… keep underestimating the stormers…
so i fully expect a sharks win but will be hoping the stormers up their game and pull off a win…
even if it is a chorry-chorry-bang-bang splutter over the line on one spark plug…
23 Jul 2012, 12:55 pm
@wpstormerbok-152: Gonna be real tough mate, bome crunching stuff coming
23 Jul 2012, 12:56 pm
I wonder how much gum Vern goes through in a day.
23 Jul 2012, 12:59 pm
@charo-149:
hey bud…
yeah… you absolutely right about the old buggers doing it… those guys have literally been together as a team of nearly 60 years… same guys who stated the club… very close tight-knit enthusiastic bunch of guys who all look 20 years younger than they are… great bunch of guys…
and yes the club has done very well… but don’t think they’re champs this year… durbs are again…
23 Jul 2012, 13:02 pm
anything can happen on saturday…
all i keep hoping is that the result is not controversial…
if the sharks win i will fully back them to go back to NZ and win the final there…
if the stormers win… well will enjoy the final here and hope we beat the kiwis…
23 Jul 2012, 13:06 pm
Ernie’s odds with American bookies at the start of the Open were 40-1, and at the start of Sunday they came down to 25-1. But at one point towards the second half of Sunday, you could have got yourself odds of 469-1 on Ernie overtaking Scott. In the States, $70 was spent at these odds for a return of almost $33 000.
23 Jul 2012, 13:11 pm
@Transformation-84: Plumtree has been away too long if he doesn’t think NZ is struggling to compete with rugby league. It may not be as bad as in Oz but our player base is split – imagine Benji Marshall playing for the Chiefs, Cruden would be sitting on the bench.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glU35F_BqxQ
Not making excuses but the Blues consider league a bigger problem than Pat Lam was
23 Jul 2012, 13:17 pm
@ufo-161: Spot on.
23 Jul 2012, 13:19 pm
@ufo-157:
boet, yeah and the same for my team, I am not so sure about the Sharks victory thing, i reckon they might just run out of gas, thats my main concern
Also there is still no mention from the Sharks side as to possible injries, this will also be a factor
23 Jul 2012, 13:21 pm
@>^..^< katman-162:
There was no reason to put a wager on Ernie since it seemed he couldn’t care less about his woeful putting last two years although his game around the greens always been awesome
His 18th hole’s putt was nothing but sensational,
23 Jul 2012, 13:22 pm
@sharks_lover-158: Your team is on fire at the moment SL – worthy opponents. This weekend will be edge of the seat stuff.
23 Jul 2012, 13:22 pm
@sharks_lover-165: Or maybe the ‘heroic’ Sharks will just be klapped by a Stormers team who is better than them on the day.
You haven’t thought of that one yet have you?
So it’s only travel and injuries you have to worry about is it? Not showing the Stormers much respect here……..
#gleefulandcynicalsmileywithguppiemouthopeningandclosinggaspingforair#
23 Jul 2012, 13:23 pm
@stormer in a teacup-167: yup mate this is gonna be one heck of a match
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-168: grow up moron
23 Jul 2012, 13:24 pm
That flucking blue gumtree on your shoulder must be getting real heavy
23 Jul 2012, 13:25 pm
“Form will decide Super Rugby semis”
Unfortunately for the Sharks, it will be Messrs Walsh, Jonker and Peiper who will decide the winner, not the Sharks’ form ;(
23 Jul 2012, 13:26 pm
@Hondo-171: hopefully that will not be the case
23 Jul 2012, 13:28 pm
Good article by Steve Morris on Supersport!
“For Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies, Wynand Olivier and Zane Kirchner, the Springbok journey must surely be over.”
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/blogs/steve-morris/The_Revolution_must_start_now
23 Jul 2012, 13:29 pm
@stormer in a teacup-164:
shot bud…
@sharks_lover-165:
i think on the injury front the sharks are fine… we would’ve heard something by now if there was a problem… and can’t recall anyone being injured… except jannie doing a bit of astral traveling…
so i expect and hope the full sharks side to take to the field…
not as sure about the stormers though… is duane fit… isn’t he… will he play… won’t he…?
so looking forward to the team announcements too… then the buildup will be in full swing
23 Jul 2012, 13:29 pm
I swear the sharks supporters are treating this semi-final like it’s some kind of twitter contest, “the team whose fans post the most comments wins!” Sadly for the Sharks, rugby results are not based on democratic votes, let the sharks blabber on like over confident fisherman while they sail unassuming into the eye of the Storm.
23 Jul 2012, 13:29 pm
@sharks_lover-165: are they back in SA yet?
My analysis is exactly that:
Scenario 1: The stormers build up a lead in the first half as they have done the whole season. The sharks need to fight back in the second half to topple them as they did to a few teams whole season. But will the jetlag allow them?
Scenario 2: The sharks go in front early in the game on pure adrenalin and excitement pumping for the semis. The stormers then have to fight back in the second half to try and win in a way they have not done all season…. Will the Jetlag to the Sharks allow them to steal it?
Scenario 3: Its a borefest of penalty for you penalty for me.. at which either team win by 3… which I will not be able to talk about on Monday as my nerves will not make it…
23 Jul 2012, 13:31 pm
@ufo-174:
If Duane’s fit I’d start him and hope he can last for 60mins, instead of benching him and hoping he can last for 20mins.
Bit of a catch 22.
23 Jul 2012, 13:32 pm
@ufo-174: Not so sure UFO, Jordaan is suspect with that Hammy and Lambie and PSDT is not yet confirmed
F Steyn i doubt will be able to play, so there are still concerns
@Provvas-176: Mate they landed in DBN last night
23 Jul 2012, 13:33 pm
@Jeraldjay-177: Its playoffs risks will have to be taken
23 Jul 2012, 13:34 pm
@Jeraldjay-177:
yeah bud… i’m with you on that…
i would start him and tell him to give 100percent till he drops… tell him if he dies on the field we’ll put up a plaque for him on the tunnel wall…
then let deon come on when things are a bit looser…
23 Jul 2012, 13:35 pm
@Hondo-171: You must a brazillionaire by now, being able to predict rugby results just by who is reffing. Houses on the Riviera, superyachts and private jets. How I envy you.
23 Jul 2012, 13:36 pm
@sharks_lover-178:
sorry man… forgot the Lambie and PSDT… meant all the guys who rolled the reds…
did think of jordaan but reckon we’d have heard something by now…
hope he is fit and does play…
23 Jul 2012, 13:37 pm
@sharks_lover-169: All I did was ask you a fair question. And your answer: ‘grow up moron’.
Let me try again: Do you think (even in the furthest recesses of your wrinkled mind) that there is a chance the Sharks might lose simply because on the day – their opposition MIGHT be better?
Or is there no such thing? Only excuses about travel and injuries?
Think carefully before you answer, and don’t mangle your fingers in the frother.
23 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-168: the stormers “klap” other teams?
not likely.
beat them yes, klap them no.
23 Jul 2012, 13:42 pm
@ufo-180:
The week before the Bulls I thought the boys had no chance of winning at Loftus with a depleted team.
This week the stakes are higher against the Sharks and I think we want it more than they do.
23 Jul 2012, 13:43 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-183: Are you that stupid?? I have said over and over in here that i think the Stormers will win, do i think normall they are better then the Sharks NO , just as you and all the Stormers feel the Stormers are the better team, thats just an opinion we have
As for Saturday if the stormers win did i ever say it would not be because they were the better team
If they perform better then so be it, dont try to twists peoples words for you trouble making agenda, it is pretty clear for most to see what you do in here day in and day out, then you cry when you are not showin respect, boohoo
YOu start off with an insulting nic to jibe at the Sharks and then come act all innocent?? like i told you a few times before , you can FO as far as i am concerned,
23 Jul 2012, 13:44 pm
@ufo-182: Bro you lknow Plum knows how to hide secrets, and it will only be known come Thursday,
23 Jul 2012, 13:45 pm
@rangerman-184: You not comming down for the maTCH??
23 Jul 2012, 13:45 pm
BOOM!
23 Jul 2012, 13:46 pm
@ufo-180: Duane doesn’t do ‘warm-ups’ and getting back into the swing of things. He knows one way, and one way only. Go in hard, from the start and to maggots with everything else. Teams who play more expansively struggle to get their players ‘back into some sort of match suitability ‘ a lot more than teams like us, who can throw anyone in, as long as they know the D system and are hard as nails and 80% injury free. If he is fit, we need 40 minutes – that’s it. Flair players seem to struggle more to find their ‘matchday faces’ far more than the hard men. Duane is fortunately for us, not a flair player, although just a cool to watch.
I have a feeling we might see Duane’s name on the teamsheet, and Allistair has already said if he is fit – he starts. Deon off the bench when Sharks might be losing a little steam…a nice prospect.
23 Jul 2012, 13:47 pm
@WP Till I Die-189: BANG
23 Jul 2012, 13:48 pm
@>^..^< katman-162:
Earnie?
23 Jul 2012, 13:49 pm
CRASH BOOM BANG!
23 Jul 2012, 13:50 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-192: 900 000 squid.
23 Jul 2012, 13:50 pm
“MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day column, says play-offs are all about momentum – and all the momentum this weekend will be with the Sharks and Crusaders”.
This one sentence sums up keo.comedy.
Keo it seems, does not live in the real world. his brain is fogged.
The Travel Factor will be the overriding influence on the result of the Stormers/Sharks match.
Sharkies are mere men after all, …………………………………..just like the rest of us.
If they win against the Stormers it will be a monumental win………………….against huge odds.
If they follow that up with a win in NZ…………………………………….it will be the greatest of Super Titles ever.
23 Jul 2012, 13:51 pm
@rangerman-184: We be winning though…and a win is as good as a klap
. Tell me, IF (against allllllllllllllllllll odds) the Sharks do somehow lose, what would you say after the game? Travel and Injuries 
Because on a serious note – the Sharks HAVE to be and ARE firm favourites. Can’t see them losing, neither can Tony Johnson, Keo, every other expert on the planet.It would be an upset if the Stormers won – no question about it
23 Jul 2012, 13:51 pm
@>^..^< katman-194:
That should put some gas in the G6.
23 Jul 2012, 13:51 pm
Johnny played guitar, Jenny played bass.
Name of hte band is The Human Race.
Everybody tell me have you heard?
POP goes the world.
23 Jul 2012, 13:52 pm
@Jeraldjay-185:
for sure… i also thought we’d lose that one…
if we play well we could take this one… but after our ‘effort’ against the force… well… we have to see who pitches up the stormers or the puffyclouds…
i hope both teams play to their best form…
@sharks_lover-187:
yeah he does hey… so will wait and see…
23 Jul 2012, 13:52 pm
How can the sharks be favourites if the Bookies have the stormers as favourites?
23 Jul 2012, 13:55 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-197: Less the Ricci Roberts fee, of course. Saw an ESPN interview with him, and he was grinning from ear to ear. Like some of the farkers here at work when they announce that a catered lunch meeting has left-overs up for grabs.
23 Jul 2012, 13:55 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-190:
yeah i know… him and schalk incredibly hard men… pity we can’t have them both back…
keep dreamin’ and prayin’ that allister has been sly and schalk will be fit…!!
hey… a stormer supporter can dream too…!!
23 Jul 2012, 13:56 pm
Stormers where the better team in the first halve of the season, and the Sharks is the better team in the second halve of the season.
Imo the Sharks could only lose to the Stormers due to fatigue. But credit to the Stormers for puting themself in the situation to play a tired Sharks side.
Good luck to both teams
23 Jul 2012, 13:56 pm
@ufo-199:
he damn well keeps us nervous every week till he gives the side, thats why one can never predict the actual Sharks team before hand, cuzz come team announcement time, he suddenly tells us about injuries 
23 Jul 2012, 13:57 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-200: Bookies must be bluffing their odds. Must be.
23 Jul 2012, 13:57 pm
@sharks_lover-172:
I surely hope so but selection of the referees isn’t looked coincidental
One Concern is the TMO who has a record of seeing things the SARU preferred way
23 Jul 2012, 13:58 pm
They called him Ernie, (Ernieeeeeeeeeee)
And he had the straightest 3-putt in the west.
23 Jul 2012, 13:58 pm
Why is this site so kaput? Where is the business owner’s pride?
23 Jul 2012, 13:58 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-200:
No Gunner,
Keo has lost his marbles.
23 Jul 2012, 13:59 pm
@cane-209:
Hey that smilie worked.
23 Jul 2012, 13:59 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-200:
Looks like we going to chase a few in the end.
Bell is the key. Prior will always give you a chance.
23 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
@ufo-199: You mean Rebels? Just think.. If you are already in the semis and have a few injuries, are you really gonna give everything agaisnt the lowest ranked Aussie side??
This form everybody talks about: The Stormers “form” is 14 / 16!!
lets talk consistency rather.. Sharks beat bulls but lose to Lions… and struggle agaisnt the Cheetahs at home in first half…
23 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
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23 Jul 2012, 14:02 pm
KEO sold the site to HSM if i’m not mistaken
23 Jul 2012, 14:02 pm
Are we still happy with a part timer behind the stumps jerry?
I think not.
23 Jul 2012, 14:04 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-200: Because the bookies have nothing on Tony Johnson, Keo,HG and all the other worldy scribes and kenners. Didn’t you know that?
23 Jul 2012, 14:04 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-215:
I believe he dropped someone earlier. Who did he drop and was it a 50/50.
23 Jul 2012, 14:05 pm
@sharks_lover-204:
yeah… was it d3ck muir or kevin putt who once announced a team and then ran out another as a ambush tactic…? not stirring just remember something like that…
@Provvas-212:
yes… of ‘ourse i meant the rebels…
that’s my kinda optimistic logic…!! i like it…
optimistic prime…!
23 Jul 2012, 14:05 pm
@Provvas-212: Mate it matter not what you or me or anyone else has to say, what happens on the park come saturday is what counts, the fact that you played poorly of late or we whipped you the previous match means zip nada fokoll
23 Jul 2012, 14:06 pm
Good Weekend for SA Sport:
- Ernie gets a jug of claret.
- Alma goes over 300 for a SA record.
- Sharkies live to fight another day.
You Okes are peaking too soon.
Another Olympic disaster looming for SA??????????
Can SA head Togo in the years medal count.
23 Jul 2012, 14:07 pm
@ufo-218:
this is true boet, i know Mac did this in the CC final in 1990
Lock Andre Botha suddenly appeared on the field at the start
23 Jul 2012, 14:08 pm
@cane-220: Dont forget a South African Murray won the international Tri Athlon in Germany
23 Jul 2012, 14:10 pm
@cane-220: Togo to go tops.
23 Jul 2012, 14:10 pm
@cane-220: And you guys got a well deserved second in the Caddies category. Well done.
23 Jul 2012, 14:12 pm
@sharks_lover-222: Not to mention the half-South African, Roger Federer…
23 Jul 2012, 14:13 pm
@>^..^< katman-224:
omg Kat TFF
23 Jul 2012, 14:13 pm
@sharks_lover-221:
well… i hope there’re no such surprises this weekend…!!
weatherSA predicts clear skies 20k wind no rain…
so both teams can play the way they choose…
23 Jul 2012, 14:14 pm
@sharks_lover-222:
yeah right ………………………….like the real contenders were busting their gut to win.
23 Jul 2012, 14:15 pm
@>^..^< katman-225:
it’s so cool to be south african even harry potter is claiming his mum was born here…
23 Jul 2012, 14:16 pm
@ufo-227::lol: fo sho, you going to the match?? i know i’ll be there
@>^..^< katman-225: eish very true Kat, what a sporting month we are having, World beaters
23 Jul 2012, 14:16 pm
@ufo-229: Harry Potgieter?
23 Jul 2012, 14:16 pm
@>^..^< katman-225:
We’re claming him.
His mother is from Benoni.
Benonism is like Judaism and baldness.
You get it from your mothers side.
23 Jul 2012, 14:18 pm
@ufo-227:
This is Cape Town.
Any weather “forecast” for further than 48 hours into the future is pure speculation…
23 Jul 2012, 14:18 pm
@Jeraldjay-217:
He dropped Bellend.
And it was a farking sitter.
Keo could have could that after a 3 day bender on Peruvian Flake.
23 Jul 2012, 14:18 pm
@sharks_lover-219: For Sure!! But isnt it nice to banter the week before?
Lost my previous post that said the following:
Scenario 1: stormers go ahead comfortably first half as they have the whole season and sharks need to fight back in the 2nd.. will jetlag allow them to come back as they have doen this season?
scenario 2: Sharks go ahead early on pure rush and stomers need to fight back in the second half.. will jetlag allow stormers to come back in the last 20?
Scenario 3: Borefet with a 3 points for me 3 points for you game which either sides win by 3… which my heart will not allow me to talk about come Monday..
23 Jul 2012, 14:19 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-200:
The Bookies call it to the situation and the inside info, it’s about money and no room for sentiments
If the final moves to NZ then SARU stands to lose fortune, now you do the maths
23 Jul 2012, 14:19 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-232:
Like Onanism?
23 Jul 2012, 14:19 pm
@sharks_lover-230:
absolutely will be there…!!
23 Jul 2012, 14:20 pm
so anyone want to tell me kanko is a showpony?
the oke is awesome and just getting better all the time.
23 Jul 2012, 14:21 pm
@WP Till I Die-233:
okay mr pessimist prime…!!
yeah… this we know… but at least for now… they are predicting clear,…
better than predicting a repeat of this past weekend…
23 Jul 2012, 14:22 pm
@WP Till I Die-233:
Pure ejaculation.
23 Jul 2012, 14:22 pm
@>^..^< katman-231:
hehehe…
yeah… came to watch his brother dewald and his other brother dewald play….
23 Jul 2012, 14:23 pm
@sharks_lover-221:
I thought he was the Natal Captain?
23 Jul 2012, 14:23 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-241:
You always have something at hand, it seems.
23 Jul 2012, 14:25 pm
@rangerman-239: No, he’s 100% pure Lippizaner.
23 Jul 2012, 14:25 pm
@Provvas-235:
No jetlag flying WEST, only fatigue
23 Jul 2012, 14:27 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-196: sharks are the favourites?
thats awesome!
i always knew kenners rated our sharkies more than your stormers.
seriously though, if you need the underdogs tag to win in a semi you may as well go on strike for cash just before the game…..oh wait…
23 Jul 2012, 14:27 pm
@Provvas-235: It is nice to banter, its the insults that get thrown by some thats irratting, other then that i think we all have gotten along just fine
23 Jul 2012, 14:27 pm
213.>^..^< katman said:
23 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.
For me, this is the final insult.
I type with two fingers.
One on the left hand,
one the right.
The cranium in the middle,
is not exactly light speed either.
And I AM TOO FAST.
Yeah Right.
23 Jul 2012, 14:28 pm
@>^..^< katman-245: nice analogy.
ze germans nearly did the lippanzaners in but there are no germans in the stormers team.
23 Jul 2012, 14:29 pm
@sharks_lover-248: wont make the game bud, fly the flag and watch out for the nutters.
23 Jul 2012, 14:29 pm
@cane-249:
is there no end to your bragging…? too fast…!! phhttt
23 Jul 2012, 14:30 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-232:
Tsk tsk tsk. And this from a man preaching that all rockdpiders are equal?
23 Jul 2012, 14:30 pm
@cane-220: One of the highlights of the Olympics will be MUSE performing at the opening ceremony. Kak song – but great band.
Medals…..well unless Castor Semenya is pulling off the 2nd greatest bluff in sporting history (she was responsible for the No 1 ranked bluff as well lest I remind you) with her current form; about 5. Cameron, mens 400m relay team, Moekoena (kak form at the moment though), Viljoen, our tri athlete etc etc. We have quite a few medal “hopes” or “possibles” – then again, they usually fold on the Olympic stage.
So ok, maybe 3.
23 Jul 2012, 14:32 pm
@rangerman-239: The oke was kak for about 3 years before this rebirth. Admit it.
23 Jul 2012, 14:33 pm
@Hondo-246:
But every Team that goes West,
returns flying East.
And then must play a game.
Fatigue…………………………jet lag…………………call it what you will.
The travel factor is huge.
Add to that simple home advantage.
23 Jul 2012, 14:33 pm
@cane-249:
Sorry to put you on the spot but Stormers or Sharks on Saturday.
Go with your gut.
23 Jul 2012, 14:35 pm
@rangerman-251:
pitty mate
23 Jul 2012, 14:35 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-254:
That should see off Togo.
This year anyway.
23 Jul 2012, 14:37 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-241:
‘n Voël in die hand is beter as twee voëls in die bos.
23 Jul 2012, 14:38 pm
@WP Till I Die-237: That’s handed down.
23 Jul 2012, 14:39 pm
@Jeraldjay-257:
Stormers.
Full stop.
Period.
End of.
Best defensive record in the comp.
A weekend off.
Sharkies will try hard, as they always do.
But you cannot ignore/defy the travel factor.
23 Jul 2012, 14:39 pm
@rangerman-239:
Shetland.
23 Jul 2012, 14:40 pm
Cricket about to restart
23 Jul 2012, 14:42 pm
@cane-262:
Cane, I treasure your input. Your such a knowledgeable poster.
23 Jul 2012, 14:43 pm
@TooMuchRugby-253:
Afternoon Bonehead.
Don’t worry nobody expects you to get it.
23 Jul 2012, 14:43 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-255: he wasnt k uk he has just had a lot of injuries that have prevented him finding any kind of continuity in the team with all the backrow options we have.
he has always been better than spies imo and has made a bad decision to feck off to j a p land now as he may have had a look for the rugby champs if he was around.
personally i prefer him as an option to duane because of his speed.
sure, duane does the hard yards really well but if you have marcel, alberts, schalk, elstadt and players of that ilk making it over the advantage line, why have another plodder who does the same thing when you can use kanko to link with the backs and utilise the momentum?
kanko also has the ball skills that pierre never had.
look at keegans performances at 8 for the same kind of benefits albeit without the lineout option and bulk that kanko brings.
dont get me wrong, duane is a great player but kanko fits the bill for me.
23 Jul 2012, 14:44 pm
@cane-262:
brag as much as you like…!!
23 Jul 2012, 14:45 pm
@Jeraldjay-265:
perhaps the preeminent blogger on keo…
23 Jul 2012, 14:45 pm
@cane-262: BUt Cane??? Some of the Stormer supporters have been telling us this is no excuse?? traveling is just traveling
23 Jul 2012, 14:46 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-263: deon fourie is the shetland.
kanko is the thoroughbred.
@cane-262: well thats a first, a kiwi who admits that travel is a factor.
ladies and gentlemen, we are embarking on a new age of honesty and truthfulness here, you can tell your kids you were there when it started.
23 Jul 2012, 14:46 pm
@rangerman-267:
HM has given you the front row. Now you want all the lossies as well.
23 Jul 2012, 14:47 pm
Not looking like we will get the other 5 wickets ffs
23 Jul 2012, 14:48 pm
@Provvas-273: Yeah we need a new ball fast
23 Jul 2012, 14:49 pm
@ufo-269:
cane is the only senior blogger left on this site…
23 Jul 2012, 14:50 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-266:
Another keyboard coward surfaces……
23 Jul 2012, 14:50 pm
@Jeraldjay-272: look, i dont really approach it from a provincial point of view bud, it just so happens that the sharks have the players at the moment.
i did mention schalk, duane and elstadt as options and i think we are blessed to have them available for the boks but marcel and alberts are white hot at present and kanko seems to be joining them.
ask the kiwis what they think of kanko.
but he is likely unavailable anyway so duane must get his shot because if i see spies running out as no 1 bok 8 for the next four years i will kotch everywhere.
23 Jul 2012, 14:52 pm
@TooMuchRugby-276: surfaces?
gunther has been around for years, ever since he found the keo sites details stencilled inside sondeboks coolerbox.
who are you and what have you done with a keyboard lately?
23 Jul 2012, 14:53 pm
@TooMuchRugby-276:
Calm down.
Bonehead isn’t a cultural reference.
It’s a tribute to the large space between your ears.
As you were buddy.
23 Jul 2012, 14:53 pm
@WP Till I Die-275:
Mr Cane… please…
23 Jul 2012, 14:54 pm
cane toad
23 Jul 2012, 14:54 pm
sour cane
23 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
or as i prefer to call him:
Six of the best
23 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
@rangerman-271:
Shallowpig.
23 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-279:
“Bonehead isn’t a cultural reference.”
try sneaking that one passed the conehead pc police..
23 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
@rangerman-271:
As I said Dangerman.
Travel is a huge factor.
But in the Round Robin stage, the equation is equal.
However, If Your Team cannot qualify in the top 2.
Then you are really up against it,
specially if you have to travel inter-continental.
23 Jul 2012, 14:56 pm
@rangerman-278: Has he been a sanctimonious pratt all these years?
23 Jul 2012, 14:56 pm
@rangerman-267: I also prefer Kanko to Spies, Daniels and most others. He is great in the lineout and offers quite a bit from the back of the scrum. That said: All of the above is applicable when he is playing with a POWER pack of forwards who are dominating every facet of play. My gripe with him in the past has been his Houdini act in tight games, especially for the Boks.
He like Spies, can’t play his natural game when the pack is under ANY SORT of pressure. Sadly, in the international arena, even good packs are put under pressure at times, and THAT is where he has struggled in the past.
It looks as though he has upped his physicality,but this also in games where the Sharks forwards have been smashing all comers. He was good for the Boks as well,and he will probably get another shot in the Rugby champs. Behind a pack being whipped (and I don’t mean ‘mini whipping’ like the Poms did in PE, I mean AB’s in form whipping) – let’s see if anything has changed.
I am a Duane fan out and out,and it’s a disgrace that he doesn’t have one Bok cap. He is the finest defensive 8 in the country (which is needed in certain games….)Duane and Kanko have different strengths, but if we are playing the Meyer way, Duane fits the profile more.
Kanko has always been (IMHO) an impact player more than a starter.
But huge credit to him for this fight back.
23 Jul 2012, 14:59 pm
@ufo-285:
Indeed.
Toomuchbuggery is about to go to war over it.
An insult to one re.tard is an insult to all.
23 Jul 2012, 15:00 pm
@rangerman-277:
Ranger just taking the piss. I don’t care about provincialism when it comes to Bok rugby either but Kanko has had two good games when is pack was dominent.
If Vermeulen is available on Saturday and is fully fit for the start of the Championship then I believe he should be at the front of the queue when it comes to 8th man.
Alberts to me is a given at 7.
Coetsee has impressed at 6 and should be the incumbent but I’m a Brussouw fan and Kolisi is also not far behind.
23 Jul 2012, 15:03 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-284:
now that you mention it…
@cane-286: true cane true.
@TooMuchRugby-287: i am not sure what you are referring to?
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-288: personally i think kanko will fit the bill for meyer. the england tests showed us nothing, there wasnt any prep time.
i also dont see the abs having the wood on us come scrum time this year. the sharks front row absolutely demolished the highlanders much vaunted front row and when you add in a bekker and etsebeth to the grunt given by marcel, alberts and whoever is 8, you are talking about a HUGE pack that is mobile a f u k and has ball skills too.
pretty exciting imo.
and later in the gamne, kolisi can come on and start running rings around whomever whilst duane or elstadt keep the hurt on.
that will be quite refreshing.
anyways, gotta go all cheers!
23 Jul 2012, 15:04 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-289: To be honest, I don’t care if you call me bonehead, rockspider or whatever. I wear the label with pride.
The trouble is you don’t allow me to use the same approach towards my fellow boneheads whom I regard as a bad example of my clan.
A proper hypocrite you are indeed
23 Jul 2012, 15:04 pm
@sharks_lover-270: For the really good teams, travel isn’t a factor, and they will rarely use it as an excuse before the game has even started.
If your team had started peaking against the Lions, instead of after the autumn internationals, you would be waiting for the Stormers in Durban, and not the other way round…
Why not try to talk up the numerous strengths of the Sharks, and possible reasons as to why they could win, instead of continuosly bleating about the travel and other reasons they could lose.
Be a fan, you can do it.
23 Jul 2012, 15:06 pm
@TooMuchRugby-287: He does seem a bit of a twat.
23 Jul 2012, 15:07 pm
@Jeraldjay-290: ja i wont be falling all over the place if duane gets a shot bud.
but kolisi is not above marcel imo,he is a bencher at the moment.
brussow is an amazing rugby player, a favourite of mine but he doesnt offer as much on attack as marcel does and bizzy makess as many steals so….
anyways, keep well bud.
23 Jul 2012, 15:08 pm
@TooMuchRugby-292:
But I never called you a rockspider.
I called you a bonehead because you are as thick as Keo’s booster shoes.
To insinuate you ate better than anybody due to the accident of geography is rich indeed.
Now use this time constructively for some introspection before I make you properly embraboer.
23 Jul 2012, 15:10 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-294: What’s the idea behind the “1” in your nic – expecting a flood of copycat names now that you’ve bravely broken the ice? And how’s that working out for you?
23 Jul 2012, 15:10 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-294:
Of course I am.
Remember you own me at life.
23 Jul 2012, 15:11 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-293: Uhm pot kettle??
We have seen for a few years as the Stormer supporters in here used the Travel excuse big time….
And as for talking About my teams strengths?? hell you quickly squeeled early that we were being loud mouth etc etc etc
Hell i could tell you the Sharks are Krap and the Stormers will whipe the floor with them, you wouls still find a reason to dissagree, so whats the point??
23 Jul 2012, 15:12 pm
For once I agree w/Keo — McCaw is really laying down some performances, especially for someone entering the twilight of his career. In terms of pure fetching, Pocock is certainly superior, as are Liam Gill and Brussow. But as an all around player? McCaw’s ball carrying, tackling, and workrate elevate him.
I wonder how much of this has to do with McCaw being able to essentially skip the first month of every Super rugby season. So valuable to get that extra rest. Shows the difference b/w NZ and Saffa rugby — in NZ, every decision is made based on what value it adds to the ABs, regardless of Super Rugby consequences. Would love to see SA letting some players get extended rest, but the franchises would never go for that.
23 Jul 2012, 15:14 pm
The Stormers-Sharks Super Rugby semi-|final is shaping up to be a grudge match of the highest order, although Stormers’ coach Allister Coetzee says that there is “no score to settle” at Newlands on Saturday.
And, for once, the Stormers have managed to dodge the injury bogey as talismanic flyhalf Peter Grant has been passed fit to play on Saturday.
The score is 1-1 between the Stormers and Sharks this year after the two teams won their respective home league games.
The Sharks were dynamic in dismantling the Reds 30-17 in Brisbane at the weekend, with their impressive attacking play backed up by an unrelenting defensive effort.
After only just reaching the playoffs in sixth position on the log, the Sharks are now suddenly in the semi-finals and will fancy their chances of travelling all the way from Brisbane to Cape Town and beating the top-of-the-log Stormers.
“There is no score to settle. We want to win a semi-final! We want to make sure that we get it right this weekend and progress in the competition to the last stage,” Coetzee said yesterday.
“It is going to be a hell of a tough match. I mean, the Sharks just overpowered the Reds there. One thing about South African sides is that you know there will be a hell of a physicality coming, and the Sharks showed that at the weekend.
“It was a really good performance and, once again, it is up to you as the team whether external factors such as jet-lag get to you, and that was never a factor for them. They just put it aside and got off to a great start, and that was a fantastic approach to what they wanted to achieve.”
Coetzee pointed out that the Sharks’ breakdown work was also superb and, coupled with the physicality showed in their victory over the Stormers in Durban in May, it presents the Cape side with a massive test upfront, especially as they are still waiting on the fitness of star No 8 |Duane Vermeulen.
“They built a good lead, and it is difficult to play catch-up in any play-off game. They were very effective, and didn’t make as many mistakes as the Reds. Also, they forced the Reds to turn over a lot of balls,” Coetzee said.
“The Reds were dominating in the second half and had a lot of possession, and the Sharks had to make almost 200 tackles in the game.
“However, every time there was a slip-up – a knock-on or a mistake by the Reds that broke their rhythm. But the Sharks were really clinical and their counter-attack was really good whenever they got turnover possession.”
The importance of a quality flyhalf was illustrated in Brisbane as the Sharks’ Frederic Michalak controlled the game expertly, while the Reds missed the suspended Quade Cooper and then had replacement Ben Lucas go off injured after just 20 minutes.
So, it will be a relief to the Stormers that Grant is fit to play on Saturday after taking a knock to his quadricep muscle against the Rebels. He sat out of training last Thursday, along with Gio Aplon and Rynhardt Elstadt, with Coetzee saying at the time: “We just want to make sure that there isn’t any swelling before you run the guy.”
Yesterday, Coetzee said: “Peter Grant, Gio and Rynhardt are all fine and are all good to go.”
The Stormers held a two-day camp in Hermanus at the weekend, where Vermeulen completed the training sessions. But Coetzee said that the star No 8 had not been cleared yet for the semi-final.
“We have to keep monitoring and see how he progresses tomorrow, and throughout the week,” Coetzee said. “We will also see how Schalk Burger and Nick Koster are doing tomorrow, but they were behind Duane last week.”
Bulls winger Bjorn Basson is being treated in a New Zealand hospital after suffering a torn intestine during their play-off match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday, reports Sapa-AP.
He left the field during the first half and later underwent surgery. Bulls chief executive Barend van Graan said the 25-year-old Basson would have to remain in New Zealand for at least five days.
23 Jul 2012, 15:16 pm
@sharks_lover-299: If your argument was any good I might agree.
But you seem to be flip flopping from travel and injuries to reminding us all of how the Sharks whipped the Stormers by 5 points in the last meeting and how poor the Stormers have been of late.
I would like to see an honest rugby assessment from you, that’s all, and dwang, many might agree with it who knows.
23 Jul 2012, 15:16 pm
200 – 5… No wickets…. not looking good for the Proteas..
23 Jul 2012, 15:17 pm
@Provvas-303: Begin Bid
23 Jul 2012, 15:18 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-296:
It’s got nothing to do with geography….
However let’s not debate this topic further as I’m sure other bloggers on here are getting tired of it.
Just keep in mind that I read your comments with the same preconceptions that you apparantly read mine.
Now go ahead and have the last word on the subject as I’m sure you are itching to
23 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
@Provvas-303: New ball is up in 4 overs time, sure that might help to bring in a few wickets
23 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
@>^..^< katman-297:
He’s copied it straight from his number plate.
23 Jul 2012, 15:23 pm
Wicket at last
23 Jul 2012, 15:24 pm
@TooMuchRugby-305:
Don’t be a liar.
You have been bleating about Pretoria trash etc in your posts for a while now.
I just wandered why you felt you were better just because you could see the mountain from your trailer window?
You still haven’t answered that question.
23 Jul 2012, 15:25 pm
Tahir gets another, and Kingkallis takes a great catch
23 Jul 2012, 15:25 pm
@>^..^< katman-297: The choir has long since been converted
23 Jul 2012, 15:26 pm
this fakkin site with your commenting too fast **** or you seem to have submitting that comment previously is frustrating as hell!!
Wicket!! Did not see it.. was it with the new ball?
23 Jul 2012, 15:27 pm
CAPE TOWN – Struggling local clothing and jewellery manufacturers are quietly optimistic that this weekend’s Super Rugby semi-final at Newlands between the Stormers and Sharks will result in a strong, albeit temporary, growth in sales.
It is hoped that an influx of Shark supporters to the Mother City will see especially floral-print beachwear and non-branded gold jewellery fly from the shelves.
23 Jul 2012, 15:27 pm
We really should get a result here now…
That will throw all the retired cricketing icons into disarray.
What is next for the Poms? The Olympics?
23 Jul 2012, 15:29 pm
@Provvas-312: No, Tahir to the Pom keeper, swept violently and only got a small scratch on the ball, good catch by Kallis jumping up to his left
23 Jul 2012, 15:30 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-314: They won the Tour De France,
23 Jul 2012, 15:32 pm
@sharks_lover-315: Thanks.. so when is the new ball due??
23 Jul 2012, 15:32 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-314:
Flower will be telling them to put their brooms away vs Tahir.
23 Jul 2012, 15:33 pm
@Provvas-317:
In two overs, I believe.
23 Jul 2012, 15:33 pm
If we can get Bell out soon it will surely end any fighting spirit left in the poms
23 Jul 2012, 15:33 pm
Balls just drops short of Smith for another wicket , so close
23 Jul 2012, 15:34 pm
Almost another one. Inches short of carrying to Kallis.
23 Jul 2012, 15:34 pm
Ok I am out…. one more day closer to the bruiser in Newlands.. who will cry and who will jump with jubilent triumph over the arch enemy???
Who will drink with joy and who will suip in sorrow?
23 Jul 2012, 15:34 pm
I mean Smith.
23 Jul 2012, 15:35 pm
Not sure if they will take the new ball right away, reverse swining and taking lots of turn for Tahir, But we will know in 2 balls time
23 Jul 2012, 15:37 pm
@>^..^< katman-322: lol cant be Katman , Kallis was the bowler
23 Jul 2012, 15:37 pm
ok Tahir still bowling
23 Jul 2012, 15:39 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-309: OK, this is my final words on the subject.
I was referring to certain mentality (not going to elaborate again) that are commonly found amongst certain inhabitants of Pretoria (Snorcity) and supporters of the well known Blue Bulls rugby franchise which is also present in isolated habitats across the country. This terrible malaise of backwardness and inhibited thinking has unfortunately also spread to the management and player corps of said Bulls rugby franchise and to a lesser extent to Springbok rugby and SARU in general.
I’m sure there are individuals that support other franchises (Stormers included) that suffer from a similar kind of affliction and frankly I detest them just the same.
23 Jul 2012, 15:40 pm
@sharks_lover-326: I know. That’s what I was thinking, but my daft fingers were tying something else. Tried to correct myself immediately, but the site told be six times I was posting too quickly. Took a call to the Sports Minister to get my correction published.
23 Jul 2012, 15:40 pm
@>^..^< katman-329:
23 Jul 2012, 15:41 pm
@WP Till I Die-313:
dogbreath was confusing ageing sharks supporters with your average big bay resident.
23 Jul 2012, 15:43 pm
@sharks_lover-316: Yes, they’ll always have Paris I suppose……
It’s just so terribly sad that the self appointed custodians of and slef appointed global leaders IN, tennis, lawn bowls, cricket, rugby and most other modern sports seem to fall at the finish line in so many of these codes
I already feel sorry for their Olympians…the presssssssssssssssssssure as Matfield would say.
@the artist formerly known as gunther-318: Chimney sweepers at the moment….A gutter/street sweeping style might suit them more against Tahir. They be fecked now.
23 Jul 2012, 15:46 pm
What’s the score? Still for 5? Cmon Proteas!
23 Jul 2012, 15:48 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-332: Poms annoy me to no-end, Wiggins already saying “my win is more significant than any other in recent years”
and i’m thinking, how the feck did you come up with that s.hit chap?
23 Jul 2012, 15:49 pm
Steyn gets Bell!
23 Jul 2012, 15:49 pm
Great catch by King Kallis!
23 Jul 2012, 15:50 pm
@Sasuke-333: 6, tahir too prior…bresnan must go, soon!
23 Jul 2012, 15:50 pm
Bellend gone.
De Villiers looking relieved.
Adele clearing her throat.
23 Jul 2012, 15:51 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-338: lol @ “adele”
23 Jul 2012, 15:52 pm
Yesssssssssssssss as Steyn gets Bell
23 Jul 2012, 15:53 pm
Rumour has it transie.
23 Jul 2012, 15:54 pm
@Transformation-334: They are so full of it at times, which I am especially enjoying the cricketing icons change of attitude within the last 2 days
@WP Till I Die-313: You left out the hair accessories for gents. Diamante encrusted clips, organic orange alice bands, black and white rekkies.
@TooMuchRugby-328: I agree with a lot of what you say re: a national psyche of backwardness
Dale,eye of the tiger my man, eye of the tiger!
23 Jul 2012, 15:55 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-332: This is true
23 Jul 2012, 15:56 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-342:
Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive…
So many times, it happens too fast,
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive…!
23 Jul 2012, 15:56 pm
@charo-331: And you are confusing Big Bay residents with visiting Sharks supporters. Full circle
23 Jul 2012, 15:58 pm
Is this tiger’s eye some sort of Vajazzle?
23 Jul 2012, 16:01 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-346: According to his Norwegian ex, it’s the wandering kind.
23 Jul 2012, 16:02 pm
Cheers Broady ya knobber.
23 Jul 2012, 16:03 pm
broad out!
23 Jul 2012, 16:04 pm
Steyn remover is on song this afternoon
23 Jul 2012, 16:04 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-346: So I take it you are now a believer? Dale is a believer
@WP Till I Die-344: This is eye of the tiger stuff we are seeing now.
23 Jul 2012, 16:05 pm
@>^..^< katman-347:
23 Jul 2012, 16:05 pm
Reds allowed easy offloads. Alister has obviously noticed that. Expect ball n all tackles from the Stormers.
Then the game becomes a) territorial, b) opportunistic, and c) a gain line slugfest.
Crusaders are praying for a Sharks win.
23 Jul 2012, 16:05 pm
Wow, Broady really looked guilty there.
23 Jul 2012, 16:07 pm
Steyn taken 4 so far in this innings, 5fer on the cards
23 Jul 2012, 16:07 pm
Broad certainly looks like a miserable cnt. Looks like he comes from family money too. Always good to see those ones slump back for ducks.
23 Jul 2012, 16:10 pm
@>^..^< katman-356:
He attended Oakham School – described by the Good Schools Guide as “a privileged but unpretentious and non-spoiling start in life for the lucky.”
23 Jul 2012, 16:11 pm
@>^..^< katman-356:
******* minor public schoolboys.
23 Jul 2012, 16:13 pm
@WP Till I Die-357: and Slough?
23 Jul 2012, 16:13 pm
@Transformation-334: He’s probably comparing his victory in the tour de France to his Olympic golds. They don’t quite register as high as this one. People are aloud to be happy when they win their life time dream you know!
23 Jul 2012, 16:15 pm
Yessssssss Steyn gets his 5th
23 Jul 2012, 16:16 pm
Cheers Swanny.
A Michelle for the Tigers Eye.
23 Jul 2012, 16:17 pm
@Transformation-359:
Slough Comprehensive?
23 Jul 2012, 16:17 pm
Swan’s goose is cooked, but not for a duck.
23 Jul 2012, 16:18 pm
@>^..^< katman-356: I felt sorry for Stewie once. When his dad was umpiring in Pakistan, and the Sri Lankans buses were attacked. His dad also came into the crossfire somehow. Can’t recall if he was injured or not. But for about 3 secs in 2009 (I think) I felt sorry for the twat (although he wasn’t quite as much of a twat back then – fame and adoration had not made the quite the impact it has made now…)
Another eye of the tiger. Daleyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
23 Jul 2012, 16:19 pm
@>^..^< katman-364: Now that’s pure poultry.
23 Jul 2012, 16:20 pm
Poms dressing room looking very sad :crying:
23 Jul 2012, 16:20 pm
@>^..^< katman-366:
A fowl effort.
23 Jul 2012, 16:21 pm
@HongKongSlong-360: no matem he was comparing it with OTHER tour de france wins, he mumbled something about his win “redeeming the sport” blah blah blah!
23 Jul 2012, 16:23 pm
@Transformation-359:
Slough Comprehensive = Eton College.
23 Jul 2012, 16:24 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-368:
23 Jul 2012, 16:25 pm
@WP Till I Die-370: mmhh…
23 Jul 2012, 16:26 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-363:
The Good Schools Guide calls Slough Comprehensive “the number one boys’ public school”, with “the teaching and facilities second to none”.
23 Jul 2012, 16:27 pm
@WP Till I Die-373:
Indeed?
23 Jul 2012, 16:27 pm
@Transformation-372:
You should ask gunther to crack out his black-and-turqouise tie and sing you the Eton Boating Song.
23 Jul 2012, 16:31 pm
The non-Pom cricketing icons in the icon central commentary losie are enjoying this, the subtle and toned down glee in their voices throughout has been a dead giveaway – they are trying hard not to sound smug.
23 Jul 2012, 16:33 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-376:
Warney has changed his tune.
He was predicting a Pom victory.
Probably trying to get into Hurley’s onnerpant.
23 Jul 2012, 16:35 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-377:
you like his new hairstyle??
23 Jul 2012, 16:37 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-377: Wouldn’t be the first.
23 Jul 2012, 16:39 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-376:
love it!
23 Jul 2012, 16:39 pm
@>^..^< katman-379: Or the Last,
23 Jul 2012, 16:40 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-377: hahahaha
23 Jul 2012, 16:41 pm
WOW – Journalistic brilliance – FORM will decide the Semi’s.
Would never have thought of that.
Genius – really
23 Jul 2012, 16:43 pm
@sharks_lover-378:
He looks like Biebers oupa.
With lipgloss.
23 Jul 2012, 16:44 pm
@cane-256:
I don’t dispute the fact that the Sharks’ traveling itinerary is atrocious, like that of the Saders last year
All I said is that the Newlands match may not be as detrimental for the Sharks who are young, resilient and fit, they can recover from the strain with 4 days of rest.
If they’ll have to fly again east on Sunday, they would be better off staying home
23 Jul 2012, 16:51 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-384:
23 Jul 2012, 16:56 pm
i’m getting sick of these 2, get them out!!!
23 Jul 2012, 16:57 pm
plumb yesssssssssssss
23 Jul 2012, 16:57 pm
Tahir gets a indian creeper in hehehe
23 Jul 2012, 16:58 pm
BOOM!
23 Jul 2012, 16:58 pm
Can’t believe they reviewed that, you don’t get more plumb than that.
23 Jul 2012, 16:58 pm
It’s all over now, baby blue.
23 Jul 2012, 17:00 pm
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
23 Jul 2012, 17:00 pm
Proteas take it by an innings & 12 run via a. Tahir flipper. England played like the old England
23 Jul 2012, 17:02 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-377: The Australian representative at icon central was heard to be laughing out loud at times
Just trying to keep his employers happy by singing England’s praises for the 1st 2 days (and pre test)
Oh man – this reallllllllllllllllllly is a GOOD win. A totally unexpected one if I must be honest, going into this series. Have you fellows chatted about our wicket keeping options from hereon in? AB will keep the gloves I reckon. I’m still not convinced though.
23 Jul 2012, 17:03 pm
Repeat of the Bulls showing on SS
23 Jul 2012, 17:07 pm
@Transformation-369:
Do you have a link to a website where he said that his victory is more significant or that he has redeem the sport? i would like to see what is his motivation for saying something like that as he certainly did not appear to be arrogant or full of himself during any of the interviews that I have seen. Maybe it has something to do with drugs as he and his team are very well known “non-dopers”.
23 Jul 2012, 17:07 pm
And so we take the lead?? what of boycotts prediction of us being whitewashed??
pretty rude awakening he got
23 Jul 2012, 17:08 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-395:
Strauss looks looks like a stunned mullet.
De Villiers will probably keep the gloves but I’m not convinced. In other circumstances that drop could have been costly.
Time will tell.
Would it be wrong to ease the cork on a bottle of the Widow Clicquot’s finest this evening?
23 Jul 2012, 17:10 pm
@viewer-396: We are celebrating and enjoying a dominant performance by SA’s sporting elite at the moment. Why on earth would I want to sour that with a replay of Spies showing all and sundry why one will never see his name and the words ‘dominant performance’ in the same sentence.
Pass.
23 Jul 2012, 17:10 pm
Prooooooooooteas!
23 Jul 2012, 17:11 pm
@viewer-396:
Fukkoff.
23 Jul 2012, 17:13 pm
@Robzim-397: i saw him on sky this morning as i was having my muesli, made my strawberry yoghurt taste sour!
23 Jul 2012, 17:14 pm
@Transformation-403:
23 Jul 2012, 17:15 pm
Bulls started well but lost the plot once the ‘saders pulled off a series of turnovers
23 Jul 2012, 17:16 pm
FuckYou Gunther
23 Jul 2012, 17:18 pm
@viewer-406:
23 Jul 2012, 17:18 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-399: The Veuve Clicquot sponsored polo team did not win the African Cup at Inanda yesterday…..
The Cintron sponsored team did and they be my connections – so it’s Cintron with a dash of Russian.
Strauss is floored.
Biff is humble……
Hashim is just Hashim – absolute gentleman and ambassador.
23 Jul 2012, 17:21 pm
@Transformation-403:
Why? Don’t you like his sideburns? He is a mod and that is part of the “uniform”- i reckon he is like a fresh breath of air in the world of cycling (or sport). Very much a non-conformist and phenomanal athlete if you have ever seen one.
23 Jul 2012, 17:25 pm
@Transformation-403:
I see many creatures on Sky News that make me want to spit out my muesli. Ministers, commoners, Lord and Ladies. It’s like watching Meerkat Manor – without the humour.
23 Jul 2012, 17:26 pm
Charlotte Hawkins makes my breath come in short pants.
23 Jul 2012, 17:27 pm
Old commentator grumpy really looks very grumpy
23 Jul 2012, 17:30 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-407:
I had to first go google who this Charlotte Hawkins was 
23 Jul 2012, 17:31 pm
@viewer-406: Oyyyi be nice now
23 Jul 2012, 17:33 pm
A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer.
His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.”
The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.”
23 Jul 2012, 17:35 pm
Sielkundige vra vir Gammat : Kyk jy vir jou vrou se gesig gedurende seks.
“Ek het eenkeer en sy het redelik de m0er in gelyk.”
“Hoe dan so?”
“Sy het by die venster ingeloer.”
23 Jul 2012, 17:36 pm
Gammat verdrink in ‘n wynvat op die plaas.
Regter vra of hy dadelik verdrink het.
Getuie, “Ny djou honor, hy’t 2 maal uitgeklim om te pee”.
23 Jul 2012, 17:37 pm
Here is a Cape Town joke
What do you call a *** man in Afrikaans?
‘n Windbuks – jy knak hom in die middel en laai hom van agter af…
23 Jul 2012, 17:40 pm
SA klap the rooineks at the oval and the Big Easy wins the the open in pommieland what a weekend for our sportsman,i hope the boks can win the series 3-0 and kick the poms off No 1 spot in the ICC rankings,and i hope the sharkeis klap the slaapstaders i will be a sharkie for two hours.
23 Jul 2012, 17:41 pm
@sharks_lover-418:
23 Jul 2012, 18:00 pm
@Robzim-420: hehehe Rob sorry bro i found that so funny
23 Jul 2012, 18:24 pm
Nice to see all the blou beneekde bloekombome putting all their pent up frustrated boude behind their sharkshit brethren for Saturday.. its nice … just the way we like it… let the 2 most proficient bok befokte powerhouses in the land stick together like broeders in samesmelding broeder in arms embrace and hope like hell Stormers don’t stuff their little pow wow party up in smoke …
It gonna be just smart when Stormers stuff these highly overrated piesangboertjies back into their plesierege oorde for some clear sighted posterior posterity…. gonna be just naaaice as the saying seems to be flowing about the last bastion of pernicious preciousness lately..
23 Jul 2012, 18:33 pm
@fitz1ella-422: Did your boyfriend use no lube last night or something ?
Why you come on here and straight away start tuning ? Or are you just socially retarded that way ?
23 Jul 2012, 18:40 pm
Go Cheifs
23 Jul 2012, 18:47 pm
Never in the history of Super 15 rugby have I ever seen an article praising a team for being good defenders. Never. I am embarrassed to be South African right now.
23 Jul 2012, 18:48 pm
@Dusky-423: go shack up with your flou blou balle boeties.. this is Stormers territory and in spite of all the flou blou benekde sentiment in favor of a sharshit overhaul at Newlands you better be praying that gonna be the case as all your flou blou bloekombene boeties are shoving all their flou blou boudjies behind you… seeing as they couldn’t do so for themselves now they amalgamate all their pent up bust up frustrations into a bullshark expose of bullsharkshit bravado…
23 Jul 2012, 18:54 pm
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-425: your fucknut hero built his entire rugby philosophy on defense wins games and all that ‘play without the ball’ kick chase garbage.. so when Jake the fucknut Fake was winning ugly through Eddy Jones taking his palsy little handy and leading him to his promised land by 5 penalties to 2.. where were you.. singing songs of hallelujah praise the messiah for playing defense first strategics in his quest to beat the 6th and 7th rank team for a pie in the sky victory.
If it weren’t for defense first.. Sharks would have lost to Reds on Saturday because Reds did 90% of the ball in hand attacking in the second half and ONLY by virtue of Sharks defensive efforts and some help via the TMO did Sharks actually beat a rudderless Reds team without a fly half in their arsenal.
23 Jul 2012, 18:56 pm
@fitz1ella-426: Boet – who except Sharks fans supported the Sharks in the 2011 Currie Cup final ? People like to see the giant fall.
So I cant speak for the reason the Bulls would prefer the Sharks in this encounter, but personally, I think the Sharks are up against it this weekend. Stormers should be firm favourites. Jetlag + Newlands……if I had to put sentimentality aside I would say the Stormers will win.
23 Jul 2012, 19:03 pm
Paint it any way you like my lowlife friend, the team that DOES NOT SCORE TRIES WILL NOT WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP.
23 Jul 2012, 19:06 pm
Win or lose this weekend – The positives the Sharks can take out of this season will be that they finally found a game plan that suites the team strengths. That, and the emergence of guys like Marcelle Coetzee and Paul Jordaan.
It’s quite clear that they have found an effective way to use players like Coetzee, Alberts and Bismark in cooperation with each other to create a lot of attacking opportunities.
The negatives is that they lost games they should have won. Early on they looked like they had no game plan, and lost games against the Bulls and Stormers that they could have won, and then of course the fiasco against the Lions. Had it not been for that, and had they still peaked late as they have – they could have been the ones playing a home semi this weekend and this would have placed them very positively to compete for the title.
I am afraid, with the traveling – it might be a bridge too many for them. If the Stormers win, I wish them all of the best. Whatever happens we will have a SA team in the final this year which is great. I have great respect for some of the WP/Stormers players that have remained so loyal over the years, and think it would be great to see them earn some silverware in their provincial colors.
Going to be a great game of rugby. I think it shows that SA rugby is alive and kicking !
23 Jul 2012, 19:09 pm
Ag no man Keo , ons twee kom mos al ‘n lang pad saam wat die stormers en WP betref. The Sharks had a good game against the reds yes. Now they have to travel back and than down to Cape Town. I don’t believe they will be fresh enough to beat the Stormers. We haven’t won one game with bonus points but we won , teams strugled to score tries against us. I think the Sharks in for a suprise. We will take this one but it’s going to be difficult against the Saders in the final.
But we have a point to prove this year. To long we been waiting for this , winning the Super Rugby trophy. This is the Stormers year. Have faith ekse
23 Jul 2012, 19:10 pm
@Dusky-428:
There is a favorable sentiment among the rugby following public here and generally through the country that Bulls and Sharks occupy the dictatorial top echelon of SA rugby and Stormers are the perennial bridesmaids in the movie..
go to the beginning of this years S15 kick off and read all the Bulls and Sharks supporters theories how Stormers would be mid table finishers and the 2 most proficient.. ‘deserving’ teams for the SA conference title and S15 finalists would come from either Sharks or Bulls..
Even the National coach agrees.. that why 40% Boks are Bulls and 50% Sharks and the remaining 10% split between a solitary Cheetahs and couple Stormers each…
Meanwhile if they studied the real form properly the Lions props deserve national call up as they shoved the Bok front row up its high profile arsehole.. at Ellis Park… and the Bulls never even came close to putting half a concerted effort into any kind of competitive assault on the S15 title…
So just for some clarity of justice sake I reckon Sharks deserve their overrated arses handed to them on a plate on Saturday… for a couple of reasons.. not just one.
23 Jul 2012, 19:16 pm
@Andre_WP-431: Dis eintlik n plesier dat Keo vir die Sharkshits stem.. ek is heeltemaal bly daaroor.. keo moet aanhou so om rook op daai swart/wit boude op te blaas.. Dis die beste situasie ooit dat Keo belowe dat Sharks die No.1 span op die oomblik in die land is.. dis vir my die beste oplossing vir n verassing wen die naweek.. Keo moet aanhou so dink.. sy rugby wyse is amper tot op niks teen die egte waarheid.
23 Jul 2012, 19:18 pm
@fitz1ella-432: So why would you care about that ?
Whether you believe me or not I wasn’t theorizing about the Stormers chances at the beginning of the season. Being completely honest I was just praying the Sharks dont end last and join the Cheetahs and Lions in the ‘Kings promotion’ discussion. That was all I hoped for – honest. I would NEVER have said the Sharks would play in a semi-final this year.
Were 50% of the Boks really Sharks ? I didn’t even notice that. I must say I was a little surprised that guys like Juan De Jongh and Gio Aplon didn’t get the initial Bok call up. I think I was just as surprised as you that Zane Kirchner was preferred at fullback, although he ended up doing a better job than the more fancied Pat Lambie. So – who knows what Heyneke is thinking.
Also remember that Schalk is injured (and I think Andries Bekker was too) – so Heyneke didn’t have a choice but to make do with what he had.
If Heyneke has any brains at all – he would not fall into the provincialism of favoritism trap. Coaches that do that have made the quickest exit when results turn against them.
Let’s see what happens on Saturday.
23 Jul 2012, 19:20 pm
Keo broke down so here is delayed message
Bulls lost against the run of play.
Congrats and ulations Crusaders.
23 Jul 2012, 19:23 pm
@fitz1ella-422: Are you saying hang him after 3 tests yes. or keep hanging him.
23 Jul 2012, 19:24 pm
@shooter-436: him = HiM. Heyneke Incorporated Mayor
23 Jul 2012, 19:26 pm
The Bulls were form team at halfway of the Comp.
WP injured.
Sharks lots of reserves.
Straus and odd Lions to play in upcoming championships.
You see. Lots to be happy about.
23 Jul 2012, 19:27 pm
@shooter-436: By contrast to De Villiers, I think Heyneke has the luxury of surveying a big armory, filled with a variety of very effective weapons of different strength and purpose.
Quite inexplicably South Africa has suddenly developed serious depth in the last year or two. Very good for the Bokke !
If Heyneke chooses right, I think the Boks have the guns to win the Rugby Championship this year.
23 Jul 2012, 19:32 pm
@Dusky-439: Yes I think he can compile a mean team a couple times over. Depends on where he is going. You don’t wait for 8 years and don’t have a plan. Especially if you had a clue when you started.
23 Jul 2012, 19:34 pm
@shooter-437:
So far his so called superior rugby ingenuity is a little way off smack
I mean a loose trio of Spies, Potgieter, Coetsee and Kanko.. is outright suicidal lunacy…
Front row with Kruger as next best tight head in the country.. and full backs Kirchner and Lambie with Olivier the next best No.12 shows he still got PLENTY distance to cover before he realizes what comprises decent rugby sense from provincial blindness…
HIM better wake up before the real show begins because the trailer vs England was only a little appetizer as to how the wind really gonna blow.
23 Jul 2012, 19:36 pm
Whoever is going to lose this weekend is going to have to take it on the chin.
We always knew this was going to happen.
Why has does have it become so bitter!>??!!>>>
cheers >
23 Jul 2012, 19:37 pm
@fitz1ella-441: HIM knows that. Believe it. He will choose a vastly different side. Check it coming.
23 Jul 2012, 19:40 pm
@fitz1ella-441: If you were Heyneke – which loose trio would you have selected ?
23 Jul 2012, 19:41 pm
@shooter-442: Nerves….
23 Jul 2012, 19:48 pm
Min werk gedoen weer vandag
23 Jul 2012, 19:52 pm
@Dusky-444: He would have played Vermeulen, Elstadt and Kolisi
23 Jul 2012, 19:54 pm
@Dusky-434:
Current Starting Boks team
Lambie (Sharks)
JPP ( Sharks)
JdV ( Stormers)
F. Steyn ( Sharks)
Habana (Stormers)
M. Steyn (Bulls)
Hougaard (Bulls)
Spies (Bulls)
Alberts (Sharks)
Coetsee (Sharks)
Bekker / Kruger ( Stormers / Bulls)
Etsebeth (Stormers)
JdP ( Sharks)
BdP (Sharks)
Beast (Sharks)
Strauss (Cheetahs), Kruger (Bulls), Vd Merwe (Bulls), Potgieter (Bulls), Kankowki (Sharks), Pienaar (Ulster), Kirchner (Bulls)
9 Sharks (8 starting) = 40 %
8 Bulls (4 starting) = 35 %
4 Stormers (3 / 4 starting) = 17 %
1 Cheetah = 4 %
1 Foreign = 4 %
Total 23 (starting No.5 Lock = Bekker or Kruger)
So by rights Bulls and Sharks should have cleaned up all the opposition in the S15 they after all occupy the dominant 75 % of the Springbok team.
23 Jul 2012, 20:07 pm
@sharks_lover-447:
I would have played Vermeulen, Alberts and probably Brussow, with Coetsee or Kolisi off bench.
Vermeulen was injured but Potgieter and Spies and Kanko would not have made my Bok team ahead of Elstadt, Kolisi and Brussow.
I’m still in 2 minds about whether Elstadt should go to 4 or stay at 7..
The same way Sharks played Alberts at 4, Elstadt can fill either role.. and in Boks perhaps he should go to 4 and leave Alberts at 7.. that way you get the best of both enforcers along with Vermeulen and Bismark all combined…
They will eat AB’s for after dinner crunchies.. not with Kanko and Potgieter and Spies playing Tarzan swings on his trapeze like a pirouette dance.
Previous week with Alberts and Bismark off for Sharks and Brussow on for Cheetahs, Kanko and Coetsee were absolutely nowhere .. only once Brussow went off and Bismark and Alberts came on did anyone notice Coetsee and Kanko step up…
Same with international rugby… Alberts and Bismark with some steel in an enforcer like Elstadt and Kolisi is required.. all the flash harry’s like Kanko, Coetsee, Potgieter and Spies are nothing without the hard graft and steel of the real tough nuts in the tight / loose.
23 Jul 2012, 21:10 pm
This was a tweet by someone a little earlier today “If there’s no Sharks team in heaven, I’m not going!”
23 Jul 2012, 21:23 pm
Here is a Peter De Villers quote just after the world cup i found on an Aussie web site.
Quote of the tournament: Who else but former Springboks coach Peter de Villiers. ”I’m Peter de Villiers. I don’t want to be Hamlet. I make up my own life values and live by them.” Snubbed after a failed World Cup campaign, de Villiers said: ”You can’t go out there and trust people; you can’t even trust your own family.” Cuckoo. Cuckoo
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/super-stars-and-villains-20120722-22i65.html#ixzz21TWHMeqh
23 Jul 2012, 21:44 pm
greg growden is scraping the barrel, in what capacity was pdv part of the super rugby tournament? hehehe they miss dippy.
they must vreet kak, they’re not involved in the semis! thre of their teams make up the bottom pile.
23 Jul 2012, 21:48 pm
sheesh, i am watching the sharks reds game finally.
this first half is so one sided its terrifying.
if you arent a sharks fan
no wonder there is a bit of stormers squealing haha, hows the offloads????
i dont think i have seen a better first half performance from the sharks in years.
23 Jul 2012, 22:05 pm
What’s the new word here again?
Naaaaaice
23 Jul 2012, 22:11 pm
@Dawn-454: thats it.
it naaice.
23 Jul 2012, 22:12 pm
Who will contest the Super Rugby final on August 4?
Choice Stats
Stormers vs Chiefs
33%
Stormers vs Crusaders
24%
Chiefs vs Sharks
21%
Crusaders vs Sharks
22%
23 Jul 2012, 22:20 pm
@sharks_lover-450:
Maybe the Sharks team landed up in the hot place!
A naaice little bullsharks gathering.
23 Jul 2012, 22:29 pm
Naaice
23 Jul 2012, 23:00 pm
This is what I think all Sharks supporters should try.
At least once in their lifetime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOxPc4PTcDM&feature=player_detailpage
23 Jul 2012, 23:25 pm
I have this sneaky feeling, Stormers will ambush Sharks at Newlands this weekend. They, the Stormers, have the game to put the heat on the Sharks at the set piece, then frustrate them at the breakdown, couple that with their excellent one on one tackling, this game could turn into one almighty arm wrestle.If this was to happen, I would expect the Stormers to come out on top.
Then again the try scoring ability of the Sharks through their clever handling and off-load skills could see them blow the Stormers away. Oh my sneaky feelings are starting to turn towards the Sharks, so in conclusion I don’t have a clue who will come out on top in this game, only that its going to be a cracker. Go the CHIEFS………..
23 Jul 2012, 23:31 pm
The keo kiss of death – sainara the curse has been cast.
Tears dry on their own – Amy winehouse
23 Jul 2012, 23:38 pm
@Te Rangatira-460:
There’s been a lot said by the Sharks supporters on this illustrious and highly esteemed forum. That suits me fine. The Stormers know what has to be done. And they will prepare for this game with the same mindset as all the others. What frustrates us Stormers supporters is that we all know they CAN score tries – it is either poor finishing, white line fever, crucial mistakes. Backed up by a very solid defence.
But the Sharks bring an attacking flair to the table. So it’s going to be a match of 2 contrasting styles. The Sharks flair vs the Stormers defence. And in the big games we all know that defence wins matches.
But I’m not going to put the house on it.
23 Jul 2012, 23:45 pm
@IAAS-462: a great deal has been said by Stompie fans too.
What the fans say has no impact on the teams. Trust me on this one.
What matters is only that which takes place between the 4 white lines and the first and final thweeeeet of the ref’s whistle.
So say what you want, the Sharks team won’t be taking any notice
23 Jul 2012, 23:46 pm
@IAAS-462:
I’ve said on this site that I am a fan of the type of game the Stormers play. I don’t see it as dour rugby but as tough and uncompromising. At this stage of the competition does not matter if you score a million tries or none at all, its the winning that counts and the record the Stormers have put up this year with only two losses holds them in fine stead to come away with the victory. Going to be very tough though, but they can do it.
23 Jul 2012, 23:48 pm
@wooden spoon-463:
The Sharks supporters have been claiming the higher ground for the last 2 days after Saturday’s glorious win against all odds. You included.
And I’m fine with that.
23 Jul 2012, 23:51 pm
@IAAS-465: what’s wrong, do you feel the “top” team should be receiving more attention? Feel as though the Sharks have stolen some of your team’s thunder?
The way the Sharks have recently dismantled the Stormers, Bulls, Cheetahs and Reds, that was inevitable.
Chin up though. As I said, it really matters nought what the fans say.
So throw yourself in. Say something wild.
23 Jul 2012, 23:52 pm
@Te Rangatira-464:
From your lips to god’s ears, mate.
I’d love the Chiefs to play in Cape Town particularly after the two have have been the leading contenders for the majority of this comp.
It is only right.
23 Jul 2012, 23:54 pm
Yep, I’d love a Chiefs vs Sharks final.
23 Jul 2012, 23:55 pm
@IAAS-467: lol, could it be more because you’d prefer to dodge the Cape Town favourite Crusaders?….
23 Jul 2012, 23:57 pm
@IAAS-467:
The Sharks are AWESOME.
All Sharkievarkie supporters are AWESOME.
BOOM.
It’s naaice.
23 Jul 2012, 23:59 pm
@wooden spoon-468:
Yep, would love that to happen…..will stay off the pisss for the week before in anticipation for one big binge, Blues style.
24 Jul 2012, 00:02 am
@wooden spoon-469:
All of them will look at the scoreboard with 10 minutes to go and will peel off the Crusaders blouse over their massive beer gut to reveal a spanking new Stormers jersey. With the price tag still on.
24 Jul 2012, 00:02 am
@Te Rangatira-471:
Oh that came out wrong….don’t want to put the mocker on the Chiefs….please omit the “Blues”
24 Jul 2012, 00:08 am
@wooden spoon-466:
post #470 was for you. Had to it post twice.
I’ll slow down a bit, keo. Are we too fast for you?
24 Jul 2012, 04:04 am
Te Rangatira:” Stormers will ambush Sharks at Newlands this weekend. They, the Stormers, have the game to put the heat on the Sharks at the set piece, then frustrate them at the breakdown, couple that with their excellent one on one tackling, this game could turn into one almighty arm wrestle.If this was to happen, I would expect the Stormers to come out on top.”
Spot-on…the more tired Sharks legs will also have an impact…
24 Jul 2012, 05:31 am
Travel, no travel the Stormers at home will be to tough for the Sharks.
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