Gruelling travel may bring Sharks down
23 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the Sharks have found form late in the competition but it is their early season failures that could prevent them from lifting their first Super Rugby title.
Saturday’s performance against the Reds was astounding. Against significant odds, the Sharks put together their best performance of the season.
They played with confidence, power, precision, and above all else, intelligence. It didn’t matter that this game was played in Brisbane or that the Sharks were missing two key players, they showed their quality in producing their best display when it mattered most.
If there is such a thing as total rugby, both the Sharks and Crusaders produced it last Saturday. But while the latter will have found due course for celebration, the former should realise that the competition is about to get a lot tougher, and that luck is certainly not on their side.
The Stormers have been accused of being lucky this season, although in a competition as long and demanding as Super Rugby, you don’t win 14 out of 16 games by luck.
You don’t win three out of four games Down Under, and seven out of eight inter-conference matches by chance. Away victories in Brisbane, Pretoria, Dunedin… well you get the picture.
In fact, the Cape side will be quick to argue the contrary. It’s felt within the Stormers camp that they may have scored more tries during the league if luck had gone their way. Indeed, they may have turned in better showings had they not been hampered by so many injuries, and if their first-choice back row had been available.
But no team finishes the Super Rugby league in first position by dumb luck. The Stormers have earned a home semi-final, and will enjoy all the advantages of playing a knockout match at Newlands. The Sharks, who have at times played the better rugby but have not been as consistent in terms of league results, will be up against it.
While they are traditionally stronger in this fixture at Kings Park, the Sharks haven’t beaten the Stormers at Newlands since 2009. On the back of that sensational performance against the Reds, you should believe they’re capable of breaking a three-year drought, but for one small detail.
After flying to Australia last week, they will fly back to South Africa to face the Stormers. That’s a 22 000km round trip in the space of a week.
The travel will surely take its toll. It should also be remembered that the Stormers have been resting up in Cape Town for the past week, having earned a bye by finishing the league in the top two. They will be the fresher outfit when the two teams take the field this Saturday.
A victory in Cape Town is not impossible for the Sharks, especially given the Stormers’ injury situation and the fact that they lost last year’s semi-final against the Crusaders.
The Cantabrians proved it possible to fly halfway across the world and still win crunch matches, and the Sharks should draw inspiration from that achievement. But can the Sharks keep producing performances like they did in Brisbane? Can they really maintain that intensity?
There has to be some doubt in this regard. Even if they beat the Stormers this week, they will travel back Down Under to face one of the Chiefs or Crusaders in a final.
The Reds were outstanding in the 2011 final and deserved to win, but it was evident that the Crusaders were not as sharp as usual and that the extensive travel had finally caught up with them.
It would make for an incredible story if the Sharks went all the way, but if they don’t, then they will reflect on their earlier failures as reasons for yet another near miss.
As the history of this competition will confirm, home advantage is crucial in the play-offs. The Sharks underachieved in the league stage of the 2011 season, and were forced to travel to Christchurch for a play-off as a result. They’ve produced a mixed bag once again in 2012, and while they’ve done enough to progress to the semi-finals, they haven’t done enough to avoid the great detractor of travel fatigue.
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104 Comments
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23 Jul 2012, 07:56 am
@CoachPete-49: NO boet we not kiwi’s so we will not be afforded the same excuses
23 Jul 2012, 07:57 am
@Te Rangatira-50:
build up a little nest egg is always a good idea.
salaries are better in oz.
what line of work is your wife in?
23 Jul 2012, 07:58 am
@sharks_lover-51:
Ok fair enough
23 Jul 2012, 07:59 am
Poppa – you have mentioned it a few times now. I am calling you out. You have said the Crusaders last year travelled more than the Sharks.
How, please?
They flew from Christchurch to Cape Town and then to Brisbane and LOST!
The Sharks have flown from Durban to Brisbane to Cape Town. It would seem the slate is even at this stage.
i.e. each team will have done a round trip to/from Australasia and SA.
And the Crusaders lost yet are saying it is a “cop out”…… don’t make me larf.
23 Jul 2012, 08:01 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-52:
You are right, shes in Corrections, gets paid ok here but can earn alot more in Oz, only thing she wants to do something different if she goes over there.
23 Jul 2012, 08:02 am
Sport24News ?@Sport24news
Cooper tweets his anger at ban: Water boy duties have not helped Reds playmaker Quade Cooper cool down over his Sup… http://n24.cm/NqYYZY
The Reds okes are crying like no other, excuses are flying on aussie blogs etc
23 Jul 2012, 08:04 am
@Te Rangatira-55:
Go over and take a chance.
I think working in corrections can be very taxing
I am just sick of feckin engineers
I need a change,thats all.
23 Jul 2012, 08:04 am
Ok not willing to call a winner in this game, but prefer Sharks to make their way to Hamilton.
23 Jul 2012, 08:05 am
@sharks_lover-56:
Hey just to let you know I am not so confident of us winning
We should win but if we play as badly as we did against the rebels and you guys put together another decent hard game Sharks could win
23 Jul 2012, 08:06 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-57:
Thanks for the encouragement Fernly.
23 Jul 2012, 08:07 am
@CoachPete-59:
But then travelling back to NZ again may be way too much
23 Jul 2012, 08:08 am
@Te Rangatira-60:
I believe anyone can do for a living what they are passionate about.
If you stay in Sydney atleast Brisvegas is not far away.
23 Jul 2012, 08:08 am
@Te Rangatira-58:
Yeah me too much like Chiefs saders game too close there too
23 Jul 2012, 08:10 am
@CoachPete-59: Same here boet, I think Stormers should win as its now playoffs and they well rested, but yeah while there is breath there is hope, for me if we lose i’ll still be happy with what we have achieved etc, Aftewr we started injury thumped in the first 10 weeks?? I think we have come back well
23 Jul 2012, 08:11 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-62:
Yep….so many Kiwis over there, but I will miss my culture and family…..big decisions ahead.
23 Jul 2012, 08:12 am
Here is some vintage Ernie Els.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fU4SpCnJ4v8
23 Jul 2012, 08:12 am
The history of this competition suggests that the Stormers, the home team, should win.
They are clear favourites.
But it cannot be said that an upset from the Sharks is completely impossible. They will have a chance, but I expect tired legs to tell from about minute 60.
23 Jul 2012, 08:13 am
@Te Rangatira-65:
atleast you can fly back home for a weekend,it is not that far.
23 Jul 2012, 08:14 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-66:
I have been watching the US news here ESPN etc and they are full of praise for Ernie They just think he is a great person and very happy for his win
23 Jul 2012, 08:15 am
WS. the saders travelled over 100 000 kms all season. have the sharks travelled that distance this season?
23 Jul 2012, 08:15 am
@wooden spoon-67:
Yeah i agree with that But should be a good game
23 Jul 2012, 08:15 am
@CoachPete-69:
Me and Ernie are pretty much cut from the same cloth.
23 Jul 2012, 08:16 am
@William Webb Ellis is now at home-70:
They swum it
23 Jul 2012, 08:17 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-72:
I tell you they have put Tiger aside tonight and all praise for Ernie
Its good to hear
23 Jul 2012, 08:18 am
Like i told someone yesterday on another thread, here are the weekends refs
Joubert, Walsh to ref semis: SANZAR has announced the referee appointments for this weekends Super Rugby semi-final… http://n24.cm/NLfDWK
23 Jul 2012, 08:19 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-68:
Yeah you are right again, but its not the same, prefer to live and breath amongst my people,you will know what I mean.Spent some of my time this weekend gone at my Marae with nearly everyone speaking Maori, those are the things that excite me.
23 Jul 2012, 08:19 am
@CoachPete-74:
I love it when it is a major and they ignore the south africans and focus on the yanks like they did with the goose.
gobsmacked when he won.
23 Jul 2012, 08:20 am
@CoachPete-73:
23 Jul 2012, 08:21 am
@Te Rangatira-76:
I know exactly what you mean
Spent a month in Eire with a saffa but it is not the same.
I get homesick after 3 weeks
23 Jul 2012, 08:21 am
and a 2nd Saffa there too Aiken I think
23 Jul 2012, 08:23 am
@Te Rangatira-76:
you speak 2 languages?
very rare for a kiwi
i could not wrap my head around the idea that most people can only speak one language when i was over there.
23 Jul 2012, 08:23 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-77:
Yes true but tonight they are all smiling with Ernie and saying it could not have happened to a better guy
They are still trying to figure out what “doos” means when Ernie had a outburst at earlier tournament
23 Jul 2012, 08:25 am
@CoachPete-82: the big easy is a fine SA, have always enjoyed watching him play, wish i could replicate his swing..
23 Jul 2012, 08:27 am
@William Webb Ellis is now at home-83:
Yeah true
Ok bed time
Go Stormers !!!!!!!!!!
23 Jul 2012, 08:28 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-81:
Maori is a spoken language, loses the full effect when its put to paper.My wife is a better speaker of Te Reo than me, but I do alright.
23 Jul 2012, 08:34 am
@Te Rangatira-85:
I am fluent in maori.
Kia ora
Hare mai wahine hin egh[sic]
23 Jul 2012, 08:52 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-86:
You smaak him or what.
23 Jul 2012, 09:01 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-86:
Ka pai Fernly.
23 Jul 2012, 09:22 am
Fernley
Me and Ernie are pretty much cat from the same cloth.
Beaut.
That’s the post of the year right there.
23 Jul 2012, 09:36 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-89:
23 Jul 2012, 09:46 am
sharks definitely the form SA team at the business end of the comp. Some really convincing wins over reds and bulls have confirmed they are one of the best teams in the comp when at their best.
but it would be a travesty if they beat the stormers this weekend, for it would rob SA of hosting a final and being competitive. even if they manage to rise once more and beat the stormers, there is no way they can then fly all the way to NZ and win a final. so i hope they play well, and give the stormers a great warmup for the final. but for the sake of an SA team winning this comp, I hope the stormers beat the sharks and host the final.
23 Jul 2012, 10:25 am
@wooden spoon-54: I think what Poppa is referring to is the fact that the Saders never played a single home game last season due to the earthquakes. Surely you must recall the match between the two sides, Sharks and Crusaders at Twickenham. So yes, I agree with Poppa, the Crusaders would have travelled the most of all the teams in last years competition.
23 Jul 2012, 12:20 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-72: That would be Ernie from Sesame St, of course.
23 Jul 2012, 13:21 pm
@stormer in a teacup-93:
Or Ernie, who drove the fastest milkcart in the west.
23 Jul 2012, 13:25 pm
@cane-94: Actually my mental image of Fern Is very compatible with that comment.
23 Jul 2012, 13:27 pm
Is this site now powered by Eskom? My one comment every 15 minutes has the site on the verge of crashing apparently.
23 Jul 2012, 13:31 pm
@stormer in a teacup-95:
Ernie was a most gracious and humble winner Stormer.
SA should be very proud of his achievement.
If Tiger had taken up badminton,
instead of golf,
Ernie would now have 6 Majors to his credit.
4 or 6 WTF………………………………….great man, great golfer.
8)
23 Jul 2012, 13:36 pm
@stormer in a teacup-96:
I thought perhaps the fault was with my PC.
“You are posting comments too quickly you Kiwi priick, Slow down”.
8)
23 Jul 2012, 13:38 pm
Hey……………………………………………………my 8, followed by a ), smilies no longer work.
Is nothing sacred anymore.
23 Jul 2012, 13:44 pm
8:
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