Sharks have blueprint to beat Stormers
23 Jul 2012
RYAN VREDE writes the Sharks are one of the few sides that exhibit the capacity to ask telling questions of the Stormers.
The magnitude of the occasion and the odds the Sharks overcame undoubtedly made their victory over the Reds at the weekend the best of their campaign. However, their path to the quarter-final was marked by some excellent showings, none more so than the 25-20 defeat of the Stormers at Kings Park in May.
The scoreline suggests a close encounter, but the Sharks were completely dominant for much of it, with the most notable feature of the performance the sustained accuracy in execution of key aspects of their game plan. Few sides have been able to trouble the Stormers defensively in the manner the Sharks did, and only the Rebels have also scored three tries against the Cape side in their league-phase matches.
The potency of their attack then will be a source of inspiration ahead of Saturday’s semi-final. Their launch platform was established through an industrious and physical gainline onslaught. Willem Alberts was prominent and effective with ball in hand, named Man of the Match for his unfailing ability to get over the advantage line. Their charge in this regard was amplified by the efforts of Bismarck du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira and Marcell Coetzee, among others.
Of particular interest will be to see whether Alberts is restored to the back row after the Sharks were forced to deploy him at lock in Brisbane. He excelled in the position in the aforementioned match and the one many respected rugby men, including Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, feel he is best suited to. The Sharks, however, may be reluctant to tamper with their back row after the trio’s showing against the Reds. But with the Stormers demanding a more direct approach than the one they implemented against the Reds, Alberts may well be named at blindside flank, with either Coetzee or Ryan Kankowski dropping to the bench.
The Sharks’ excellence in the Durban showdown extended to their defensive resolve and, most pertinently, their discipline in that facet of play. The Stormers have engineered their ascent to the semi-finals primarily through pressure-creating phase play, with their goal-kickers then building their lead through penalties from the infringements they’ve forced. The Sharks cut them off at the source and indeed also managed to restrict them in the first meeting at Newlands, won 15-12 by the Stormers thanks to a 78th minute Peter Grant penalty.
Taxing travel and their almighty physical effort against the Reds means fatigue will be the Sharks’ biggest obstacle in their bid to replicate their success against the Stormers. There is no question they have the personnel and tactical intelligence. Whether they can rouse themselves to recapture the elements that facilitated their previous victory remains to be seen.
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125 Comments
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23 Jul 2012, 10:20 am
@Transformation-97:
Indeed.
Morkel, Steyn and Philanderer all got more juice in that final session than the Poms got in the entire match.
Another emotional scarring for the poms.
They are going to be traumatised.
I mean Pooper traumatised.
23 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
@race of tan-86: yes the IRANZ influence at the Sharks has seem them add an extra offloading dimension no SA team has ever had, with players running off the shoulder and into space – even BEAST was looking to offload
in the 1st 20min charl mcleod produced some of the best rugby i’ve ever seen him play, his service was zippy and pin-point – no two steps before the pass!
a rampamt sharks team is a dangerous one
23 Jul 2012, 10:29 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-99: i love Marc Jacobs’ “BANG” fragrance…
but BOOM is the shiznit
23 Jul 2012, 10:30 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-100: You have to admit my ‘eye of the tiger glaring’ at Dale Steyn was the spark that ignited it all
And once Nasser starts whinging and raising his little voice, you know it’s red rover red rover, the fight is but over
23 Jul 2012, 10:31 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-101:
@ “pooper traumz”
23 Jul 2012, 10:32 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-104:
Indeeed.
You tiger’s eye must be a fearsome thing.
23 Jul 2012, 10:37 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-106: It is
Ask Dale. This test has turned out wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than I expected, in fact – even in my best case scenarios, this was not part of the script.
It has however lived up to all the hype and big talk (it’s just the wrong team who be having it at the moment…lurv it)
23 Jul 2012, 10:39 am
Speaking of Pooper traumatised…
Bumble seemed to be taken off the commentating team mid-afternoon.
I think he had to be sedated.
Beefy was strangely subdued too.
23 Jul 2012, 10:42 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-107:
I cant believe a sheila who loves cricket so much.
I think I’m in love.
If you turn out to be a bloke this s.hit is going to make the Crying Game look like a bedtime story.
23 Jul 2012, 10:45 am
Pathetic.
23 Jul 2012, 10:50 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-108: Bumble was more concerned about his “fantasy team” than what was happening in front of him, shane warne was killing himself with laughter!
23 Jul 2012, 10:53 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-107:
Tell him what my bb status pic is.
23 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-109: No, that’s not a gun in my elegantly cut jean pants…..
Must be honest though – Test cricket is my thang. I enjoy the bubblegum versions, but the 5 day battle is my one true love.
@Dawn-110: ^5 Sister. When are we going to Canalla Walk for a lunch?
23 Jul 2012, 10:56 am
@Dawn-112: It is HASHIM THE GREAT
Nice pic of him actually.
23 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
@Dawn-112:
how does she know???
@Transformation-111:
poor Bumble.
He’s there for aother people to laugh at and he’s the only one who isn’t in on the joke.
23 Jul 2012, 12:01 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-113:
So you didn’t change your nic.
Your nic thief was quiet abussive last night especially to our Northern Cape friend.
23 Jul 2012, 12:12 pm
@Jeraldjay-116: I saw that. Bloody morons. Best of all, I saw ONE fake me, fighting with ANOTHER fake me…Alice in Wonderland se moer
I will have to inform Nama1 when I see him online.
23 Jul 2012, 12:18 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-117:
Yesterday was a great day in SA sport, so I thought I could post my well wishes to all concerned, but then ran into all these juvenile imposters.
23 Jul 2012, 12:22 pm
@Jeraldjay-118: Yesterday was indeed a CELEBRATION of Saffa success
I don’t think there was a Saffa anywhere in the world who didn’t fall asleep smiling.
Now if Bopara and Bell can just fall quickly, I will be smiling again.
(It does seem as though this nic stealing is an old thing, as Transformation was telling me about it earlier. Really pathetic!)
23 Jul 2012, 17:40 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-115:
What did you make of AB’s performance with the gloves?
5 catches in the first innings. Not bad?
23 Jul 2012, 21:33 pm
Stormers have won 13/16 local derbies in the last 2 Super 15 seasons,give these guys the credit they deserve……….14/17 come Saturday
23 Jul 2012, 22:19 pm
Willie
What did you make of his straightforward drop?
In other circumstances that might have been very costly indeed no?
23 Jul 2012, 22:33 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-122:
I didn’t watch as much cricket as I would’ve liked – been out of town mostly.
In going with AB, they went with experience – they knew what they were getting. Plus they could go with another batter. And JP got the nod – particularly as he can turn his arm a bit and give the other bowlers a rest.
They won’t tinker with a winning combo now imo.
23 Jul 2012, 23:09 pm
Probably not.
Two things must be remembered.
England is a very tricky place to keep wicket.
AB has a very dodgy back.
23 Jul 2012, 23:20 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-124:
I don’t see AB as a long term solution as keeper. They will ease Tsolokile(sic) in at some stage. Maybe if we go 2 up in this series.
AB wants to be the no.1 batter in the world – no matter what he says about being the no. 1 wicketkeeper – that is just a smokescreen. He wants the no.4 batting slot once Jakes calls it a day. That’s the way I see it going anyway.
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