Sharks tops in Newlands streetfight
28 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the Sharks were tactically and physically superior in their epic 26-19 semi-final win over the Stormers on Saturday.
The result means that the Sharks will battle the Chiefs for the Super Rugby title next Saturday.
The Sharks will journey to Australasia for the decider, but on the back of a spirited showing in the semi-final, you wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Keegan Daniel lifting that coveted trophy.
They’ve have shown themselves to be the side for the big occasion in 2012, winning the crunch league match against the Bulls in Durban and then smashing the Reds in Brisbane in the qualifying play-off.
They were deserved winners in Saturday’s semi-final, and again it was the way they finished that proved decisive to the outcome. They absorbed a tremendous amount of pressure, picked their moment, and then Daniel made the turnover that killed the contest.
That is not to say that there was anything wrong with the way they started. There was always a danger that the Sharks would run out of puff in the final quarter, and so they needed to put the Stormers under pressure from the outset.
There were some moments when it seemed as if the Stormers would get on top. Lock Eben Etzebeth bulldozed Bismarck du Plessis early in the piece, and for a few seconds the Springbok hooker looked a punch-drunk boxer, teetering and swaying, and many would have anticipated a plunge to the proverbial canvas.
But like his team, Du Plessis not only recovered from the early knock, but soldiered on powerfully. The backlash was quite a thing to behold.
Those who had come to Newlands expecting a clash of styles must have been bitterly disappointed. The Sharks played clinical, smart rugby.
Just as their physicality at the collisions and power at the scrums were highlights, their halfbacks used that possession expertly to force the Stormers into costly errors.
Charl McLeod was on target with his box kicks, and Freddie Michalak produced a virtuoso performance from the flyhalf position. The Stormers battled to deal with the aerial bombardment, dropping a number of high balls or in some cases completely misjudging the garrowen.
A late change to the Sharks’ line-up saw Riaan Viljoen starting at fullback, and his cannon of a boot was expertly utilised. The Sharks had troubled the Stormers for much of the first half, but it was Viljoen’s mortar bomb that allowed the visitors to strike a telling blow. Viljoen put the ball up and Louis Ludik beat Stormers fullback Joe Pietersen in the air, and evaded the cover defence to score.
Michalak kicked the conversion to stretch the Sharks’ lead to 10 points. Peter Grant managed to narrow the deficit right before half-time to leave his side trailing by seven, but the Stormers would have been bitterly disappointed with that first-half return. They had enjoyed numerous visits to the opposition’s 22, but shocking handling and decision making had let the Sharks off the hook.
Some may call it a choke, but the Stormers never got themselves into a position to win this match. They failed to take their opportunities early in the game, and then were forced to play catch-up rugby in the second half.
The Sharks changed tack in the third quarter, keeping it close and striving to build on their seven-point lead.
After sending two drop-goal attempts wide, Michalak nailed a penalty. Grant answered with one at the other end, but it was the Sharks who had the better of territory during this period and made the most of another key opportunity, with JP Pietersen scoring on the hour.
At 23-9 the game looked to be over, but as anticipated, the Sharks started to feel the negative effects of travel. The Stormers took advantage, with Gio Aplon crossing the tryline in the 67th minute.
Grant goaled a further penalty to make it a four-point ball game, but it was here that the Sharks showed their defensive mettle. For the Stormers, it was a period where they showcased their attacking impotence, and lack of composure.
The Stormers were well placed in the opposition 22 but their attack was too lateral. And the Sharks never panicked.
They maintained their discipline on defence, and again, when the big opportunity arrived, they took it.
This time it was the captain who made the big play: a breakdown steal that won the game. The Sharks counter-rucked and Daniel latched onto the ball, wrenching it away and hacking it into the crowd.
898 Comments
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29 Jul 2012, 12:11 pm
@Puma-849: It matters not where he lives boet, Walsh is a Kiwi
I can tell you now the ref will be Joubert or Walsh
29 Jul 2012, 12:12 pm
I didn’t read any of the comments, don’t quite feel up to reading Heavin’s Game yet.
But in any case, well played Sharkies, you deserved your win. Go get the Chiefs!!
For the Stormers, well played, just wasn’t quite enough. Hard to put the finger on exactly what the problem was. Some key mistakes at key moments placed themselves under pressure, like dropping some high balls. The Sharks try from the kicks was also of course a key moment.
Well, I still think there is a bright future the Stormers, they are getting better, and the young pack should only get stronger in the future.
29 Jul 2012, 12:14 pm
@sharks_lover-851: For sure. He still is a kiwi but think he will be better than Keith Brown. Also not so sure about us getting Craig. Sometimes a saffa ref goes overboard with the (not trying to be too biased) and it can also cost us.
Who else is there though?
29 Jul 2012, 12:16 pm
@wpjoulekkading-852: Thanks bud. Your team has plenty respect from all of us. They topped the conference too.
29 Jul 2012, 12:17 pm
@Puma-854:
Morning Puma,
Congratulations to your team, they proved me wrong on superBru!!
How is your head this morning??
29 Jul 2012, 12:19 pm
@sharks_lover-851:
Morning Sharkie
Hope you are smiling from ear to ear too!
29 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@Puma-853: Peyper? :Lawrence?
oh hell no
29 Jul 2012, 12:31 pm
@carol-856: Good Mornikng Carol hun you well?? And yeah still letting it sink in, was a brilliant match, although a lot of Stormers supporters are pretty angry with their team?? i reckon they should be proud of their team, they gave it their all, Both teams defenses were huge, and of course 1 or 2 mistakes were made
29 Jul 2012, 12:38 pm
@sharks_lover-858:
All good here, I have just been speed reading yesterdays chats.
You Sharkies sure know how to enjoy a victory!!
29 Jul 2012, 12:39 pm
Thank goodness this place seems fixed again, I got nowhere last night.
29 Jul 2012, 12:40 pm
844 but Puma if it were nor for the conference system tge sharks would not be in the final – they finished 6th.
29 Jul 2012, 12:41 pm
Spooner are you off on your travels again?
If so have a great time…remember one thing.
If South Africa ever need a contender in the Gloater of the Year you are the man for the job!!
Take care and have fun.
29 Jul 2012, 12:45 pm
@carol-855: haha. Morning Carol.
My head hurt like hell when I woke up, but it was all for a good cause…….
How you doing? I throughly enjoyed the opening ceremony of the olympics. Well done Great Britain. It must have been the best ever.
29 Jul 2012, 12:48 pm
@Puma-863:
The bad head might have take your mind off your bad knees!!
Ther ceremony was really quite mad in places……..I thought half the world would be completley baffled!! You have been here and would understand some of ‘it’!
We are pretty happy with it all though!
29 Jul 2012, 12:49 pm
@Puma-863:
Catch you later
29 Jul 2012, 12:53 pm
@carol-865: Cheers Carol.
I am out of here too.
29 Jul 2012, 12:54 pm
@carol-864: I have been there so many times and yes understood it. Was a great ceremony. You should be proud.
Okay now out of here. Back later.
29 Jul 2012, 13:03 pm
@carol-864:
GBR is putting on a great show Carol.
Queenie, the corgi’s and Mr Bond,
Mr Bean,
The Who.
The Rings.
Smokestacks,
Hobbiton,
The cauldron of 200 flames.
Venues also perfect.
Road cycling just wonderful to watch.
Rowing………………..great venue.
29 Jul 2012, 13:05 pm
@carol-864: It was a great ceremony, very cool and the UK should be very very proud
29 Jul 2012, 13:06 pm
@cane-868: I liked the creepy black things scaring the kids of Great Ormond Street Hospital. I guess that’s what you get for bouncing on your bed.
29 Jul 2012, 13:10 pm
@>^..^< katman-870: Ha ha I see that the conspiracy theorists are saying that the creepy things are Illuminati symbols… whattwaddle
29 Jul 2012, 13:11 pm
@Heavens Game-748:
dejong can’t frikken pass…why would anyone want him at 12. And then when you add into the equation that he will physically be dominated by, in all likelyhood, a bigger opposing 12 with even better skills…..
I ask what is this oke doing in a s12 squad? Outside center or wing,maybe, for me. He has pace and a step, but only off the left leg so that initself becomes one dymentional in my opinion.
29 Jul 2012, 13:12 pm
The question now is, how wrong was Meyer in not selecting some of these Cape Town showponies………
Well done Sharkies.
29 Jul 2012, 13:14 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-872: He can also only score from forward passes it seems
29 Jul 2012, 13:14 pm
@>^..^< katman-870:
I must have missed that bit.
29 Jul 2012, 13:21 pm
@cane-875: You also an armchair nodder-offer?
29 Jul 2012, 13:21 pm
I would just like to mention how well Charl mccloud is playing at the moment. Definately also the form 9 in my opinion for the Boks. Difficult to guage,admittedly, playing behind that sharks pack…but his box kicking alone is miles ahead of hougaard and looks very comfortable in his scrumhalf position unlike hougaard who looks very uncomfortable at times.
In fact, at the minute you could just make all the sharks boks and I wouldn’t be unhappy.
Boks if picked tomorrow.
1.beast
2.bismark
3.jannie
4.etsbeth
5.kruger
6.marcel
7.alberts
8.kanko
9.mccloud
10. jantjies
11.basson
12.frans
13.devilliers (c)
14.jpp
15. ludik
16. strauss
17. coenie
18. Bressler
19. Elstadt
20. Potgieter Dewald
21. Lambie
22. Hougaard
that would be my team.
29 Jul 2012, 13:27 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-877: Wat de moer het grease kop gedoen om 10 te speel? McCleod het sy oomblikke maar is te wisselvallig in my opinie. Hy was 70% van die seison kak sleg. Laaste paar weke bietjie sokkies opgetrek maar nog lank van groen en goud af.
29 Jul 2012, 13:30 pm
@>^..^< katman-876:
No …………………………………………well yes.
But the timezone thing was not perfect for us.
School soccer game along in the early stages. So I taped it.
Then watched a highlights latter.
So didn’t bother to watch the whole caboodle.
Nice to see all four GBR Rugby Unions’ used to show the games were not just about London and England.
29 Jul 2012, 13:35 pm
@cane-879: They were scraping the barrel for sport success stories. I mean, they had a Scotland backline move in there.
29 Jul 2012, 13:36 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-878:
who else at 10 then. Morne is way off his game and albeit Lambie can do the job he has always been better at 15 or 12 for me….and the sharks play a hell of a lot better with freddie at 10.
Jantijies has been playing well in a kak lions side. He has pace a very good passing game and kicking option.
And as already mentioned….mcCloud is the form 9. Who else if not him when I have already mentioned that I am 50/50 with hougaard. Currently he’d be better utilized as an impact 9 or wing.
29 Jul 2012, 13:39 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-878:
Yeah man. I don’t understand it either.
Mediocre players looking good in a side that plays very well and all of a sudden they must be selected for the Bok team.
Ludik, McCleod, …wtf.
Did we not learn our lesson with players like WO, Spies, Kirchner, Flip vd Merwe etc.
29 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
@nama1-882:
It’s a form side selection…not a class is permenent side selection.
29 Jul 2012, 13:42 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-881: My opinie oor Hougaard is dat sy probleem nie noodwendig form is nie maar eerder n kak spelpatroon wat hom, op hierdie stadium, terug hou. Hy sal nogsteeds my bok 9 wees met Lambie op 10. Elton het my nog min laat regop sit en oplet.
29 Jul 2012, 13:49 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-884:
i think that is only part of the problem, the bulls strike runners are taking too long to realign themselves running off the scrumhalfs shoulder, hence hougaard is waiting ages somtimes only to feed a hospital pass. Also no denying the bulls score plenty tries when they get decent go forward ball with hougaard and morne moving it with width.
So I’m not really sure. He’s played very well at times but pretty average as well. But as already mentioned, this is a form side selected and generally the best form is with the side that is winning and that at the moment is the sharks
29 Jul 2012, 13:53 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-885: Point taken. Ludeke is going to have to rethink quite a lot of strategies going forward.
29 Jul 2012, 14:06 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-886:
well, I don’t like the balance of the bulls backrow at the moment. Jaque Potgieter should be playing off the bench with dewald and steggies starting. But both have been out injured most of the season anyway. Spies played well enough for the first part of the season but looked to have really suffered with the weight of captaincy in the back end of the season, again…this could just be inexperience in a leadership role. If I do have an issue with his game it would be that he never carries off the back of a scrum anymore. Again…the bulls scrum has been pretty kak so there hasn’t been a greatplatform possibly. The Bulls scrum and locks have been a real issue. Kruger has been pretty good but 1-4 have not been good enough to be a championship side in their primary roles. 1-3 can’t scrum well enough for whatever reason and flip is not filling the hardlock crashball role at all. Basically, none of them are vuilgat enough in the collisions.
CC could be interesting though with some of the youngsters coming through and Venter playing 12 with Olivier going to japan.
29 Jul 2012, 15:26 pm
How can a thread about Sharks and Stormers be hijacked by Bulls? WTF
29 Jul 2012, 15:36 pm
If you want the truth about the Bulls… Steyn has gone awol, Spies is useless off the juice and Olivier is and always has been, mediocre.
Done.
29 Jul 2012, 20:38 pm
@cab-861: If it weren’t for the conference system, the Stormers wouldn’t have had a week off and would have played the Crusaders in the semi-final. How would that have changed their fate ?
What you want is a outcome based on log finish. If you are perplexed by a top team getting knocked out in a playoff then you haven’t been watching sport very long and if it weren’t for playoffs, the Sharks would have a lot more sliverware to show for their efforts in the last 20 years as well.
Stop being so sour. You Stormers fans are the worst losers ever. Your team got thrashed by a jet lagged Sharks team playing away from home.
29 Jul 2012, 20:49 pm
@Dusky-890:
conference system had no impact on the stormers, they came top of the entire competition.
since when does a team who manages to sneak into 6th place by a balhaar get into the the final? and ppl are upset cos i dont reckon they the greatest. greatest gees yes, team no.
29 Jul 2012, 23:17 pm
@cab-891: the Sharks actually finished 5th on points. since when did you become such an ardent Stormer? You are starting to whinge a lot, just like a true Stormer. so what you are suggesting is that the Bulls should have handed over the trophy to the Sharks in 2007 after the final, because the Sharks “deserved it more” by finishing “top” of the log standings? need I remind you about the time the Crusaders won the Super 12 in 1999 after finishing 4th? the Reds finished “top” that year, but guess what? the Crusaders smoked the Reds 4 tries to 1 in the semi final in Brisbane. should the Crusaders have handed the trophy over to the Reds? what a bizarre and utterly nonsensical notion. the Sharks showed your team just how insignificant the conference title really is. nobody cares about who finished top of the log, now please spare us your incessant crying! or perhaps continue to celebrate your “conference topping” achievement. it obviously means a great deal to you. in 5 years time we will all remember this “achievement”.
29 Jul 2012, 23:30 pm
in 99 the reds topped the table. they beat the crusaders in the regular season. the crusaders finished 4th and drew a semi against the table topping highflying reds who had won 8 from 11 in the league. everyone expected the reds to win at home but the crusaders smoked them 4 tries to 1. the crusaders went on to win an away final but according to cab they should be stripped of this title and the trophy should be awarded retrospectively to the reds.
29 Jul 2012, 23:35 pm
coincidentally 99 was a funny year for SA. the bulls finished stone last winning only 1 game and earning 7 points. the stormers finished 2nd and hosted a semi but guess what, they lost a semi at home which has become the stormers speciality.
29 Jul 2012, 23:51 pm
@Wing Commander Raymond-892:
since when you let the facts get in the way of a good story, gdam im battling HG and puma and SL here, you dont get more biased. Next thing all the sharks are made Boks and we lose the 4N 8-0.
i been laughing the whole day at how desperate the sharks are to be regarded as numero uno, and woe betide anyone who disagrees.
but yeah 5th or 6th who cares – u reckon any team thats gets pomped so often and scrapes in deserves it? i dont. In 2007 the sharks deserved it, they beat everyone, but they sure as hell dont this year. but looks thats sport, they took their chances, no complaints, i will be pissed off tho if they go to hamilton next week and get pomped, cos i think the stormers couldve taken the chiefs at home.
you okes talk about giving credit where its due – well give credit over the length of the season as a whole, in which the stormers a v young team, whose entire backrow and their backups have been decimated with career-ending injuries, and still managed to go undefeated at home the entire season.
29 Jul 2012, 23:58 pm
8-0 = 6-0
career-ending = season-ending
damn one learns from the best spindoctors on here.
30 Jul 2012, 08:27 am
Well done sharkies – going to be a cracking final
30 Jul 2012, 08:45 am
@cab-891: Yet with all that, the Sharkies will play the final and the Srompies like the Bulls are the losers.
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