Sharks’ belief key to spike in form
29 Jul 2012
John Plumtree says the Sharks always believed that they would overcome their travel fatigue in Saturday’s semi-final and has high hopes of toppling the Chiefs in the final.
The Sharks went into Saturday’s semi-final as underdogs. They may have played the best rugby over the past few weeks and are a team stacked with Springboks, but it was widely believed that travelling to Australia and back in the space of a week would drain them physically.
They were up against a Stormers side that had finished top of the Super Rugby league. They were playing a side that boasted an unbeaten record at Newlands in 2012. What chance did the Sharks realistically have?
Plumtree was satisfied yet measured when speaking about his side’s performance following the 26-19 victory on Saturday. Not many would have marked them as favourites in this situation, but as Plumtree reveals, what ultimately mattered was that the team believed the win was within their grasp.
‘We have gathered confidence and grew a bit at the same time [in the build up to the play-offs],’ the Sharks coach said. ‘It has just snowballed, the team has really started to believe in themselves 20 to 30% more.
‘That was crucial, we were playing knockout rugby five or six weeks ago and that hardened us and the leadership grew with that.’
The Sharks travelled 11 000km to Brisbane for last week’s qualifying play-off, and 11 000km back for this week’s semi-final in Cape Town. Plumtree played down the travel factor and it’s effect on their preparations and on the players’ bodies.
‘We never made a big thing about it. We didn’t want to use it as an excuse and I think that was critical to this performance. I’m really proud of the way the guys got over it mentally.
‘My own personal opinion about it [jet-lag] is that the players are younger and get over it quicker. We’ve just got to get these boys back up for the final.’
The Sharks will fly out to Australasia on Sunday. They plan to stay in Sydney for the week and fly to Hamilton on Friday. The final will take place on Saturday.
‘If we can get up physically for this game, anything can happen,’ said Plumtree. ‘That’ll be the challenge for us.’
Losing captain of the Stormers Jean de Villiers said it would make for a fantastic story if the Sharks could win the title in spite of the challenges of travel.
‘I said it earlier in the week, the Sharks are on a roll, and you wouldn’t bet against them. They’ve shown they can overcome the travel factor.
‘It will be tough, and I think the whole of South Africa should get behind them now,’ said De Villiers. ‘They’ve got a fantastic chance.’
By Jon Cardinelli, at Newlands
77 Comments
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29 Jul 2012, 20:16 pm
@jacoshark-49: yip I do.. and Coetsee, Daniel and Kankowski are NOT the best in the business as Messam and Co. will show you why next weekend.
Stormers played wrong trio yesterday by playing Fourie at 8.. I been lamenting about that all week.. but Coetsee, Daniel and Kankowski are NOT best SA back row.. put them in the Boks against AB’s and you will see why not..
29 Jul 2012, 20:17 pm
I don’t think the Stormers choked at all. Like I said before the game, all the pressure was on them to win being conference winners, home game and then the Sharks who should have been exhausted, they were under a lot of pressure. Sharks were super amped and were BoomBoomBoom
29 Jul 2012, 20:18 pm
@jacoshark-50: better than Sharks backs.. take away Freddy the frog and JPP from Cape Town your lot go AWOL…
watch Cruden and SBW and the new Cullen full back next week.. those are backs…
29 Jul 2012, 20:20 pm
@Treehugger-52: Stormers CHOKED under the exasperated expectations .. SIMPLE.. big fat undulating CHOKE.. that’s all it was…. under a coach that does NOT know how to win…when crunch time comes around.
29 Jul 2012, 20:21 pm
@NicG-12: Yip bud. Just one more game. Boys just have to look at it that way. 80min or a bit still to play in this tourney. They will be on a all time high adrenalin right now. That will take them through the jet-lag tiredness.
Now see we have Walsh again this week as ref. Just hope he is totally fair to both sides.
Go Sharks.
29 Jul 2012, 20:21 pm
@fitz1ella-51:
typical stormers fan- blinkers
i live in cape town so i hear this **** all year
you guys cant accept the fact that there are better players than your overrated team
the skill level in the stormers team is putrid
i was one who thought kolisi was unlucky not to get called up for the boks
but he was well n truly nowhere yesterday
youre probably gonna say keegan daniel is overrated too hey?
haha hes been the best loosie in the country if not the comp all season, along with messam n coetsee
29 Jul 2012, 20:22 pm
@fitz1ella-46: Centres even? You do know that JPP played at 13? He alone made your two centres look like Elton John and Barry Ronge attempting the pommel horse. The rest of your ratings aren’t much better either.
29 Jul 2012, 20:23 pm
@fitz1ella-54: Skop at the end of the day you can’t blame the coach. There is just so much a coach can do, he can never go and play the game for the players. That is up to the players on the field.
Be proud of your team they made the semi and topped our conference and topped the log.
29 Jul 2012, 20:25 pm
@Puma-58: I’m proud of the team.. the coaching staff and their backward thinking decision taking SUCKS.. !!!
29 Jul 2012, 20:25 pm
@goyougoodthing2-41: Ok, explain Michalak at Scrummie, or even Deysel
29 Jul 2012, 20:26 pm
@fitz1ella-59:
so what youre saying is that your players cant think for themselves?
its about time you got to that realisation
29 Jul 2012, 20:28 pm
@jacoshark-56: Keegan had his chance against the Pomms and was shown up, he is the Wynand Olivier of loosies
29 Jul 2012, 20:29 pm
@jacoshark-56: Kolisi was as busy and active as Coetsee was yesterday.. on par the both of them.. and Daniel been tried at international level a few times and couldn’t cut it where it mattered.. see how he goes next week with Kankowitz in tandem..
Stormers main problem was at 8 where playing a diminutive hooker is just PLAIN DUMB..!!
A good choice at 8 would have made ALL the difference in MANY ways to the overall cause.. but the dumb coaches could not see it.. simple AS..
I’m out now
argue amongst yourselves.
29 Jul 2012, 20:30 pm
You are being unkind about your team and coach Skop, they had a fantastic enviable season and you ended at the top just not number one.
If the Sharks should lose against Chiefs I would still be proud of them.
29 Jul 2012, 20:37 pm
@fitz1ella-63: You have fokkol grace in losing, Skop. Zilch. Take it on the chin, shake the other guy’s hand and move on. This bitching is such poor class. Don’t you see this?
29 Jul 2012, 20:38 pm
@JL1-62:
because 20mins against the poms is enough to show your metal…haha
wynand has 40 caps- 0 tries
daniel has 30mins at test level
your a twit
29 Jul 2012, 20:45 pm
@jacoshark-66: Thank you for the adult behaviour…….
Daniels still did nothing in his 20 minutes, over to you … or do you want to go down the name calling route?
29 Jul 2012, 20:52 pm
@JL1-67:
its gonna be a looooong wait for your teams next s15 game
nuff said
29 Jul 2012, 20:55 pm
Assuming Walsh is the only choice for the Final, the Sharks must take it up with SANZAR to evaluate his refereeing yesterday, they should have enough video analysts and rugby rules experts to compile a bakkie load of evidences
If NOT, they may stay at home just the same, it won’t worth the hassle
My guess they will do nothing
29 Jul 2012, 21:22 pm
@JL1-62:
Nah he is to fast for HM style of play. He stood around watching a bok team going now where, playing basically in the same spot for long periods of time.
A bok team that refuses, or does not know how to to offload to a support player at speed
Daniel needs the game to flow at speed
Daniel is one of the best loose forwards in the world
29 Jul 2012, 22:46 pm
@Hondo-69: Why would a NZ ref adjudicate a SA-NZ final? especially having reffed a semi. Just get a neutral NH ref, I hear Wayne Barnes is available
29 Jul 2012, 23:13 pm
Some ****€r stole my nic. Anyone who’s seen my posts before knows I don’t troll. Impostor beware
29 Jul 2012, 23:14 pm
@Hondo-69: you’re losing your touch hondo, with jpp, beast & mvovo starting shouldn’t it be ADVANTAGE chiefs? surely in your mind those three are far more a liabilty to the sharks chances than anything “aussie” steve can cook up
you must’ve been choking on your own kotsch these past weeks as jp has beem RED HOT tl tl tl
30 Jul 2012, 02:55 am
Wayne barnes..! was he not the ref for Samoa vs Boks in RWC, who let the samoas beat up the Boks and not dish out any Red Cards let alone yellows…. Should have been four red cards if we followed the “rugby rule book” officially. – disgusting stuff
JPP and Beasty — key players for the Sharks, VoomVoom is OK, still has lots to learn and must keep away from the ” big head” syndrome which capetonians have like Habanana. “Habanana, please ask JPP for the intruction manual you really really need it !!!!!!” lol. Kolisi was **** on Sat, still dont rate him though.
Funny how De Villiers was talking about the Sharks if they won, you wonder if DV thought the game was lost before it was even started!
Michilak, whats the story with his socks shorter than the rest, looks so *** so Capetownian.
Chiefs look pretty good, how they fronted the Crusifers, had loads of energy , played smartly, should have lost though(contriversal try- double movement)
why the IRB dont sort out the question issue and allow the TMO to answer not just the direct question but note the other possible issue surrounding is beyond me?
SBW instrimental in two trys. Sharks need to note they cant miss any tackles, zero. Think Chiefs missed only one in the first half – impressive. Howz the 20yr old shoving Richie on two ocastions, something our boys need to be aware of. We might have a couple players who fall for this ” childish prank “which could be costly.
Chiefs are actually delighted to be playing the Sharks( travel issue). I think the Chiefs are going to try keep the tempo high, they seem to be fit enough for it.
As always the crowd is going to be very hostile, sometimes I think the NZ crowd are bad sportsmen the way they behave at matches.
Anyways the Sharks could take them, depends if they pitch up! will find out after the 1st 20mins Looks pretty even.
30 Jul 2012, 04:58 am
@fitz1ella-36:
Tool!
Juan De Jongh (per Ruggastats)
Runs – 4 (35m)
Line break – 1
Next time open your eyes when you watch a game and stay off the heavy stuff!
30 Jul 2012, 05:58 am
@Greenies-74: if you think siya was s.hit then i guess the likes of marcell, elstadt, fourie were hondkak! siya’s intensity in defence was no different on saturday than in any of the other games where he’s been superb. his ball carrying was poor though & i don’t recall him breaking the line much.
to say he was s/hit is just churlish.
30 Jul 2012, 08:20 am
@Transformation-76: BOet Coetzee and Daniel according to overall stats have been the best loosies around,
But people saying Kolisi was Krap are crazy, lemme tell you if it wasnt for him the Sharks prolly would have had another 2 tries.
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