Sharks need to stifle charging Chiefs
1 Aug 2012
JON CARDINELLI analyses the final and notes that the Chiefs and Sharks share attacking strengths, but not the same defensive weaknesses.
Why bother with an analysis? The Chiefs have been one of the most physical teams in the tournament, while the Sharks’ ability to produce an intense forward showing will be compromised by their taxing travelling schedule. The Sharks will be at a significant disadvantage this Saturday. Some might even call the final a mis-match.
What the stats and trends can show us is that the challenge facing the Sharks is greater than most expect. Forget the travel fatigue and the fact that this game will be staged in Hamilton – the Chiefs’ attack will be tough to repel and their defence difficult to breach.
According to ruckingoodstats.com, the Sharks are the highest-ranked team in terms of keeping the ball in play over the course of a match. They average 7.4 offloads (the second-best rate in the tournament) and break 16.9 tackles (seventh-best in the tournament) per game. These stats support the statement that they are a very dangerous attacking unit.
But then so too are the Chiefs. The men from Hamilton may not boast the possession stats of the Sharks, but when they do get their hands on the ball, they make their opportunities count.
They are the top-ranked team in terms of offloads (9.1 per match), and their robust ball carriers manage to break 20.9 tackles per match (third-best in the tournament). They are also particularly effective in the opposition’s 22, breaking 5.5 tackles per match. They are the best team in the competition in terms of linebreaks (3.3 per match), and flyhalf Aaron Cruden runs at the defence more than any other pivot.
While there may be similarities in the attacking strengths of these two finalists, their defensive records are vastly different.
The Sharks miss 20.7 tackles per match, making them the worst team in the tournament for tackles missed. It will interest the Chiefs to note that the Sharks miss 5.5 tackles on average in their own 22, and as previously mentioned, the Chiefs are a side that enjoys tackle-busting success in the red zone. The Sharks missed 23 tackles last week in the semi-final against the Stormers, so it’s not as if the total average miss-rate is an unfair reflection of their current defensive form.
By comparison, the Chiefs are one of the best defensive units in the comp. Their line speed has allowed them to stifle opponents and force them into errors. The stats substantiate this claim, as the Chiefs have effected the most charge downs and intercepts.
But the Chiefs are not without weakness. They have made more errors than any other team when kicking from hand. They have also conceded the most penalties overall, as well as the most penalties at the ruck and maul.
While the Sharks’ high tempo game has proved successful this season, they cannot hope to beat the Chiefs at their own game. The more prudent course of action is to attempt to slow the Chiefs down.
The Chiefs lineout hasn’t been that flash and the stats confirm that they are ranked third for quick throw-ins. This suggests that they enjoy playing the game at a lively pace and are not well equipped to combat a good opposition lineout.
The Sharks also have the most disciplined scrum in the tournament, and it is here where they will fancy themselves against the Chiefs. They should also attempt to draw the Chiefs into a battle at close quarters, as the Chiefs don’t have a good record when it comes to maintaining their discipline at the breakdowns and mauls (see above).
The Sharks are the more disciplined side, but will they need to improve on their breakdown performance against the Stormers. John Plumtree’s men may have won the battle at the collisions in that match, but they still conceded 10 penalties at the ruck and maul.
If they can sharpen up in that area, then they will stand a good chance of stifling the Chiefs.
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323 Comments
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1 Aug 2012, 05:31 am
“Why bother with an analysis?”
kiwi dragons will beat the bananaboys . sad but home advantage, SBW last game. Too many pyschological advantages to see no other result.
Expect kiwi dragons to stifle Bismack and Alberts impact. The two most dangerous players.
Meyer Bosman needs a big game!!
1 Aug 2012, 05:56 am
Some light reading…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/our-experts/7387827/Chiefs-coaches-expose-Crusaders-fault-lines
The first 20 minutes of the match may have resembled a playground scrap at times, but that’s because the Chiefs were determined to stand up for themselves. When Wyatt Crockett tried to pull Kane Thompson into a maul he took a whack at him.
On the two occasions when the Crusaders launched Luke Romano up the middle, he was driven back, first by Craig Clarke, the captain leading by example, and then by Ben Tameifuna. Romano tried to drop his shoulder into that tackle, but the Chiefs prop hit him so hard that Romano eventually had to leave the pitch.
When McCaw ran his usual lines of obstruction a Chiefs player smashed into the Crusaders captain, not only to defend his team’s space, but to draw the ref’s attention to what McCaw was up to. When Sam Whitelock tried to obstruct in front of the catcher from an early restart, Asaeli Tikoirotuna just charged through his back, leaving Whitelock protesting feebly on the ground.
I assume Mark Taylor is just another hater using any platform to have a go at the Kiwis?
1 Aug 2012, 05:59 am
@greatest13gerber-1:
Yeah well, was what a lot of people said about the Sharks last weekend as well. Every chance the Chiefs played their final last weekend and for the Sharks to cause an ‘upset’.
Someone posted on another thread that the Chiefs are already hailed as champions by the local, worst thing that can happen…
1 Aug 2012, 07:10 am
9:35! Pretty darn early to be cracking open my first beer… Hopefully some celebration champers afterwards ; )
1 Aug 2012, 07:11 am
Who’s your Chaddy,Michael Phelps?
1 Aug 2012, 07:11 am
@Slartibartfast-2: you mean Mark REASON?
this is not his first article on the crusaders ‘illegal’ tactics…
1 Aug 2012, 07:34 am
@Transformation-6:
Aha him again, I was actually looking at the name of the photographer
1 Aug 2012, 07:37 am
Why do a detailed analysis of the game? According to skop every Sharks victory boils down to pure luck. Skill and talent got fkall to do with it according to him. Perhaps the Sharks players should just be buying lotto tickets instead of playing rugby?
1 Aug 2012, 07:46 am
‘why bother with an analysis’ and then he pens 2000 words doing just that….ROFLMFAO!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 07:47 am
‘why bother with an analysis’ and then he pens 2000 words doing just that..ROFLMFAO!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 07:47 am
@Transformation-6:
Spoken like a true Stormsader. How does it feel to have both your teams out of the competition o’ confused one.
@shark4life-8:
Ignore the bonemuncher….just another confused Stormsader with an identity crisis.
1 Aug 2012, 07:47 am
‘why bother with an analysis’ and then he pens 2000 words doing it!! ROFLMFAO!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 07:48 am
‘why bother with an analysis’ and then he pens 2000 words doing just that… ROFLMFAO!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 07:48 am
‘why bother with an analysis’ and then he pens 2000 words doing just that.
1 Aug 2012, 07:50 am
Stupid finning site!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 07:50 am
@Slartibartfast-2:
@Transformation-6:
nothing wrong with what he’s saying.
1 Aug 2012, 07:53 am
a big problem for the crusaders though is ellis
hy’s ****** dom
1 Aug 2012, 08:00 am
@Golden Boy-15:
Haha I thought you got stuck, was going to ask someone to give you a klap!
1 Aug 2012, 08:06 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-11: keep trying PreScum maybe you’ll be lucky catch something
1 Aug 2012, 08:07 am
Smiley face.
1 Aug 2012, 08:09 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-16: you should invite mark for a beer when he comes for RC
1 Aug 2012, 08:11 am
“While the Sharks’ high tempo game has proved successful this season, they cannot hope to beat the Chiefs at their own game. The more prudent course of action is to attempt to slow the Chiefs down. ”
ag please man what a load of kiwi toadying sh i t.
please leave your bs inferiority complex at the door cardinellis, saffas have won the superrugby tournament plenty over the last 5 years and the sharks slow start contributes to your k u k stats analysis.
rather look at the last 5 games for each team if you want to discuss current trends within the team.
p.s. JPP at present has no equal, kiwi aussie or otherwise. not always the case, but the case NOW. and yes, the sharks are well able to play the open running game, its not the chiefs perogative.
1 Aug 2012, 08:16 am
@rangerman-22:
In other words he wants The Sharks to play like the Stormers. We all know where that gets you…
1 Aug 2012, 08:19 am
exhibit one: jordaan made no less than digby ione look like a doorstop on his way to the tryline after a keegan daniels offload that would have the poor sbw fans dancing like saddam after desert storm.
but only the chiefs can play this rugby right?
whattafukcingjoke.
cardinelli clearly thinks stormers and sharks play similar rugby
1 Aug 2012, 08:23 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-23: exactly lmao!
oooooh, the chiefs can like to run the ball!
big ****** deal, so can the sharks.
one interesting observation that may be way off, before the match vs the stormers i was saying to me mates (over beer of course) that if i was plum, i would tell the team not to try blitz the stormers after their long travel from brisbane, but to play their natural game and kick for territory when possible.
watching the game, it looked like the sharks had decided to take it easy on the kick chase to avoid burnout as a few times there were no chasers at all?
maybe i was just gesuip
1 Aug 2012, 08:25 am
@Transformation-21:
i should mail him to find out more about the outcome of the white card incident. i have tried sanzar and saru, with no success. i suppose i could try the chiefs and nzru too?
1 Aug 2012, 08:28 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-23: LOL
1 Aug 2012, 08:30 am
While I like stats , its important to analise them.
Sure the Sharks leaked a lot of tries , but this was mainly in first part of competition, not lately, thats one of the reasons why they turned their season around.
Take another example Dean Greyling got penelised 2nd most in comp. Something like 23 times , but of those, 15 happened in first 4 matches.
Point is not if Greyling is good or bad. But if he improved , same with Sharks if they played now, the same as they did earlier in competition they would not have made it. But they changed something the Bulls and Strompies could not do.
JC please give us proper analyses of stats.
1 Aug 2012, 08:32 am
Sharks must stick to te same game plan that got them there… Change it now and they will get a pasting… Keep the ball away from the Chiefs and half the battle is won…
1 Aug 2012, 08:33 am
JC please give us proper analyses of stats.
Bwhahahahahahaha one of the funniest posts ever!!!
1 Aug 2012, 08:34 am
@rangerman-25:
I missed the game entirely….long way from home for a few weeks. Trust me to go just as the competition winds down.
My feeling is that The Sharks will go all out in the final. Clearly the boys are fit otherwise they’d not be in the final after all that travelling. In my opinion, it all goes down to mental toughness now. The Sharks have the personnel to compete with the Chiefs, and it all goes down to discipline and mental alertness. The Chiefs will be well aware that they have a certain amount of advantage and will go out to frustrate our forwards before offloading to their strike runners.
Anticipating our midfield to be bombarded. Our defence has to be rock solid.
1 Aug 2012, 08:36 am
chiefs by 40..
mockers
1 Aug 2012, 08:37 am
@rangerman-25:
the reason the sharks didnt chase up hard is because they knew the stormers would just kick it back.. smart gameplan
1 Aug 2012, 08:40 am
Well Done Chad La Clos!!!
I have a good feeling that the Sharks will take strength from his achievement and bring back the Super Title to South Africa. Good luck and do us proud…
1 Aug 2012, 08:42 am
Rangergirl you must be so proud of your guppies – like a varkie in a poo bath.
Good luck to them even though they stand zero chance of winning.
1 Aug 2012, 08:45 am
@RL-35:
zero chance of winnig
1 Aug 2012, 08:46 am
@RL-35:
Aw poor doodums. There’s always the Currie Cup to give you that feeling of still being an almost rugby team dear. Just think, the Lions could actually beat the Southern Queens this year!
1 Aug 2012, 08:48 am
@Gumboots-34:
ja, well done to the boy. very pleased for his win.
durban sportsmen shining all over the world this month.
skop must be right, the world must be ending the year
1 Aug 2012, 08:53 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-38:
Morning Whits!!!
Yes the world is ending…
Chad still has the 100m Butterfly and 100m IM and then the 100m IM Relay…
Can we get another medal or two in the pool? Man I love the swimming and athletics… the rest is a bit boring actually…
Go Pool Bokke….
1 Aug 2012, 08:55 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-37:
hehehe
there’s a special kind of fan,
wears his pride right on his body,
he will never let his gees down,
when he gets behind the manne,
now the oke is pretty bakgat,
always goes the extra mile,
he’s the kind of ou you see there in the front row,
on the jumbo tv skerm,
daars hy…
1 Aug 2012, 08:56 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters-37: let’s wait for a few weeks before we start talking dirty.
1 Aug 2012, 08:56 am
The Sharks are overwhelming favourites to win the whole shebang!
1. Australia conference winner, check
2. South African conference winner, check
3. New Zealand conference winner, pending
Greatest Super Rugby Title win EVER, ????????? pending
1 Aug 2012, 09:00 am
Come now Transie… Everyone and their aunty knows the Chiefs are overwhelming favourites…
1 Aug 2012, 09:01 am
@Gumboots-39:
dont forget the running, that’s also exciting
but no viable sa contenders of course (no offense to caster and i do hope she does well).
ja, go nat bokke! very happy for cameron and chad!
lawd knows if the sharks actually win the damn thing… then the world had better bladdy end
1 Aug 2012, 09:02 am
Who cares about the analysis it comes downt to the day, and JETLAG – The sharks had no chance against the Stormers for the same reasons, look what happened there. I do think the sharks can do this. The boys are pumped up Bizzy/ Alberts to lead with the Frenchie conducting his troops….
1 Aug 2012, 09:04 am
@wait for it, wait for it…-44:
For sure…
Proteas bomb the English…
Ernie bombs Adam…
Chad and Cameron bomb the favourites…
Sharks BOOM BOOM
No the end is nigh!!!!
1 Aug 2012, 09:07 am
@Gumboots-46: yoh if the proteas win @ headingly i’ll be sooooo happy!
come you protea manne!
1 Aug 2012, 09:09 am
@Transformation-47:
Morning Boet! Yeah that would be great. I work so closely with some of them so will be holding all my thumbs, toes and whatever…
1 Aug 2012, 09:10 am
@Gumboots-46:
sjoe!
really is a good year for sa sports so far.
skop should check his tea leaves again, it would be nice to know the exact ‘time of departure’.
which hopefully will be right after the boks whitewash those naughty kiwis in the championship.
what a way to end it all
1 Aug 2012, 09:12 am
Another kak article.
Quota journalism.
All hail king Chad.
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