Comments on: Sharks made to regret slow start

By: The Donkeys Egg

The Donkeys Egg — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 04:30:32 +0000

1st round of Playoffs should be on Friday pms and SemiFs should follow Sat or Sunday pms the next week – the extra 24hrs of player recovery should be paramount over the tv schedule.

There should then be 2 weeks until the Final. Allows player preparation and injury recovery. And allows a huge increase in touring rugby fan numbers with the home venue allotting no less than 15% seat allocation, thereby better atmosphere and tourist-$ cash injection. Also encourages greater advertising/sponsor opportunities ala SuperBowl.

By: Oxy moron

Oxy moron — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:05:43 +0000

As a Sharks supporter…
PLEASE SCRAP team #5 and #6 and also this 1 team from each country nonsense.
Over the whole season we beat the Stormers twice in 3 matches. Argument over.

By: aliboy

aliboy — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:13:59 +0000

@bokfan1-14: Must have been some sharks supporters in town

By: Pencil

Pencil — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:47:17 +0000

The sharks were handicapped by their own inability to win during the pool stages. While they were certainly at a disadvantage, I don’t think this was a forgone conclusion at all. If the Sharks had a better start and managed to put the Chiefs under pressure, they would have had good chance.

Also, if the Chiefs vs Sharks was a forgone conclusion, you would have expected the Stormers vs Sharks to be a forgone conclusion too, but we all know how that ended.

The stats are skewed since what it’s really showing is that the team which does the best over the entire season is the same team which usually wins the finals. This shouldn’t be shocking news to anyone.

By: bokfan1

bokfan1 — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:26:25 +0000

So much for “crime-free NZ”:
Chiefs coach robbed during Super rugby final: www . superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=36087

By: Transformation

Transformation — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:01:25 +0000

play well enough in the league stages to EARN a home semi-final, WIN that semi-final and back yourself to go all out in the final – whether @ home or away – and win the title.

fortune favours the consistent in this comp!

how many times did we hear “it’s still early days” “this and the other team still have to tour so they’ll fumble too” “that team’s bubble will POP too” “if that team loses to the other one we will surge up the log to claim top spot after our bye” “we had a kak draw and played away games 1st”

no more excuses.

By: Puma

Puma — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:38:23 +0000

The format certainly has to be changed after 2015. From next year they should in this format allow the teams that play in the final to have a rest week after the semi. Makes sense as probably one team will always be travelling from SA or NZ.

Sharks draw was tough to start with. To play Stormers and Bulls away from home was a tough ask. Both games were very close could have gone either way but that how it goes. If we had beaten the Lions and won against the Tahs we would have held a final at Kings Park. A pity we never got those wins. At least we made a storming charge to the final. The travel was a killer and really hope no team ever has to go through that again in the next 2 years until they change this format. Players will eventually leave and play their rugby in Europe. None will want to do this kind of travel.

By: BreakdownBoy

BreakdownBoy — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:24:34 +0000

@sharks_lover-10: It's not that they won, it's rather how they won. It was embarrasing for SA rugby, having three teams in the playoffs and then have the final be such a failure, why a failure, well I switched off the tv when it was 3-20, so I guess a large portion of TV viewers did the same, not good for the TV rights. The chiefs deserved to win, the sharks were handicapped by the system.

By: sharks_lover

sharks_lover — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:09:56 +0000

@BreakdownBoy-7: Even though its not a great system you must remember it was the same for all the teams, also surely your team having ended 1st should be whipping the team ending 6th? having gone through traveling of hell etc etc etc?? Mate the best team won the Super15 this year,rather admit that.

By: Bokhoring

Bokhoring — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:50:46 +0000

@BreakdownBoy-7: I pretty much agree - I think the playoffs is a waste of time and the top 4 should go through to the semi's. Don't think the result would have been any different this year if that was the case

By: Bokhoring

Bokhoring — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:48:32 +0000

Sharks were not consistent through the season – so they ended up trying to compete in the final after an unprecedented travel schedule. Nobody’s fault but their own.

What some sour grape Stormers fans seem to forget is there is a little thing called a semi to be won before you entitled to play in the final. Stormers topped the log but whereas the Chiefs managed to win their semi, Stormers again fell short in the final sprint.

By: BreakdownBoy

BreakdownBoy — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:45:34 +0000

This yet again reaffirms that the current format for Super rugby does not work, why give teams #5 and 6 a shot at playoff rugby when they have no chance to win the competition?

The sharks played great ruggas in the QF and SF but it was obviouse that they were no longer contenders after the first Chiefs try.

Funny how the most rested player played the worst rugby (Lambie).

Anyway, after the whistle went I kind of wondered why the sharks even bothered to try? All the ygot was two good wins and a thumping.

I blame the Stormers; they should’ve saved the sharks the trouble.

By: Wing Commander Raymond

Wing Commander Raymond — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:36:03 +0000

can’t comprehend how the stormerchiefs can sit on a high horse and claim this as a “victory”? their team got sharksmashed only the week before, and worst was that it was a home semifinal. how embarrassing to lose a home semi when you finish in 1st place with a guaranteed home final! and the stormerchiefs have lost 3 home semis now! eina! sharks proved indisputably to be the best SA team this year! played 3 against the stormers, won 2! in other words stormers were sharksavaged TWICE in 2012! hehehehehehe!

By: HHS

HHS — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:29:26 +0000

@Provvas-2: You know what is worse? Having a home semi and a rest and then blow it.

By: Treehugger

Treehugger — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:21:06 +0000

@2….we bitchslapped you sideways when it counted troll, now get over it. Sharks are over Saturdays loss we lost to a better team BOOM !!!

By: KWAGGA ROBERTSE

KWAGGA ROBERTSE — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:16:05 +0000

@Provvas-2: And they call the average Bulls supporter a suurgat. Provvas the sharks have a lot to be proud of and they deserved to be there. We all knew it was only as a matter of time before the Stormers cardhouse was going to crumble.

By: Provvas

Provvas — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:08:54 +0000

Hahahaha… Boom fzzzz POP!!!

Sharks have lost because they DID NOT DESERVE TO BE IN A FINAL!!!

By: Hoops

Hoops — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 05:40:52 +0000

Point is! Sharks could not make it after they were behind since their negative tactics went out the window!

Easy playing negative when you are in front….ask any stormer supporter!