Super Sharks will win Currie Cup
22 Oct 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in Business Day newspaper, applauds the talents of Eben Etzebeth and Pat Lambie and writes the Sharks are the best domestic team in South Africa.
Eben Etzebeth made his Western Province Currie Cup debut a fortnight ago and is eligible to play in Saturday’s U21 final. He’s still a pup in terms of provincial experience and age but he’s definitely no pup in terms of performance.
He was colossal against the Lions in Western Province’s dramatic last minute Currie Cup semi-final victory. He commands presence, which explains the remarkable elevation from Varsity Cup player in 2011 to an eight-Test Springbok in 2012. A unique breed of player simply has it. Etzebeth is the newest international member of this club, and if he stays injury free he could become the most dominant of second rowers in the next decade.
He thrives on responsibility, especially when the crunch moments demand the tough to take the lead. We saw it in Super Rugby, most notably in the final 20 minutes when the Stormers repelled a Lions fightback in Johannesburg to win. Etzebeth towered above the rest that night and at the same venue, against the provincial Lions he effected a result of similar significance for Western Province players, who earlier in the year had played in the guise of the Stormers.
Etzebeth is among the 10 nominations for South Africa’s Player of the Year and while my preference is the revitalised and rejuvenated Western Province, Stormers and Springbok wing Bryan Habana, a more appropriate reward for Etzebeth would be the Rookie of the Year.
He plays with the authority of an old head, but the emotional maturity should not disguise his youthfulness. He is also an enforcer who lacks the crassness of a thug. He can impose his physicality without resorting to cheap shots, which is refreshing. There is more Brad Thorn to his persona than Bakkies Botha because he has the calmness a young Botha’s personality did not accommodate. Botha had mongrel but Etzebeth’s aggression is measured. The old dog can certainly teach Etzebeth a trick or two, which is why I’d select both for the end-of- year tour, but the emotional maturity and seemingly contentment of Etzebeth is unique among young international second rowers.
Etzebeth’s influence was massive in the lineout take and subsequent 20m maul that crushed the Lions in the last play of the game. Lions’ supporters would rightly have cursed his presence on Saturday night, but as South Africans they will have many a Saturday in which they’ll celebrate the fact he’s a South African who plays for the Springboks.
Another youngster who plays with the maturity of a veteran is Pat Lambie. National coach Heyneke Meyer has been reluctant on Lambie. Why? Who knows?
Lambie has shown his class as a person through a winter of frustration at national level. Picked as a bench warmer and only viewed as a fullback option he never spoke out against the coach and never threatened of a move to French or English club rugby. He spoke only when given a chance to start at flyhalf for the Sharks and his speaking came by way of performance. He was more commander than cavalier against the Bulls in the Sharks 20-3 semi-final victory.
He looked more Dan Carter than Quade Cooper in controlling the semi-final, which is a compliment of his class.
Lambie, two seasons ago, was brilliant in the Sharks’ Currie Cup final win against Western Province, but his versatility has been to his detriment. He can play 10, 12, 13 and 15 and he wouldn’t be out of place on the wing, but because of this quality he has become a jack of all trades when he has the potential to become the master of one.
Lambie really has been impressive at flyhalf in the most understated, yet effective manner. The hope is Meyer can review his earlier opinion that Lambie is a 15 and not a 10, and not fear misguided accusations that a change of opinion is because of a state of confusion.
Lambie, on the pending Bok tour, must get some game time at 10. Expect a big game from him in Durban on Saturday against Western Province. He’ll deliver because whenever he has been given an opportunity (not a 10-minute cameo role) the return has been a quality performance.
The Sharks were imposing and brutal against the Bulls and coach John Plumtree’s match 22 selection showed an understanding that play-off matches are determined more by the quality of the seven substitutes than the perceived pedigree of the starting XV.
The Sharks have been South Africa’s most consistent performer in Super Rugby and Currie Cup, with or without their current Springboks. They play the best rugby and they are South Africa’s best team. They will win the title on Saturday.
458 Comments
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22 Oct 2012, 12:33 pm
Sharks looking formidable for both CC final and next S15 season.
But they still require greater depth at prop and flyhalf.
It is a loooooooong super rugby season.
Beast, Doc Jannie and Lambie need to be managed!
22 Oct 2012, 12:34 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-86:
An hour ago you said 25 now its 30.
the legend is growing 
@Robzim-89:
It was a great dive, if he wanted he could have run Mellet’s leg into splinters, but he is to nice a bloke.
22 Oct 2012, 12:36 pm
@Mr Black-102: I saw your (Sharks) injury report, and the fact that there weren’t any. That’s worth 5 points.
22 Oct 2012, 12:36 pm
This my sound very Un-Bulls-like and I hate to say it, but maybe its time WP win the CC and bury this choker tag they have. They are our best bet in the Super 15 next year and with a strengthened squad they need to bring the believe back that we can win anything. This will have a positive influence on the Boks.
I believe the Bulls will be right up there in 2014 IF things change. Those of you who will watch the U21 final will see a very good and talented team playing positive rugby. I say 2014, because I will take a mediocre season next year if we see some positive changes. If we make the playoffs with Spies, Steyn and Olivier playing a boring kick and chase gameplan then we would have gone backwards.
22 Oct 2012, 12:43 pm
The two best teams in the country go head to head. Sharks have been most consistent and have home ground advantage so they are rightly favourites but WP are in it for sure.
22 Oct 2012, 12:44 pm
@Horings-104:
Why are they the best bet for SR next year?
Please explain.
22 Oct 2012, 12:48 pm
@Horings-104:
So, WHEN we beat the Sharkies by 10 on Saturday, do they inherit the Choker tag? It will be their third straight loss in a final.
22 Oct 2012, 12:48 pm
@Horings-104: It is simple for the bulls really:
1. Get a coach that is respected by the players. The bulls mentality has always been ons luister nie vi Windgat laaities nie…
2. Do not change the gameplan so much as changing the attitude towards it.. the bulls scored brilliant tries with this gameplan in previous years, but they earned the right to play a great game by forward dominance fisrt and foremost! They looked like boys vs men on sat.
3. Play Hougaard as 9 and give him free reign.. I hate the bulls but he is one player that can rip teams apart if he is left to do what he does best… sniping runs around the rucks as he is hard to bring down.
22 Oct 2012, 12:50 pm
87.The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food –
Sorry, your theory doesn’t necessarily work – There was probably a greater imbalance of test caps last year and we witnessed the Lion’s thrashing of The Sharks. Motivation on and off the field works in Finals. Who wants it the most! The fact that they have both reached the final means that both teams can play. I think that form and motivation are going to win on Sat – as stated previously. Plum won’t allow the team to go into this final in a complacent mood either!
22 Oct 2012, 12:52 pm
@Mr Black-106: Just look at the u19, u 21 finals…. Both have Wp in them…. Look at the WP players and you will realise that most are eligable for u 21 duty!!
So going forward they will only get better, and besides.. you reckon the Cheetahs, bulls or Kings are better prospects?
22 Oct 2012, 12:57 pm
@Horings-104: I really wish our (WP’s) U/21′s were all playing in that final on Saturday……
Kitshoff, Eben, Scarra, Malherbe, de Allende etc.
Bulls and WP U/21′s at full strength – there’s a Bok team right there.
22 Oct 2012, 12:58 pm
@Maljan-109:
A very sensible post.
Not that, “WP has the most run on Boks” tripe that some other fellow is preaching.
22 Oct 2012, 12:58 pm
@Provvas-110:
What about the Sharks?
They reached the final this year in SR and have loads of young players.
And our U/21′s was better than yours for 79.55 mins
22 Oct 2012, 12:59 pm
@Maljan-109: But the Sharks were playing away last year. Home ground advantage, all those caps and they ARE in form. C’mon mate – the Sharks are HUGE favourites, and really should put this WP team to bed before half time already.
22 Oct 2012, 13:00 pm
@Mr Black-113:
faders!
22 Oct 2012, 13:00 pm
@Mr Black-113: I think the post said the two best teams will be Sharks and Wp…. Not particulary in that order…
22 Oct 2012, 13:02 pm
@Provvas-110:
@Mr Black-113:
The following sample Stormers team will certainly be in with a good chance next year:
15 Jaco Taute
14 Gerhard van den Heever
13 Juan de Jongh
12 Jean de Villiers (C)
11 Bryan Habana
10Elton Jantjes
9 Nic Groom
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Siya Kolisi
6 Schalk Burger
5 Raynard Elstadt
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Pat Cilliers
2 Liebenberg
1 Steven Kitshoff
Subs:
16 Frans Malherbe
17 Deon Fourie
18 and 19 … two of Andries Bekker, Nic Koster, Carr, Rhodes, Ruan Botha or Don Armand
20 Louis Schreuder or Duvenhage
21 Gio Aplon,
22 Joe Pietersen
22 Oct 2012, 13:05 pm
@David-115:
@Provvas-116:
I like that order
22 Oct 2012, 13:05 pm
1122. nama1 – Thanks.
108.Provvas – on the issue of Hougaard. His style of play is more suied to Sharks or Cheetahs. The fact that he has been under the wing of Fourie dP (who is no longer there to guide him) is a problem. He has a natrual instinct for broken play and the Bulls and Boks (under HM) for that matter are way too structured. He needs serious technical assistance on his box kicking – look how many times he has been charged down this year. He kicks facing forward and as as scrum half, the box kick is VERY technical, almost a backward over the shoulder kick while stepping back not facing forward. He really needs help and unfortunately, like M Steyn, his confidence is shattered!
114. The Sharks………dog food – was saying this all along!
22 Oct 2012, 13:06 pm
@Mr Black-118: The baby guppies choked at home – simple
22 Oct 2012, 13:09 pm
@Robzim-117:
Yes they will.
But are you saying that the Sharks can not put up a team as good as yours?
Because Horing thinks so it seems.
And we have a better coach
22 Oct 2012, 13:11 pm
Well done sharks you deserved your win on saturday over the bulls.I have backed the bulls game plan all the way,but now it is deffinately time for a change in our rugby tactics,and hopefully a change of coach for our CC and vodacom cup teams as pine pienaar is totally out of his depth at this level,and i hope he fecks of back to the free state where he came from and stuffs them up,the way he has stuffed us up.
22 Oct 2012, 13:13 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-111: Especially when Arno Botha and Francois Venter is also eligible to play. Scary to think that our best U21 player by far is actually U19. Serfontein can actually play for the U19s and Francois Venter for the U21s
Before anyone comments on Venter, please remember he plays alongside the player you probably hate most, now that Spies is injured.
22 Oct 2012, 13:13 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-120:
So you say the Sharks U21′s was the favorites? In other words a better team. How else do you choke if you are not the best?
Thanks!
And I agree they choked
22 Oct 2012, 13:15 pm
@Mr Black-121:
Toetie Coetzee is very underestimated as a coach.
His decision on Saturday to send Louis Schreuder on as a FLYHALF was a masterstroke and showed some good “out of the box” thinking.
Unless Fleckie told him to do so
Sharks and the Stormers should carry our flag next year for sure.
22 Oct 2012, 13:16 pm
@blueboy-122: I am not blaming Pienaar. Ludeke and Meyer (for taking most of the support staff) is to blame.
Pienaar should take a step back, but remain within the structures. Someone like Johan Ackerman is the sort of guy that needs to be nurturing our young pack. Niemand gaan hom k a k hap nie. And he is a Loftus hero.
22 Oct 2012, 13:21 pm
HOT BREAKING NEWS(on 7am national news on all national channels)
US. cycling body is at this moment officially stripping Lance ‘the prance’ Armstrong of all his medals and championships and banning him fir LIFE.
How more emphatic can that be?
Million dollar law suits, in untold numbers, are to follow.
22 Oct 2012, 13:22 pm
@Robzim-125:
I agree Rob.
As you know injuries can change a good season into an ordinary one, so who knows what can happen next year. But fact is that the Sharks and Stormers/Wp are the best teams in the country at present.
22 Oct 2012, 13:23 pm
@Mr Black-124: They were the favourites mate. Our boys had to give up too many players to the senior team in the week and throughout the season actually. Van der Sluys – our U/21 captain, de Allende etc.
A fullhouse WP U/21 team would have demolished your babies. Eben, Kitshoff, Scarra, Malherbe…….
@Horings-123: I like Venter. No-one is judged whilst playing next to Morne.
Wish it was a strength vs strength final – it would be a good indication of both teams.
22 Oct 2012, 13:25 pm
@blueboy-122: He is not a bad coach mate. The most important thing the Bulls need to change is ‘mindset’. That can only be done by making strong statements in terms of WHO starts for you guys in the S15 next year.
You have great youngsters, let then do their thing without being indocrinated or limited to playing the standard bluprint.
22 Oct 2012, 13:27 pm
@Robzim-125:
I just hope that they won’t start with him on Saturday. It is a marvel to watch Groom clean the rucks as quickly as he does.
22 Oct 2012, 13:27 pm
@ET.-127:
This can turn ugly for Lance.
Are his lawyers still denying everything?
22 Oct 2012, 13:30 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-129:
Demolished!
Ofcourse they would have
22 Oct 2012, 13:31 pm
Now that I AM here let me say that a headline like this ” Lambie must play , Morne must rest” exists today in the year 2012 simply emphasises how disgracefully ‘verkrampt’ S.A. rugby still is and not far at all from the levels of thedays of denying the likes of Hopwood, Bedford, Wynand Claasens and more while promoting the likes of Avril and Abe Malan(brothers of Magnus) and the hideous Kobus Louw etc., etc.
22 Oct 2012, 13:33 pm
@nama1-131:
Ja, I hope so too, Nic was outstanding- also made a massive contribution on defence. I am really looking forward to see him and Elton Jantjes starting as a halfback combination next season.
22 Oct 2012, 13:34 pm
@ET.-134:
I think you’re getting your eras mixed up there.
22 Oct 2012, 13:35 pm
Lambie is the Carter/Oxlee natural ball player type who mostly does the correct thing on attack or defense and controls the game. Certainly not a bench warmer/impact player coming on late and tearing the opposition apart. In 2013 use him and Goosen together, initially Lambie @ 60/65% and Goosen as impact fly half to further confuse defences later in the game. By year end 2013 Goosen should be the real deal taking over as main fly half and Lambie staying on as reserve fly half (too much rugby has lots of player injuries) and becoming the main full back. Jantjies get less game time 2013 plus some in year end tour and by end 2013 is a good world class 3rd option going on in 2014 to being another real deal. All three go to the 2015 world cup as ‘real deals’ being underpinned by a good winning team, the pack/loosies will by that time start to equal the world beating pack of Smit/Matfield etc. This is team sport, not politics where you are either in or out. All world class players stay in the mix – full stop.
Bmck
22 Oct 2012, 13:37 pm
Appointment of Peyper for the CC Final isn’t coincidental
Neither that of Craig Joubert for the Kings-Cheetahs re match
22 Oct 2012, 13:40 pm
@Robzim-125:
AC combo with Jonker/Joubert/Legota Et al is owesome
22 Oct 2012, 13:40 pm
@Hondo-138: If you think Peyper blowing the final is miraculously going to ‘heal’ some of our WP front line players (which is the only way in hell we would have any shot at all…) you are mistaken.
Sharks by 1000000000000 million points.
22 Oct 2012, 13:41 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-129: Unfortunately I think his game has gone backwards. I have seen (from junior rugby as well) our 12s being used as first receivers running into the flyhalf channel. This may work in junior rugby where Venter and Serfontein is probably more physical than most loosies, but running into the likes of Alberts the entire game will be very bad for their careers.
22 Oct 2012, 13:42 pm
@Hondo-138: Is it Peyper really?
well as long as it is not wanker, Joubert or Kaplan..
22 Oct 2012, 13:43 pm
@Robzim-135:
Yes, his defence was great as well.
@Hondo-138:
Any inside info on how Peyper will influence the outcome of the game on Saturday?
Please tell me that WP have him on their book.
22 Oct 2012, 13:48 pm
@Hondo-139: What was your predictions for the semis?
22 Oct 2012, 13:49 pm
This headline featuring Lambie’s name shows how backward rugby is in terms of thinking and how a national ‘gem’ has lost 2 years already of his rugby playing life.
The question you ask is, why?
Well two years ago, Oct. 2010, to this very rugby situation/time /rugby period, Lambie and his Sharks destroyed the Bulls at KP in the semis(remember the bees incident or that killer of that time ‘Bees’ Roux). A week later Lambie masterminded a -dancing- past- a- ‘verkrampte’- Burger performance to engineer a win for the Sharks and the CC championship.
Since those performances the young Lambie should have been permanently installed as the national fly-half and the national scene would have been a lot healthier.
But that has not happenned and 2 years later the now older Lambie has to repeat such playmaker roles to convince the prevailing ‘verkrampte’ coach even though he(coach and others) have done their best to force his game to deteriorate for 2 full years.
“Go on lad, get one for yourself”(another try) and expose the nakedness of the idea/s your national coach represents.
22 Oct 2012, 13:52 pm
@Mr Black-132:
Lance and his dwindling support is still denying everything but when can you do when even some of your past wives do not stand with you?
22 Oct 2012, 13:55 pm
@ET.-145: Excellent…
Welcome back… Fark me now there’s gonna be farken chaos, snot en trane…
You rate Lambie the ‘General’ like you did way back when he first emerged…
Maybe you are actually the real Cape Kenner these Cape Kenner sheep wish they
were after they finally get rid of the myopic Traditional Power tunnel vision once and for all…
22 Oct 2012, 13:57 pm
Congrats to Cheetas to now for another 50 against the King Watsons
22 Oct 2012, 13:59 pm
My EOYT squad:
15 Jaco Taute
14 JP Pietersen
13 Juan De Jongh
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Bryan Habana
10 Elton Jantjes
9 Ruan Pienaar
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Marcell Coetzee
6 Francois Louw
5 Juandre Kruger (Time to step up)
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Jannie Du Plessis
2 Adriaan Strauss
1 Tendai Mtawarira
16 Chilliboy Ralepelle
17 Patrick Cilliers
18 Flip Van Der Merwe
19 Willem Alberts
20 Francois Hougaard
21 Patrick Lambie (could start)
22 Gio Aplon
23 Bandise Maku
24 Steven Kitshoff / JC Janse Van Rensburg
25 Jean Deysel
26 Keegan Daniel
27 Jano Vermaak
28 Morne Steyn
29 Paul Jordaan
30 Lwazi Mvovo
22 Oct 2012, 14:01 pm
@Heavens Game-147: I have always rated Lambie as a 10, but not a fullback.. So completely agree that he is the biggest threat this coming weekend to Wp.
But as a fullback he is useless.. he is too slow and cannot join a backline effectively, which is why I dont understand that Meyer keep saying he is a FB.
Lastly, it must be mentioned in 2010 in the CC final he played agasint Willem de Waall.. oh gone are those days…
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