Sharks to see off Stormers
28 Feb 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes Stormers fans must prepare for more Super Rugby misery in Durban.
The Sharks will beat the Stormers in Durban. It won’t be an easy victory but when these two teams play one point is emphatic enough in the chase to being the best South African team in the competition.
The Sharks were magnificent in beating the Stormers in Cape Town in the 2012 semi-final season and in turn the Stormers, in the guise of Western Province in the Currie Cup final, were as magnificent in winning the title in Durban.
The Sharks were surprisingly edgy and tentative in the final quarter in Bloemfontein to hang on against the Cheetahs, but then the Cheetahs did beat the Stormers in Bloemfontein in a pre-season match.
I know Elton Jantjies will be better but the Stormers are missing the colossal presence of lock Eben Etzebeth more even than the Sharks are missing the influence of Bok hooker Bismark du Plessis.
The Sharks pack is good enough to get an edge, especially in the collisions, but it’s the Sharks back division that will trouble the Stormers more than the Bulls did.
Pat Lambie asks more attacking questions at flyhalf and Frans Steyn has a physicality at No 12 that wasn’t there in the Bulls line-up.
The back three of the Sharks, as a unit, also shades the visitors.
It is going to be difficult for the Stormers and while away defeats aren’t a train smash in the tournament, it does add to the pressure of a ‘must win’ situation when playing at home.
The Bulls will win easily against the Force and get the bonus point and the Cheetahs will be competitive against the Chiefs and may just get a bonus point for tries scored if the game opens up as expected. The Chiefs will win and get five league points.
The Kings will enjoy their second great weekend in the competition because of the bye. Thereafter it will become decidedly tougher and demanding for a squad blessed with passion and desire but very limited on pedigree at this level.
For those who like to forget when I do get it right, 3/3 last week in relation to the SA teams. That’s right I couldn’t find too many on Twitter and the inbox was predictably empty with the clever guys who offered such articulate abuse at me picking the Bulls and Kings to win.
I expect another slow post match response when the Sharks do the business in Durban.
731 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10 11 12 13 … 15 » Show All
28 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@Dawn-347: Thanks for the moral support, Dawn. I’ve been wondering: aren’t you tempted to head on over to the SA Rugby site? They have Ryan Vrede videos, you know. You seemed quite besotted with him for a while.
28 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@willievz-343:
The same could be said for the Bokke under Meyer, they need to employ a back coach who actually knows something about back line play like Wayne Smith, look what the Chiefs do with ball in hand.
28 Feb 2013, 15:08 pm
@Transformation-348: Uyindoda emadodeni.
Hambela phambili!
28 Feb 2013, 15:09 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-346: Is that so Rucking Rottie Knotter?
Stupid enough to reckon the Stormers are going to beat the Mercenary favourites at Dirtbin stadium…?
Yup… Must be as dumbfucked as the rest of the Stormer Gods Gift to Rugby supporters on this site…
BOOM!
28 Feb 2013, 15:09 pm
Or my Blues look at the tries they scored last weekend with JK and the messiah at the helm.
28 Feb 2013, 15:10 pm
Anyway, i’m out till monday. Gonna miss te rugby but will watch recording monday night.
Enjoy it guys and girls.
28 Feb 2013, 15:11 pm
@NZINCHINA-352: We have Ricardo Lobster, don’t you know. What more could we want?
28 Feb 2013, 15:12 pm
SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRKS!
Of course they are favourites…
And of course they gonna farken win…
A Beyootiful thing…
BOOM!
28 Feb 2013, 15:12 pm
@kaksioek-357: And Van Graan, attack coach
28 Feb 2013, 15:14 pm
@kaksioek-357:
Exactly spend some rand and get what you need, how difficult can it be to find a top quality backs coach, you also need top quality backs as well maybe they are harder to find in SA.
28 Feb 2013, 15:15 pm
@NZINCHINA-355: Tough choice, went with Blues
Got my tickets for the Stormers vs Crusaders game. Top seats almost all sold out. Only a few good seats here and there.
28 Feb 2013, 15:16 pm
Got the stormers to win by 3 on superbru… so win win nonetheless.
28 Feb 2013, 15:19 pm
@Sasuke-361:
Good man I’ve been waiting along time to have a crack at the Cantabs they have had the wood on us for far too long, I’m just hoping we don’t implode tomorrow night by being too eager, keep an eye on the AKL 6 the next AB 6 I reckon.
Your Stormers might just take them they don’t look as strong on paper as previous years.
28 Feb 2013, 15:19 pm
@Mr Black-356:
Oh and re my folks car … almost sorted thanks for asking.
Almost.
28 Feb 2013, 15:20 pm
@NZINCHINA-363:
Et tu Brute
Tipping Stormers over Crusaders!
28 Feb 2013, 15:20 pm
@NZINCHINA-360: No problem at all – haven’t you heard? The Eastern Cape is positively overflowing with black rugby talent. My God, you Kiwis will be sniffing around trying to stick black jerseys on them (it’s already working in the Western Cape, but sadly only with the spectators).
28 Feb 2013, 15:23 pm
@kaksioek-366:
So what
28 Feb 2013, 15:24 pm
@Dawn-367: So the Boks are sorted, right? What’s next – world peace?
28 Feb 2013, 15:24 pm
@Dawn-365:
Might not will, good to hear your parents are sorted its a shi tty world we all live in.
@kaksioek-366:
We don’t need them we pillage the island kindergartens instead. That little winger looked pretty good although he was half an inch from busting his collar bone with that swan dive.
28 Feb 2013, 15:25 pm
@kaksioek-366:
28 Feb 2013, 15:26 pm
@Heavens Game-354: I wouldn’t dare encroach on the territory you and S_L inhabit and protect with such ‘va va voom’.
Mickey and fuckingMallory indeed. S_L has to be Mallory (as you have been initiated into the world of darkalleyexploration)
Guppies by 11 HG?
28 Feb 2013, 15:26 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-370:
Grew three faces suddenly?
28 Feb 2013, 15:27 pm
@kaksioek-366:
Kings won
NMMU no longer whipping boys of Varsity Cup
I am keeping a wary eye out in the direction of the EC
To me it looks like there is something good going on there.
28 Feb 2013, 15:27 pm
@Dawn-372: No, I’m actually
28 Feb 2013, 15:27 pm
Beast gonna turn Malherbe inside out, like farken salt on a snail…
Burden going to embarrass the “2nd Best hooker in the Country”…
Jannie gonna show Ginger Ninja up for the farken piepejolla hes proving to be…
Bresler got too much Mongrel for Steenkamp and Warhorse Franco gonna show up Bekker in the rucks while stringbean wifebeater hangs around in his position of outside center…
Coetzee and Kolisi will be even stevens but Deysel will cut Rocky Superman Elstadt in half worse than 3 Bulls did should he farken dare run upright at the Black and White defense… Kanko vs Fatfuck – this is gonna be fun, like a thoroughbred vs a fat shetland pony… There’s only one winner…
Reinach gonna fuckadilly Groom while Lambie makes plays and Elton shivers and shakes from the next Coetzee hit, or the next run from Francois Steyn – coming right at him…
JPP vs Habanero will be a tight affair but I reckon JP getting more than slightly irritated at all the Habanero hyperbole while he actually has no peer in this land or the next…
Only Apples in the Backs has what it takes to match Mvovo, while Ludik will be smiling at facing Joe the blonde bombshell skopskiet at poles saviour…
In the centre, Mr Venter, is where this game will be won more than anywhere else… The Bok Captain was outplayed last week by a wing and the new “giant” centre De Allende got farked up good and proper by a Timotei advert… This week they play the best centre on the planet bar Sunni Bull and his sidekick Jordaan… It wont be pretty guaranteed and by the end of the game the State Vet might have to come and do a dreadful kindness and put the Donkey down…
BOOM!
28 Feb 2013, 15:28 pm
@NZINCHINA-369: You just keep your hands off him. We might be able to give you his captain though. (He’s the wrong colour, you see. Quite embarrassing really, and nobody has had the heart to tell him. So he thinks he’s black – and that’s the main thing.)
28 Feb 2013, 15:28 pm
@Heavens Game-375:
Oh dear
28 Feb 2013, 15:29 pm
@NZINCHINA-363: Blues by 7…… They are licking their lips, and it is time
Would make my weekend somewhat if the guppies of NZ (granted the guppies of Kiwi rugby have at least won a few titles…..) were snotted by Kirwan’s troops.
Todd B – last chance saloon surely? This season?
28 Feb 2013, 15:32 pm
@kaksioek-376:
That’s your gig the Watson saga pretty amusing looking from the outside in, one big big distraction I reckon for your rugby, to be fair though if one of our boys had said he wanted to puke on the famous black jersey it wouldn’t have gone down too well either.
28 Feb 2013, 15:32 pm
@Heavens Game-375: Just such a shame Frodo won’t be there captaining this band of warriors?
Guppy rugby reads like the Lord of the fuckingrings.
Fearless hobbit Frodo – leader of men. Injured and gone…but not forgotten.
Oh yes HG – ourshyte has been booked
28 Feb 2013, 15:33 pm
@Stawm-302: Of course the CC final hurt! Why you mean to tell me The SR 15 Semi 2011/2012 didn’t hurt you? or the loss to the Bulls last week? If you deny it you are just lying
28 Feb 2013, 15:33 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-371: No you wouldn’t… Your territory is that space outside Primary School gates where you and Rottie go for “socializing”, surely…
Nevertheless a decent win for Sharks will be around 7-8 points however the little Black and White forked Demon reckons its gonna be 24-13 to the Dynamite… 3 converted tries and one penalty vs one converted try and one penalty…
Done and Dusted… The only choking by the favourites on Saturday my dear Rottie Knotty, is after they have eaten their opponents when spitting out the gristle…
BOOM!
28 Feb 2013, 15:35 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-378:
Old lead boots is too old school, the Cantabs have become a tad predictable, if we take them tomorrow night I’ll be wrapped, agree Blues by 7 or 27
28 Feb 2013, 15:35 pm
@kaksioek-376:
@NZINCHINA-379: Would I be correct in saying he would never play for the ABs if he said that?
28 Feb 2013, 15:37 pm
@Heavens Game-382: I love it when you talk foreign….. continue?
And in 3-2-1, I’m guessing HG’s Yorkie: Tyrone(who is Tyrone pretending not to be Tyrone, while saying he is Tyrone) enters right leg. Dry humping furiously……
28 Feb 2013, 15:38 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-384:
Mate to be honest I just don’t see how that could ever happen in NZ, your situation and ours are worlds apart but I doubt very much any AB coach would ever pick a guy who had blasphemed like that
28 Feb 2013, 15:39 pm
@NZINCHINA-377: BOOM
hahaha usushintshile mhlathi wakho!
28 Feb 2013, 15:39 pm
@NZINCHINA-363: That 6 was impressive vs Canes. On Fox Fantasy they have him down as a lock. Plays like a Saffa Flanker.
Yes that backline bar Carter, Dagg and Fruean looks average. They are going to miss Maitland and Guildford in that back three.
28 Feb 2013, 15:40 pm
@Sharksgirl-381:
All my anti sharks sentiment is directed only at HG.
28 Feb 2013, 15:40 pm
@Sharksgirl-381: It’s worse when there is a title to be had. IMHO.(or that’s the way it feels)
@Heavens Game-382: Ok HG, so for the sake of my Superbru I’m going guppies by 39? Yay or nay?
@NZINCHINA-383: He will get the boot if no silverware presents itself I reckon. The time is right for a hiding. They start slowly….and they haven’t touched a ball in competition yet
28 Feb 2013, 15:42 pm
*———===============
a long stick of Dynamite lit..
BOOM
28 Feb 2013, 15:43 pm
@NZINCHINA-386: Me too, and I couldn’t say I’d blame him.
28 Feb 2013, 15:43 pm
@NZINCHINA-379: You have to understand that Luke was terribly disadvantaged and discriminated against when he was growing up and continues to be terribly disadvantaged and discriminated against now – all while being paid the lowly sum of ZAR 4 million a year to captain a team that represents a union that his father is president of. If he didn’t have the Keohanes to represent him I think the pressure would simply become too much to bear.
28 Feb 2013, 15:43 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-385: LOL…
Farken liberal Emo chick… Go farken shave your armpits, man
28 Feb 2013, 15:46 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-390:
“….and they haven’t touched a ball in competition yet ”
Barring the one he managed to hold onto when he scored, you might have well have been describing Bekker there, if one only considers line outs and kick offs.
28 Feb 2013, 15:48 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-390: Yay… A bit optimistic granted, but if the alternative is going against the favourites on Saturday, then by all means go optimistic sweetie…
PS… Go back to my post where I gave you the exact scoreline… Put scoreline in Superbru and see them bonus points tumble into Doggy Style’s no doubt bushy lap…
28 Feb 2013, 15:49 pm
Stop it kaksioek, you horrible man, you!
My sides are aching!
Out shortly, back around 21::30.
28 Feb 2013, 15:49 pm
God knows it can’t be easy championing the cause of black rugby with a squad full of whiteys and a trio of white coaches. And to that the fact that you’re white, your father’s white and you’re represented by a foreign white agent and crikey – it’s enough to make anyone want to vomit.
28 Feb 2013, 15:49 pm
@Transformation-391: In the words of a certain Daywalking wise man…
iBOMB!
EEEEEH!
iBOMB!
28 Feb 2013, 15:51 pm
@kaksioek-398:
Change your tampon
This isn’t a Kings thread
Pages: « 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10 11 12 13 … 15 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.