‘Sharks must cure attacking ails’
16 Oct 2009
Joel Stransky believes the Sharks will have to improve their attacking game if they are to advance to their second successive final.
The former Springbok, Natal and Western Province flyhalf was not overly confident of his team being able to defend their title on 31 October due to their recent performances. The Sharks haven’t lost since their Boks arrived back, but neither have they been impressive.
‘The Cheetahs would’ve taken a look at the Sharks and seen a number of vulnerabilities developing in their play over the last few weeks,’ Stransky told keo.co.za. ‘They’ll be quietly confident.
‘The Sharks have played a lot of rugby with ball in hand, but have rarely looked dangerous. They’ve had problems scoring recently, while the Cheetahs haven’t had any at all.’
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has had an air of confidence all week, starting with his mind games regarding his team announcement as well as saying the Sharks are the only side under pressure.
‘The possible team changes are just a bit of mind games, but they are also relevant,’ said Stransky. ‘If the weather is bad, he may make a few late changes. If it rains, you would think it would suit the Sharks’ pack with their maul, but if they’re struggling to score in the dry, how will they score when it’s wet?
‘If the Cheetahs defend well and don’t give away silly penalties, they will really be in it.’
Stransky is not calling for an all-out attack in a play-off encounter, but rather a varied approach from the hosts’ halfbacks to place the opposition under pressure. The Sharks may have scored seven tries past the flimsy Griquas’ defence, but the Lions provided a necessary shock two weeks ago.
‘In that match, Ruan Pienaar kicked for the first time in the 70th minute. However, the route of the problem is Juan Hernandez, who always stands too deep in the pocket. If it’s wet, that may suit them and they could get away with it, but it’s not ideal.
‘Ruan has had a few problems at scrumhalf and has been out of sorts. He’s not the Pienaar of old, but you can expect that as he hasn’t played there in a while. The biggest worry is that he’s not varying his game and has become predictable.
‘The fact that he hardly kicked in that game didn’t help his team, but he is a helluva player who can deliver in matches such as this.’
Pienaar has taken over the goal-kicking duties and while his inconsistency has led to him being dropped from the Boks, Stransky is confident in his abilities. The Cheetahs meanwhile are in a catch 22, as Jacques-Louis Potgieter is the source of their attacking play, but Louis Strydom is the reliable kicker.
‘I’m sure they’ll start with Potgieter, whatever the weather, as he’s proved he can start. With Ruan’s goal-kicking, he’s had rhythm and he’s got confidence, which is a big thing for him. I don’t see his good goal-kicking form changing.’
By Grant Ball
27 Comments
16 Oct 2009, 05:41 am
Winning Sharks Jan.
16 Oct 2009, 06:03 am
yeah Hernandez needs to stand flatter
16 Oct 2009, 06:42 am
Perhaps Stransky forgot that the Sharks are top of the log and only lost two games up to this point.
Griquas have beaten almost everyone and deserve to be right near the top of the table. Beating them was never going to be easy or pretty.
The Lions are improving in leaps and bounds and find themselves just short of a semi through some close games. Once again, the Sharks are labelled yet everyone forgets that the Lions beat Province, who in turn beat the Sharks twice.
The rub of the green and one or two lapses in concentration, it could have all been a different story at this juncture of the Currie Cup.
Stransky should look a little deeper and look for positives in the Sharks top of the log standing. This was no fluke.
16 Oct 2009, 06:56 am
stransky is right, plumtree could not get the backline going during the s14, most of the sharks’ tries came from turnover ball and when the opposition was not coughing up ball, the sharks were blunted hence the lack of bonus points. Against the cheetahs just the other week, no bonus points, against wp none.
16 Oct 2009, 07:01 am
Stransky’s never really been a fan of his former team. That said, he’s also pretty negative about the Boks most of the time. Everyone wants to be the punter that called the upset, making fictitious problems up to justify their calls. Drotske can play his silly, little mind games. They are the domain of the desperate. The Sharks won’t have any issues scoring this weekend, being the well prepared and quality side they are.
16 Oct 2009, 07:10 am
#5 SimiJan: yes, well prepared to implode. Wp score their bonus point try against the cheetahs in the first half already in bloemfontein, the sharks with all the springboks back and add on hernandez couldn’t pull off squat. Stransky is spot on but the default arrogance of sharks fans will in this case too blind them from seeing the wood for the trees.
16 Oct 2009, 07:13 am
#6 Pearl Rose:
I see JJ Harmse described the Proooovince as the Bafana Bafana of rugby…
16 Oct 2009, 07:17 am
I cant stand Stransky commentating. I have never heard such a pessimist.
16 Oct 2009, 07:45 am
Pearl, I distinctly remember WP losing that game… I didn’t say anything particularly arrogant either, merely that Stransky spaketh bollocks.
16 Oct 2009, 08:34 am
#9 SimiJan: agreed they lost it, they didn’t have a problem attacking and scoring tries with ball in hand, which is what stransky is talking about, isn’t it?
16 Oct 2009, 08:41 am
people no matter what stransky or who ever says what , the game is played on the park and who ever wants it the most will take it ,
or the sharks havent scrored that many tries blah blah blah means nothing
16 Oct 2009, 09:18 am
It’s immaterial how many tries the Sharks have scored upto now. We are now in a semi, no bonus points needed.
16 Oct 2009, 09:55 am
Die sandhaaie gaan choke. STAAAAT!!!
16 Oct 2009, 10:15 am
#8 Sonito: Yeah me too. When Stransky commentates I just switch over to the Afrikaans commentary. He is useless at commentating and such a bore really.
Good luck Sharks for tomorrow. Going to be a cracker rain and all.
16 Oct 2009, 10:17 am
#12 Bump: #11 sharks_lover: Exactly.
Only one point more than the Cheetahs needed tomorrow that all it will take.
16 Oct 2009, 12:10 pm
all the negativity will hopefully disapear when were holdng the trophey -again with the fireworks in the bacground …super sport advert again =)
16 Oct 2009, 12:16 pm
#16 sharkteeth:
do they give trophies to teams that lose?
i know in tennis they do
16 Oct 2009, 12:25 pm
Plumtree is a good coach.But he is a forwards coach.His strategy is too conservative and too direct.
None more illusrated by the fact that he has return Botes at 6,Shelved the Pienaar 10 experiment,playing Hernandez at 10 and Stefan at 15 thus reliant on kicking game and backline stands too deep.His insistence in playing Strauss/Swanepoel at 12.
Sharks XV IMO
1.Beast
2.Bismarck
3.Smit(c)
4.Sykes
5.Muller
6.Daniel
7.Deysel
8.Kankowski
9.Kockott/McLeod
10.Pienaar
11.JPP
12.Jacobs
13.Murray
14.Ndungane
15.Hernandez
16.Burden
17.Du Plessis
18.Vd Berg/Hargreaves
19.Botes
20.Kockott/McLeod
21.Terblanche
22.Vulindlu
16 Oct 2009, 12:29 pm
#18 mshiniwami: Disagree with your wings!!! Lwazi is much faster and stronger than Ndungane, and now that he was getting experience he was really dangerous with ball in hand and on defence, He should be in the Starting line up. Also not too fond of a penalty a minute Keegan.
16 Oct 2009, 13:11 pm
Terblanche has also been the best 15 in the CC.
16 Oct 2009, 13:16 pm
#20 Big Hit:
Agreed – followed by Joe Pietersen.
16 Oct 2009, 14:35 pm
#6 Pearl Rose: Funny how only the Sharks fans are arrogant but no-one says anything about the WP supporters who as far as they’re concerned have already won the CC!
Give it a rest Poep Rose its getting really boring now.
16 Oct 2009, 14:37 pm
#19 Sharksgirl: Yep Movo is a far better prospect than Ndungane but now he doesn’t get a look in anymore. I will be pulling my hair out if he doesn’t any opportunities during next year’s S14.
16 Oct 2009, 14:40 pm
#22 Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: Your last line
#23 Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: Ja, agree really thought that Mvovo would have had a spot in the team for this CC. Played really well when Odwa was on Bok Duty. Do hope that Mvovo gets a place in the S14 with the Sharks. Has far more speed than Odwa. Right now Odwa probably more experience but that is all. Rate Mvovo a lot.
16 Oct 2009, 16:52 pm
the sharks scored 7 tries last week…
16 Oct 2009, 16:56 pm
#25 robdylan: conceded 4
16 Oct 2009, 16:58 pm
#18 mshiniwami: he never shelved the pienaar at 10, pienaar shelved it for him
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