Cheetahs shock Sharks
Jacques-Louis Potgieter slotted a last minute drop to knock the Sharks out of the Currie Cup at Kings Park.
The Cheetahs have come back from the dead in the league stages in the competition, and did the same in this semi as they trailed 18-3 early in the second half. But a remarkable comeback, aided by the Cheetahs flyhalf scoring 18 points, secured one of the great upsets in the competition as they won 23-21.
The Cheetahs were expected to trouble the Sharks at the scrum, breakdown and with their attack. They did just that, and throughout the opening 40 minutes they produced most of the play. Looking at the scoreboard however, it wouldn’t have told. The Sharks led 15-3 at the break, 10 of those points coming in the final 10 minutes, but for the visitors it was a half of lost opportunities.
No 8 Ashley Johnson was held up inches from the tryline, while Potgieter’s goal-kicking problems were initially exposed. He missed nine points off the boot from two penalties and a drop, and playing with the wind, trailing by 12 points was far from Naka Drotske’s plans.
Heinrich Brussow – who was easily the best player on the park on the day – delivered yet another masterclass at the breakdown, but when the Sharks did force turnovers they made it count. Stefan Terblanche opened the scoring from a long range effort from their 22 after 10 minutes. Ruan Pienaar also slotted a penalty from another Sharks counter, while the scrumhalf’s try on the half-time hooter came from JP Pietersen’s break in their own territory, the Bok winger brushing off tackles and linking brilliantly.
The Sharks had little possession and territory, while their scrum was a shambles. The Sharks attempted to win the territorial battle largely via the educated boot of Juan Hernandez and his array of different kicks, but they had little ball to do it with. The Cheetahs conversely looked to run as much as possible, but couldn’t convert their pressure into points.
They were also winning a number of the personal battles, especially at the scrum and breakdown, with referee Marius Jonker rewarding them with many penalties. Both sides’ lineouts struggled and as a result, neither side constructed much play.
The visitors’ hopes of an upset were also hampered after half-time when Richardt Strauss had to be substituted. They had no specialist hooker cover and Johnson had to move into the front row, further curbing their plans to attack the Sharks’ set-pieces.
Early in the second stanza, the story of the opening stages was clearly exemplified. As soon as the defending champs got into opposition territory, Hernandez put over a drop to extend the lead. Corne Uys then had a chance to score from a chip, but failed to hold on. Potgieter slotted a penalty and cancelled out the Argentinean’s effort, but yet again the Cheetahs would have felt they should have gained more from their work.
Finally the underdogs made it count. Impressive tighthead WP Nel carried a number of defenders on his back to surge over the line and put his side back into it at 18-13 after 52 minutes. When Frans Viljoen looked to have dotted down four minutes later, the Cheetahs should have been in the lead. Somehow Jonker referred with his assistant ref and they ruled a forward pass, but it wouldn’t matter in the end.
Just two minutes later they wouldn’t have worried about that when Potgieter ran 50m to score. A shocking pass from Pienaar was lapped up by the flyhalf, putting the visitors in front for the first time since the opening five minutes.
Pienaar reclaimed the lead, and while the Sharks dominated territory in the last quarter, they failed to close out the match. Decision-making was poor as Hernandez, Terblanche and Adi Jacobs all went for drops when they had the visitors on the ropes. Ironically, it was Potgieter who was the one who dropped into the pocket to seal the result.
By Grant Ball
October 18th, 2009 at 6:40 am
I have said it ad nauseum all year….and been ridiculed,branded a traitor,had lynch mobs and a price on my head….but i will say it again out of a sense of conviction and with no malice at all.
J Smit is not and never will be a tighthead. The sharks will lose more big games than win due to there scrumming being obliterated. One cannot win with a scrum being manhandled….the French are waiting with a pack of mean scrummagers…..
I say it again, perhaps now the Saffas and Sharks fans may be a little more objective…J Smit either needs to move back and challenge for the 2 spot or retire from international rugby.
And the Beast is no powerhouse in the scrums either.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:01 am
If Pdv can’t see this then we heading for a hiding of note down the line. Another captain needs to take the reigns and some proper scrummagers like Nel of FS, Blaauw of WP, Buys of Lions and Du Preez of FS should be taken on Eoyt.
If they continue with the same pap setup in the Bok side especially this pap Sharks front row we heading for trouble, big trouble. Jannie Dup, John Smit, Beast are way behind some younger tougher talent in the country, if we persist with this compromise we heading for deep kak.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:07 am
#302 skopskiet: Skop….J Smit must do the honarable thing….his book due out soon….he has nothing left to prove or accomplish….he was found wanting again yesterday….now one can blame the locks, mention that with boks Smittie has Bakkies to assist and all that garbage….plain and simple….he is not an international class 3…..!
I simply cannot believe he will stay on….VM can take the reigns till 2011 WC….it is bad enough we are carrying an apprentice in Beast at loosehead….having 2 x weak props a bridge too far….
The young WP Nel can be groomed….he and Wian Du Preez decimated the sharks yesterday. The minute that happened Brussow had a free lunch….
October 18th, 2009 at 7:09 am
another point….WP kept the bulls on the back foot….and spies again went quiet…..Dewalt Potgieter again looks streets ahead as a playmaker 8 in my books…
October 18th, 2009 at 8:09 am
“Cheetahs shock Sharks”
They didn’t shock me though!
I predicted in a thread here on Friday that the Cheetahs will win, I said no way the Sharks can win a Semi if fielding the Beast, Jacobs and Nedungane all in the same line up.
I surprised the Bookie too, collecting a handsome return by betting against a 1:5 odds!
October 18th, 2009 at 8:11 am
#305 Hondo: there weak link is J Smit.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:28 am
#306 grant10:
There were few more weaknesses, Sharks front row struggle all afternoon, Bismark was in a visible discomfort, that TH Nel was undermining the Sharks’ scrums by burrowing underneath the Beast at will, and YES, Smit did struggle badly.
Both the Cheetahs and the Lions were under appreciated this year CC, please note that NONE of the two teams carried any passangers except Earl Rose!
October 18th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Sorry Banana boys.You were your own worst enemies and
poor team selection led to you demise.You cannot bring
players back after injury and expect them to perform at
their peak.
You should have substituted Pienaar and played Kockett.
You gambled with your front row and paid the price.Beast and Bismarck were clearly uncomfortable and with a lock behind
them just returning from injury,you were looking for
trouble right from the start.
You should have played the guys that carried you during the
competition and put your Boks on the bench as impact players.
So what is this story,that Potgieter,having downed the
Sharks is returning to the Bulls,next year?
October 18th, 2009 at 9:33 am
#301 grant10: Again with this?
October 18th, 2009 at 9:34 am
#308 Brentie1: Agree 100%. But it still hurts.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:47 am
#303 grant10: When will you realise CC is not international rugby. Sharks not up for it. Pathetic display of non-heart. But don’t lose sight. Boks had one of the most dominant years ever. Drop the captain? I suppose you want little Joe in bok 15 (and Aplon on the bench?).
October 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Shock them maybe, I saw that coming.
My prediction was Cheetahs to beat the Sharks by 3 and Bulls to beat WP by 10…
October 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
3 losses in the entire campaign; up there with the best throughout the Super 14 … yeah, the Sharks are done, switch the lights off at Kings Park.
If the Cheetahs don’t win, it will be all worth **** … even to their fans. I’d rather watch a team getting results more often than not than a flash in the pan last gasp bonus points campaign. I reckon most Cheetahs fans would exchange results in a flash.
Keep the “big hearts, never give up” BS for Hollywood and american football teams.
Sharks lost, they bummed, we bummed, but i’m sure they’ll be a good SA side to watch next season again.
October 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
#311 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): boet….you guys wont learn…..if J Smit cant cut it at CC level how long before the wheels come off at int level….as it has done already come scrum time so often. But leave it there…lets see boet…you reckon the sharjs gonna win the super 14 with that front row so be it!!
October 18th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Looking back at the week’s Semi-final match between the Sharks and the Cheetahs it has been clear that the Sharks have been maybe overconfident in their match approach. The Cheetahs has always been a team that finishes strongly in the last 20 minutes of the game and has proved to be the case in the match. The non performance of some of the staunch Springbok players in the Sharks outfit is also a course for concern in the year end tour to England. The front rows for the Sharks have been totally dominated in the scrums by their Cheetah counterparts. I personally think that Os du Rant has done wonders to the cohesion in the front row for the cheetahs and they will still improve into the future. Maybe they can become a force to be contended with in the future and maybe also in the super14 competition. It will be interesting for me to see how the Bulls front row is going to stand up to front row of the Cheetahs in the final. I personally think that the Freestate has got the best front row in the Curry Cup competition.
Read for more opinions on what went wrong
October 18th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
#313 kevin w: Sounds like sour grapes to me!! Fact is despite a terrible start to the CC, the Cheetah’s made it when it counted, and I think there results over the last decade, especially the last 6 years is a very impressive one, as far as CC rugby goes!!
10/10 semi finals since 1999, and 5/6 finals since 2004!!! The Cheetah’s are quite happy with their teams perfomance, thank you. We know they have performed admirably, considering, they have on;y a few Boks, and they played without one of the best in Juan Smith!!
We hope to see an improved performance in the 2010 S14, as they look a bit more settled, and have more depth than this year, and their draw is a lot better!!
Go Cheetah’s !! You guys rock!!!
October 18th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
The sharks lost the scrums,they lost the game and most shocking is they have lost their desire to win games. I think there are a few players who have had their status go to their heads and no longer give all for the team
October 18th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
The Sharks’ rugby is without doubt incredibly hard to describe. With talented players for miles, the best captain in the world and a massive fanbase, the Sharks at first glance seem like optimum rugby team. Yet if you closely watch the Sharks perform, you really can’t help but get a bit concerned. For instance, the Sharks are consistantly the top team with the least amount of bonus points. Be it the Currie Cup or the Super 14, the other top teams always have more bonus points then the Sharks. Time and time again, this factor has cost the Sharks a cup, most noted in the 2009 Super 14 failure. All the talent, yet the Sharks never perform consistently well. You’ll notice that in most tournaments, the Sharks win more games then the other teams. Yet they always seem to battle to over-take these teams. Why? Of course – the elusive bonus point. The Sharks attacking (or lack there of) has been the predominant reason for their woes over the past few seasons. Some also argue that John Plumtree may need to be given the boot. Here are my opinions.
I think Stefan Terblanche is (at the moment) the best fullback in the world. He constantly puts his body on the line and delivers outstanding performances and is one of the few Sharks players who inputs real intelligence to the mix. Most of the Sharks players haven’t a clue when it comes to decision making. In my opinion, without the likes of Smit, Deysel, Kankowski, Pietersen and Terblache, the Sharks would really be battling to remain one of the top four teams. The reason for this – John Plumtree has shown that he can be a smart man, but speaking honestly, he makes too many wrong decisions. The Sharks could have a far better starting XV then what they currently have, yet Plumtree persists in keeping the same team that scrapes 1 or 2 point victories. For instance: Ndungane, Jacobs, Murray, Piennar and Botes should not be in the Sharks starting XV. Replacements are Mvovo, Vulindlu, Swanepoel/Strauss, Kockott/MaCleod and Keegan Daniel respectively. I have to discuss Ruan Pienaar. I can’t find another way to describe him better then over-rated. I agree he maybe does have talent, but the fact is he hasn’t played that well since 2006/2007 and you can’t keep pushing for him at the expense of more talented individuals. When he lost his chance at scrumhalf, he was wanted at flyhalf. When he played badly at flyhalf, he was put back at scrumhalf. He’s playing badly now, and now I’m hearing that he’d make an amazing fullback? I have nothing against Pienaar, but this is simply untrue. He doesn’t have the kicking accuracy or cool-head of a fullback, as was proven in the Australia defeat. Am I missing something or is there a reason why so many people are pushing for this guy to be in the team regardless of form? Either way, I feel Kockott is a better scrumhalf. Also, why does Pienaar take the kicks when we spent so much money on Hernandez?
My Sharks match 22.
1. Beast
2. Smit
3. J. du Plessis
4. Sykes
5. Hargreaves
6. Daniel
7. Deysel
8. Kankowski
9. Kockott
10. Hernandez
11. Pietersen
12. Swanepoel
13. Vulindlu/Strauss
14. Mvovo
15. Terblanche
16. B. du Plessis
17. Cilliers
18. Muller
19. Botes
20. Pienaar
21. Dumond
22. Strauss/Vulindlu
October 18th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
#318 rugbywriter:
finally someone who’s sees the light!
the sharks are the most boring team who win despite their coach. take away the brilliant individuals and the sharks would struggle against boland. that’s why i reckon naka drotski must be a special coach. no stars yet look how they can play as a team! if potgieter sunk those four missed penalties imagine how different the scoreboard would have looked. plum should be assistant coach. they need heyneke meyer…
October 19th, 2009 at 12:21 am
318. rugbywriter
Dont be too negative about Pienaar.He was playing behind
a losing tight five.The Sharks loosies were never in the
game because the tight five were never able to supply
good front foot ball,because your coach gambled with the
front row.
With two fresh and well performing Bulls locks behind them
they gave the BIL a torrid time.Finals are about winning
and not running rugby.Nobody remembers how the game was
won,just that it was.Winners are remembered,losers soon forgotten.
Why Kockott was left on the bench,beats me,he has shown
that even under difficult circumstances he is able to produce
the odd drop goal and that was all that was all that stood between winning and losing.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Ruan Pienaar is a closet Cheetahs supporter.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:17 am
it was terrible going into a game and not showing up i think is relevant to the fact the majority of the scrum was either carrying injuries or just back from injuries and it disrupted proceeding but if we had won we would have said nothing, we didn’t show up at all
October 19th, 2009 at 8:18 am
#318 rugbywriter:
I agree with you on most of your points, heres my Sharks team;
1. Beast
2. Bismarck
3. Jannie
4. Sykes
5. Hargreaves
6. Rhodes
7. Deysel
8. Kanko
9. Kockett/Charl
10. Pienaar/Monty
11. JPP
12. JMH/Swanepoel (depending on who the opposition is)
13. Murray/Vulindlu
14. Mvovo
15. Oom Stef
Smit on the bench with Muller and Botes and Keegan.
Ruan should not play scrumhalf. If he cannot play anywhere else (or doesnt want to) then he needs to go. Tired of these prima donnas losing us crucial matches. Give me a Burden anyday of the week over what I saw from Bismarck on Saturday. Beast did sweet f*all but there is no one else. Muller is just anonymous. Botes probably only good at fetching beer. Adi just not doing it for me anymore, he should have smashed JLP when that intercept happened but he fell to the ground like a punk bit*h.
Also starting to have my doubts about Plum. This team plays no particular style of rugby so when times get tough we have no structures we can revert back to and for that I blame Plum. Selection was rubbish.
Just generally pissed off! Losing to Cheetahs at home..pffft, I spit on this Sharks team.
Alas,
Sharks Forever!