Stormers down shoddy Sharks
The Stormers beat a mediocre Sharks side 29-14 to finish the pre-season Tri-series undefeated.
Both of these teams have plenty of work to do. The Stormers were far better than the scoreline suggests, but considering the Super 14 is two weeks away, they should be concerned with their performance at the breakdown in the first half. The Sharks were poor in this area too, but the worrying thing for John Plumtree is that their problems are not limited to this department.
Sharks’ scrumhalf Rory Kockott fluffed his first few penalty attempts, while at the other end, Joe Pietersen pushed the hosts to a 6-0 lead. The Stormers also scored a fantastic try off the first phase – although special mention must go to the porous Sharks defence.
Their dominant lineout, spearheaded on this occasion by Duane Vermeulen, secured possession and the ball flew to Schalk Burger. The Stormers captain surprised the opposition by throwing a flat pass to flyhalf Peter Grant who in turn found Gio Aplon with a lovely inside ball. Aplon lined up Sharks fullback Patrick Lambie before feeding Burger who had run a great supporting line.
The problem for the Stormers was their inconsistent tactical kicking display and their failure to release the tackled player at the breakdown. The Sharks won a number of penalties thanks to the law adjustment that cuts down the contest on the deck. Similarly, the Sharks battled on defence, and at times the game never went through more than five phases without Craig Joubert blowing a penalty.
The Stormers were accurate with some of their kicks, whereas the Sharks were simply abysmal. Lambie had a forgettable night with the boot and, unsurprisingly Stefan Terblanche ran out at the start of the second half.
The visiting scrum also looked weak for the most part. Captain John Smit also looked tired, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares when the tempo is lifted in the first match against the Chiefs. The scrum looked steadier when Jannie du Plessis moved to tighthead and Beast Mtawarira came on at loosehead, but they also didn’t have things all their own way.
Nevertheless, the Sharks managed to level the scores in the second stanza, capitalising on a yellow card to Stormers flank Francois Louw. Terblanche and new recruit Steve Meyer seemed to galvanise the Sharks backline, and in the 45th minute, Luzuko Vulindlu crossed for an important try.
Pietersen nudged the hosts ahead in the 50th minute with a well-struck penalty. The Stormers began to apply themselves more and a rolling maul was illegally snuffed right on the Sharks’ tryline – an incident that led to the sin-binning of Jannie du Plessis.
The Stormers had botched a lineout from a similar position in the first half, but this time they showed the necessary determination to bash through the black and white wall. Tiaan Liebenberg was credited with the try, a score that signalled an end to the game as a result-driven contest.
The Stormers really began to find their rhythm in the final quarter and it was all the Sharks could do to spoil. Aplon was unceremoniously clotheslined by Deysel, a transgression that earned the Bok flank a yellow card.
The Sharks managed to hold a subsequent Stormers surge, Joubert reviewing the play on the television behind the dead-ball line. But finally the Sharks capitulated, a brilliant piece of individual running earning Sireli Naqelevuki a try in the right-hand corner.
The Stormers, winners of this Tri-series, will go back to the training field in order to curb their breakdown inaccuracies, but will be buoyed by one or two instances of attacking brilliance. The Sharks have a lot more to do if they’re going to be ready for their first clash on 13 February.
By Jon Cardinelli
January 30th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
@carol: Maybe do Barbarians and Scotland
What do you think?
January 30th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
@JL1: I think…..You only live once!!!
January 30th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
@carol:
Hehe, I think I got banned for that opinion
January 30th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
@chch – welcome back Carter: What opinion?
Confused?
January 31st, 2010 at 12:32 am
@David:
#147
You are right of course, I forgotten
Mujati was whiskered away by the Lions to the Cape after the story of his family siezing white farms in Zim had been published, there was a concern for his safety on the High veld
January 31st, 2010 at 12:46 am
@Pearl Rose: Also skop would never give any credit to Deysel
He definitely doesn’t rate him.
January 31st, 2010 at 2:06 am
@Hondo:
Ai Hondo, and of course you have all the evidence of that bull **** you’re talking about here.
I think you should get your passport in order to go back to your country of origin. The one that have won more soccer world cups than I can imagine?
Deutschland, is it?
January 31st, 2010 at 6:50 am
@nama1:it is so good to start a morning with a bit of mirth. I remember Hondo’s claim that in his country they play great football & they have won more world cups than you can imagine. At the time i wondered where he might be from, brazil maybe, because they have only won it 5 times, but i was not sure if you could not imagine past the number 5
@KZN King Shark: lol forget deysel, skop would never compliment “powderpuff” kankowski let alone suggest that he is a better openside flanker than keegan daniels!
there is so much that is not skopskiet about that post it is ridiculous!
January 31st, 2010 at 10:43 am
Charo @ 25
So the ball didn’t really come his way this game… that doesn’t mean what I said is not true… Habana is a try-scorer of note… does the fact that he didn’t score a try in this game mean he isn’t…?
Firstly Brok had it over Jannie… First three scrums Jannie was penalised for putting his hand on the ground and going to ground… When Beast came on Brok shoved him backwards… twice… the second time Beast went to ground…
So not only did Brok NOT let us down in the scrums as I said… he made Jannie look like a Tannie and had a Feast on The Beast…
He may not have had the opportunity to shows his open-game skills but was twice in a position to do so but decision making didn’t go his way…
He did take one pass high above his head… and every time he carried the ball up he retained possession and got the ball back… Beast especially but also JS and other props… often knock the ball on when carrying it up…
I was asked if he was better than JS and Beast in the loose…? Well besides being shunted in the scrums… what did Beast or John do in the loose…?
But Harris will get his chances in the season… I have no doubt…
Guys laughed on Friday when we suggested Brok had upped his game last season… You may all still laugh…
But I bet you Jannie and Beast aren’t laughing…!
January 31st, 2010 at 10:48 am
@ufo: you are absolutely spot on UFO….but why waste your breath….they will never take the blinkers off….well Charo is objective…but forget with most other sharks okes on this blog….objectivity not part of there agenda.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:00 am
@grant10:
cheers Grant…
Just had to respond so Charo didn’t think I’d run away and couldn’t defend my statements on Friday…
January 31st, 2010 at 11:01 am
@ufo:
Yeah…
Dunno what game Rangerman watched… Jannie putting it over the Stormers “at will”…???
January 31st, 2010 at 11:53 am
@grant10: @ufo: hahahaha you guys are killing me, the season has not started and already the banter is hitting high levels!! Love it!
be patient guys, all you wp/stormers are highly experienced in being disappointed after running your mouths hard at the beginning of the season, these sharks fans are still rookies at this.
They won the currie cup in ‘08 and thought they had arrived, so for the wheels to come off so soon after that supposed high is a bit unsettling if one has been hankering for it for so long.
January 31st, 2010 at 12:45 pm
anyone have an update on the tennis??
January 31st, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@grant10:
Fedrer won his 7th Aus Open title.
January 31st, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Fedrer….Federer
January 31st, 2010 at 2:10 pm
@nama1: thank you.
January 31st, 2010 at 3:19 pm
@ufo:
BTW…
Brok Harris also monstered Deysel back in a huge driving tackle…!! (or was it Alberts?? can’t remember and not near a TV)
One of the biggest (legal) tackles in the game…!
January 31st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
@ufo:
hi ufo,
my post was mainly tongue-in-cheek.
not having a dig at your boys – who i’m expecting to do well this season
February 1st, 2010 at 9:23 am
hey charo…
cool bud…
just didn’t want you to think I was being windgat on Friday…