Stormers down shoddy Sharks
29 Jan 2010
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
270 Comments
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29 Jan 2010, 21:02 pm
**** dude, you think you could open the other eye before writing your next match report?
29 Jan 2010, 21:08 pm
As a Lions supporter, I think JC’s match report is objective and spot on. Well done, JC.
29 Jan 2010, 21:12 pm
If this is way the season is going to unfold with unbelievably boring rugby being decided by refs more suited to ballet and brown mouthed SkinCity’s I mean Skinstads, I’ll give it a miss.
29 Jan 2010, 21:18 pm
the shark players would do well to concentrate on their rugby than trying to sway referee decisions…groot bek
29 Jan 2010, 21:20 pm
#ROBDYLAN.. Spot on the match was nowhere as one sided as suggested
. Also serious dodge scrum from stormers, I thought they were very lucky to only get pinged once.
29 Jan 2010, 21:20 pm
I thought the boys looked alot sharper than the toothless sharks side. Joe is great at 15 and he links up well with Gio
and Brian. Can someone tell me wat the hell is wrong wit Bissie coz all him and his over weight brother wanna do is box the whole time. Our props were 24 and 23 and they still out scrummed the sharks.
Cronje looks to be a great talent and must def get some game time this super14. I think we still lacking one reali physical tight forward. Hopefully Fondse will be ready soon.
Duane V, wat a beast,him and flo were flippin good all nite.kegan Daniels is reali useless and more like an irritating fly. Sireli scored a great try,well done bugger
STORMERS
29 Jan 2010, 21:21 pm
Good match practice for the Stormers. Pity bout the mediocre opposition.
29 Jan 2010, 21:23 pm
I’m still not convinced we have enough depth in our pack,Jc,Deon,Decock and Piet M are good but still a lil young and lack that hard edge which comes with age and experience.
29 Jan 2010, 21:26 pm
I’ve said it for a looooooooooooong time. The Sharks are an incredibly average and over-rated team. Without the likes of Deysel, Kankowski and Terblanche, the Sharks would battle against Boland. Almost every factor of Shark rugby is a joke. More and more people are starting to agree with me, even after years of everyone telling me what an idiot I supposedly am. Well it looks like all my predictions have come true and the Sharks are rapidly losing support as well as matches. The Sharks used to have an incredible ammount of support but I knew it was only a matter of time until people started waking up. I, as a full-on “engelsman” who has lived my whole life in Durban, am a proud Blue Bull supporter. I am sick and tired of the Sharks getting everyone all excited with lots of big names but then playing rugby like a bunch of schoolboys. Clearly none of the Sharks’ combinations work together and honestly they have the worst back-line I have ever seen in a Super14 team. They also have no quality locks to choose from (Maybe Hargreaves in time). Muller is pathetic and way over the hill. Also, who the hell is Mostert? And Plum still insists on playing Fatboy Smit at tighthead when one would think that any living species could identify that he is a useless prop. Don’t even getme started on fly-halves. Then they have Waylon Murray and Adi Jacobs. I know they don’t normally play together but you should never have these two in the same team. Then Ndungane. Why is this guy still allowed on the rugby field? He is possibly the most useless person to ever get paid to play a sport. And what is so great about that toddler Patrick Lambie? Come on! He is so incredibly average it’s frightening! The Sharks may have some big names, but they also have some of the worst names in rugby.
29 Jan 2010, 21:27 pm
hope flo is not unfairly labeled an eye gouger.
vermuelen is so much better when playing at 8.
stormers looking alright – might be worth a punt at the odds being offered.
29 Jan 2010, 21:31 pm
jeez that John Smit is seriously overweight and out of condition. That Boytjie should retire and save himself and every other decent Sa rugby supporter a whole lot of embarrassment. Come on John do yourself a favor along with the rest of the rugby public. Call it a day or else you gonna undo all that goody two shoes bunk that everyone thinks shines out your you know what.
29 Jan 2010, 21:41 pm
Bekker a better captain than Burger. Burger should play 7 not 6 Flo should play 6 like last year. Vermeulen should be bok 8 ahead of Spies. Alberts and Deysel should be with Lions where they belong. Then Lions and Stormers would be top 2 teams in the country. Sykes and Hargreaves are great prospects. The 2 Dup bro’s are nothing but trouble, not the great shakes they reckon they are.
Duvenhage had a cak game kicking like a delinquent mule and kicking way too deep with a poor service to his line to boot. Conradie on tonights showing a better 9 than Duvenhage. When Bolla came on the backs got some rigting at long last.
Smokin Joe Pietersen got Bok full back written all over him. Naka kaka vuki kuki at least looks like he might mean some business this year, looking a little leaner and meaner with some proper intent for a change.
29 Jan 2010, 21:47 pm
Skop is back! yeah skop Sharks are k@k, at least the ones in the sea are talented.
29 Jan 2010, 21:51 pm
@rugbywriter: Ja the sharks backline is looking very scrappy they were killed on defense. Muller is over the hill and should step up or step out. I thought Mostert did well for the team and Alberts put in a better showing than Kanko. Smitty must go to no.2, Deysel was fkn good.
29 Jan 2010, 21:52 pm
@robdylan: well said, the Sharks were a bit shoddy but the Stormers didn’t exactly shine.
29 Jan 2010, 21:53 pm
rangerman…ratel Brussow….if you still truly …really …deep down…believe Smit the answer at 3….
Well then you okes seriously insane….
5 m Scrum….Bok Front row….smashed!!!!!!
That could be a WC quarter final….you want to risk it?
I dont.
29 Jan 2010, 21:54 pm
Sharks look hellava ordinary this year.
Stormers were solid and encouraging but played within themselves.
Could and should have won by more.
Good hit out
29 Jan 2010, 21:55 pm
This was a very poor performance gy the stormers….and still an easy win….a canter…
29 Jan 2010, 21:56 pm
Duane Vermeulen > Jean Deysel.
Any day of the week.
29 Jan 2010, 21:57 pm
18 Grant10
Never very poor. solid but never poor…
29 Jan 2010, 21:58 pm
sharks been overrated for long time already. But the real problem at Sharks is Muller Smit and the two Dup boys. Only guys with some graft in that team are the new locks Sykes and Hargreaves and Deysel and now Alberts. Plus evergreen Terreblanche. Kanko still the lightweight Flash Gordon he’s always been, same with Daniels.
Sharks in for a long season but Stormers better do something about scrum half because the way Duvenhage played tonight we may as well not have a back line.
29 Jan 2010, 21:59 pm
@grant10: agree with you there man, there is no way Smitty should play at 3. 2 2 2 2 !
29 Jan 2010, 22:01 pm
@WP_: that is a colossal match up i wouldn’t say its a one way, Deysel played fkn well tonight Vermeulen was also on fire
29 Jan 2010, 22:01 pm
as long as Smit is at 3 ….the problems will persist….saffas are so ready to underestimate the importance of a solid scrum.
Boks must wake uop too,,,,PDV…be smart….seems plum in a catch 22 but Boks cannot and must not allow pap snoek turbo reverse smit to play 3…..it is suicide!
29 Jan 2010, 22:03 pm
guys,
tonight i paid special attention to brock harris – looking for good hands, linking, positional play.
didn’t really show up this evening.
but was pretty solid in the tight phases.
but not so sure he is all he is made out to be.
29 Jan 2010, 22:05 pm
Smit must just retire and save everyone plus himself a whole lot of unnecessary angst. The guy is seriously past it. He wobbles up to the ref huffing and puffing like an overgrown tele tubby and between him and Jannie Poep I’m not too sure who got more wobbly flab bounceing round their rotund girth.
29 Jan 2010, 22:09 pm
All i can say is WELL DONE REF. It is the first game I have seen in years, that the rules have ever been dealt with properly.
If the rest of this years S14/15 is as good with refs.
Maybe just Maybe it will be worth watching for a change and maybe even a trip to the local Stadium.
Go Refs go
29 Jan 2010, 22:09 pm
the sharks backline is very blunt, i see plumtree hasn’t done anything dramatically different from last year, still trying to score tries off turnover ball…
29 Jan 2010, 22:10 pm
23 byoboy
Both great players but Duane offers more all round.
29 Jan 2010, 22:10 pm
well….lets see how the Rangerman and Ratel Brussow react….i will be accused of high treason for saying Smit must get fit and fight for the 2 spot….or call it a day…seems maybe we see the scrums through different eyes??
Confuses me….all i know is some sharks fans at the game are saying what a lot of people are now…….
Seems the aura and presence doesent help much when you unfit and scrumming towards your own line…..this against the much mocked little storers front row….
29 Jan 2010, 22:11 pm
storers is stormers
29 Jan 2010, 22:11 pm
congratulations to the warriors for winning the MTN40 trophy!!! You did it boys; we’re proud of you!! Russell Domingo take a bow.
Now give us a S14 franchise….
29 Jan 2010, 22:13 pm
Bekker looking good watch out Matfield. Deysel, Vermeulen, Louw should all be in Bok setup. Perhaps Alberts too. Alberts should have stayed at Lions, did his career a big backward step hooking up with the sardines. Deysel too.
Bekker Sykes Hargreaves locks for the future. Get the has been’s out the system NOW before it gets too late. Don’t say I never warned ya.
Drop the overweight over traded dead beats and move on or taste bitter medicine. Am tuning you straight ma bra.
29 Jan 2010, 22:16 pm
@grant10:
G10. You know that that NAMAI guy on the other thread wasn’t me.
@charo:
You should have paid special attention to Jannie Dup, brother. First scrum in the 17th minute. Jannie penalized for hand on the floor. Seasoned international like that?
Sharks were lucky tonight. They should have been thumped. Stormers need to get a killer instict if they want to go far in the super 14.
I hope nobody’s going to say that this was just a friendly.
29 Jan 2010, 22:18 pm
This was just a friendly
29 Jan 2010, 22:20 pm
@nama1: yes…no sweat…impostors….you got a fan club…congrats …welcome to the club.
29 Jan 2010, 22:21 pm
@charo: 25
Did you compare him to your boys? If so, what was your conclusion?
Brock vs Jannie, who won on the night?
29 Jan 2010, 22:22 pm
cheetahs…vs sharks….turbo reverse
boks …france…turbo reverse
boks italy….super turbo reverse
sharks … w force…turbo reverse
stormers…sharks ….turbo reverse…
Common denominator?
29 Jan 2010, 22:23 pm
@nama1:
mate, took me an hour to get home so missed the first 30 mins.
don’t recall ever saying that jdp had good hands, positional play or provided a link between forwards and backs.
or did i?
29 Jan 2010, 22:25 pm
@grant10:
Same fan… I want my own man…
@Transformation:32
Warriors won? Congrats,
Saw earlier that Ash was on fire tonight.
29 Jan 2010, 22:25 pm
There is no way John Smit lasts this year
He is looking tired already and the season hasn’t even started
Rest him, please or he will break down
29 Jan 2010, 22:30 pm
@charo: 39
I’m talking scrum time. Not one of those who look at a prop’s ability in open play. That’s a bonus if he can do that.
29 Jan 2010, 22:35 pm
38 Grant
Are you on drugs?
“boks italy – super turbo reverse”
um, smit played 2 that day with wian at 1 and we dominated the pasta guzzlers mate.
29 Jan 2010, 22:36 pm
@nama1:
i was referring to earlier posts.
from ufo i think.
anyway, it’s taking my an eon to reload a page.
will try again tomorrow.
cheers boys
29 Jan 2010, 22:37 pm
evening guys, good showing by the stormers i thought ,de jongh impressed me alot ! as did youre back three ,i must admit i havnt been litle joe pietersens bigest fan but tonight he put in a good preformance -
must be said that the sharks 10 12 channel is a huge concern of mine !
i thought the sharks forwards where actually fairly good -mostert deysel beast and surprisingly kanko all where fairly decent -and the scrums where not shoved back ,infact they where their usualy disruptive self-but the sharks front row wasnt humiliated if were all completely honest here…infact they gained some ascendancy towards the end even…
Lambie not ready for this level yet ,was incredibley average…terblanche and kanko made an impression on me as did charl mcleod ,the kearsney boy was a bit average …sharks have reason for concern 10 12 -eish ,burger was back to his usual distructive ways tonight ,great,wish the sharks had been more disciplined though!
29 Jan 2010, 22:37 pm
@WP_: check again….only when BJ came on we dominated
An apology may be in order?
29 Jan 2010, 22:38 pm
@charo:
my = me
29 Jan 2010, 22:40 pm
@baw: at the end sharks hasd Jannie dup at 3….burden at 2 and Beast at 1….best scrum of the night….against stormers kritzinger aT 3…fOURIE AT 2 AND gUINZAU AT 1….
spin it however you like….stick your head in the sand….smit is klaar at 3…all over rover!!!
29 Jan 2010, 22:41 pm
@grant10: i believe beast had one over on the italian actualy grant
29 Jan 2010, 22:42 pm
@baw: yes…agreed …with smit at 2 and bj at 3…
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