Sharks search for fast start
8 Feb 2010
If the Sharks have any hopes of a semi-final berth, victories over the Chiefs and Cheetahs are non-negotiable ahead of an arduous overseas tour.
It may be extremely early in the season to be talking about play-off possibilities, but if the Sharks lose either of their opening two home games, the tournament is essentially over for them. After playing last year’s finalists and then their bogey side, the Cheetahs, the Sharks have a nightmare Australasian leg.
Historically they are recognised as one of South Africa’s better travelling teams, but from the third round they travel over the Tasman thrice to meet the Crusaders, Waratahs, Brumbies, Highlanders and Hurricanes – who barring the Landers all have realistic semi-final hopes. Two years ago on a similar tour, they only managed a win over the Highlanders and a fortuitous draw with the Hurricanes.
It is not only their Antipodean tour that doesn’t enhance their play-off ambitions but they also have less home games than semi-final contenders the Bulls, Stormers, Crusaders, Brumbies and Chiefs. John Plumtree’s charges only have six matches in Durban, which places even more pressure on them for their two home fixtures on the opening weekends.
After a poor pre-season in Cape Town, Plumtree wasn’t perturbed. He emphasised how they weren’t looking to fire in their hit-outs with the Force and Stormers, but rather by the time they face the Chiefs on Saturday. The Sharks came into last season as South Africa’s greatest hope after winning the Currie Cup in 2008, but this year they are in a very different situation. Plumtree has enjoyed being written off and believes the underdog status will ignite his side when it counts during the competition proper.
Plumtree also didn’t play a settled XV for large periods during the Tri-Series, but rather gave many players a chance to impress. The biggest worries revolve around accommodating Bismarck du Plessis and John Smit in the front-row and flyhalf.
Ruan Pienaar – wherever he is used – will be vital to their attacking game, but he only returned to training last Thursday after knee surgery. Adi Jacobs is another player who wasn’t involved in the pre-season hit-outs as he continues to struggle with a shoulder injury, and while he is defensively vulnerable, he’s another player who could provide impetus on attack.
It will be interesting whether Plumtree will risk the pair in the opener, use them from the bench, or save them for later rounds.
Claiming bonus points will not be their main aim in the Durban humidity in February, but later in the tournament this will effect the log standings. The Sharks only scored 31 tries in 13 games last year – the fifth worst of all the teams – and over the course of the tournament backs coach Chris Boyd and consultant Hugh Reece-Edwards will have to rectify the attacking failings.
Despite the question marks, the Sharks at home are favourites to down the Chiefs. The Kiwis have one of the better squads in the tournament, but are notoriously slow starters (they lost their first three matches last year), and the hosts must use this to their advantage at Kings Park on Saturday. The humidity will also dampen their attacking prowess, while they travel to South Africa without two of their most dangerous weapons in Lelia Masaga and captain Mils Muliaina.
By Grant Ball
19 Comments
8 Feb 2010, 05:36 am
Fast start dragons
8 Feb 2010, 07:03 am
Good morning all.
IMO…
do not write these Sharks off…..
It’s a helluva long tourny!
8 Feb 2010, 08:16 am
Nervous week this will be…the problem is, we have no idea the condition the Sharks are in except for having seen the pre-season games which does not instill any confidence whatsoever. It’s the fear of not knowing what to expect, but here’s hoping the Sharks are sorted in all departments and hoping we’ll see an entertaining game of rugby. GO SHARKS!!
8 Feb 2010, 08:37 am
the less said about the Sharks, the better.
8 Feb 2010, 08:40 am
@Transformation: Yes, 100% agree, I prefer the stormers being rated as the official SA chanlenger to the Bulls’ crown…leave the Sharks in the background and let them get back to playing some rugby.
8 Feb 2010, 09:31 am
I think if the Sharks can sort their fron row out, they will be fine, think Meyer if he gets front foot ball will be ok at FH.
If the scrum goes back as it has been doing, well then Meyer might struggle.
Another issue is a shortage of pace in the backline.
Again I say all depends on the front row, get that right and the Sharks will be as competitive as anybody !!
8 Feb 2010, 09:44 am
GO SHARKS !!!
8 Feb 2010, 09:59 am
Dayum!! Being written off if they lose the first two games cos they just won’t win away from home.
Fortunately our scribes have full confidence in our South African teams.
I mean, we’re only the best rugby nation in the world…is that not enough…..
8 Feb 2010, 10:05 am
i think we’ll have a better idea of who will be “contenders and pretendors” after the first round games this coming weekend
8 Feb 2010, 10:19 am
1 Beast
2 John
3 Jannie
4 Mostert
5 Johan
6 Keegan
7 Jean
8 Albert
9 Charl
10 Steve
11 Jp
12 Swani
13 Adrian
14 Odwa
15 Stefan
16 Bismak
17 Carstens
18 Alister/Sykes
19 Ryan
20 Rory
21 Monty
22 Vulindlu/Waylon
8 Feb 2010, 14:28 pm
GO SHARKS!
I can’t wait for the 13th
8 Feb 2010, 16:01 pm
@Transformation: And more about the Stormers hype machine?
8 Feb 2010, 16:06 pm
Writing us off if we don’t win the first two games? How come the Lions or the Cheetahs don’t get the same level of critical treatment? Is it acceptable fo them to lose nearly every game but when the Sharks have a bad run, everyone tuts and shakes their head? I think this is the problem with attitudes in SA, we’re happy to let kak performances go just because it’s the oldest unions. Why should we accept the Cheetahs and the Gauteng ***** cats being the laughing stock of the S14 year in year out? About time we demanded more as supporters.
By the way thanks for the faith Grant. Eish.
8 Feb 2010, 16:43 pm
@Transformation
Kutheni ezintwana zintsundu zizi stars at age group level zingakwazi ukuricha ezaheights kwisenior level. To name but a few.
Thabang Molefe (Griffons; voted best centre at u21 level)
Hilton Lobberts (Boland sa u19 and u21 winner same year)
Sangoni Mxoli (EP, sa u19 tighthead 2003, sa u21 2004,2005,2006 but he should move to hooker)
Dewey Swartbooi (Boland; relegated Jean De Villiers to the wing in 2002)
Nikolai Blignaut (Wildebeest; sa u21 2005 and 2006 his locking partners Cliff Milton is a regular at Stade Francais and Wilhelm Steenkamp is being groomed to be Matfield’s successor at the bulls)
Paul Delport (Sevens; sa u19 2003 and sa u21 2005 both occasions was the starting scrumhalf ahead of Ruan Pienaar)
8 Feb 2010, 19:09 pm
Transformation Ngubani igama lakho mfondini umhle lombuzo wakho, bendi kade ndicinga awuba funi abantu abamnyama
8 Feb 2010, 20:56 pm
Sharks !
We get so much negative attention because we are feared
by the other team supporters.
8 Feb 2010, 21:07 pm
sharks had these problems lastyear too. and they still have them
8 Feb 2010, 22:56 pm
Classic article
writing off the Sharks if they dont win their first 2 matches
and then in the other breath
mentioning the Chiefs as “notoriously slow starters….lost their first 3 matches in ’09″
and didnt the Chiefs go all the way to the Final ?
9 Feb 2010, 02:25 am
@Black Panther: The implication was that Chiefs will start slowly again – cant you read? They also mentioned that Chiefs “has one of the best squads of the Kiwi teams”
Frankly I have not seen anything to convince me that their tight five problems (nobody cleaning rucks, and bad scrums) have been solved (although the law chages may help them with the rucks), nor have their midfield penetration problems seen any light at the end of the tunnel.
They will be 5th on the log at best.
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