This Saturday’s clash between The Sharks and Blue Bulls is all about pressure – dealing with it and exerting it – according to Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford.
With the Boland game now well behind The Sharks, the one major lesson learned is about patience. “We spoke about how impatient we were and how we frustrated ourselves with lots of mistakes,” explains Bashford, “so we just need to work on building a bit more pressure by keeping the ball for longer periods of time.
Obviously the challenges presented by the Blue Bulls and Boland are fairly contrasting, and a much tighter, more physically competitive game will be on the cards at Loftus after The Sharks were able to score eight tries against Boland and succeed in keeping their try line intact.
The good thing about games against the Blue Bulls is the sheer intensity, there is a competitive spirit between the two sides that runs back many years over many big games and Saturday will be no different as The Sharks look to consolidate their position on top of the log and the Blue Bulls look to leash in a run of two losses and prevent a third one in succession.
“You always know what it it’s like against the Blue Bulls up there, and they’ve come off two losses so they are going to be desperate,” he says. “They’re in a similar boat to us in respect of missing Bok players and it’s going to be one of those typical Bulls-Sharks games where the team that plays the longest and hardest will probably get the result.”
At this stage of the tournament and currently top of the log, with a few more wins for The Sharks, a home semi beckons. Should they win this weekend, and then with a run of three home games before their final pool match – against Griquas in Kimberley – they would fancy their chances of remaining in contention for the play-offs.
The next two games are going to be vital, the Blue Bulls this weekend then the Cheetahs at home the next. “They are difficult ones,” agrees Bashford, “but we don’t want to start thinking about the Cheetahs yet, we still have a job at hand this weekend. But we’re sitting on 32 points and if we pick up another win, then get our Boks coming back; we’ll be in a good position. We also have two of the so-called lesser sides to play, the Leopards at home and the Griquas away which won’t be easy, but at full-strength, we’ll be backing ourselves.
“There is a lot to play for but ultimately, for us, it’s all about the Blue Bulls this Saturday.”
Asked if the coaching staff have identified any weaknesses in the Blue Bulls, he points to a traditional strength as an area that has been battling recently. “Their pack hasn’t been going well if you look at the last two games, but if you look at the players they’re missing, it’s a bit like us with a lot of our forwards out and we’ve also picked up a couple of injuries here and there so they are pretty much in the same boat as us with their pack.
“So despite the fact that they might not have done well in the set pieces against Province, I didn’t expect them to. That Province pack is pretty much their Super 14 pack bolstered with guys like Chris Jack and Anton van Zyl so if you had asked me before who I thought would dominate the set piece, I’d have said Province, so with us in a similar position, it should be a good contest at set piece and obviously in those big games it’s the detail, the little bits, the intensity and who plays the hardest and longest that matters. It could come down to kicks at goal.”
Exerts of this Article was taken from sharksrugby.co.za, the Official home of the Sharks.
60@Polla – OK, ons sal nie Coke verskaf nie…. dis wille goed daai!
Hehehehe
Net gou my Superbru picks gemaak. Moelike twee games om te pick die naweek!
Fender
Balie acts as a consultant. Whoever wants him, can have him for how ever long they want. He is not linked to the Sharks or Bulls specifically. He works when and where he is needed.
Go Sharks!!!….
Of wag, go Bulss!!!….
Of wag, wat van ‘n gelyk score 0-0!!
Vir die Bulls supporters se part hoop ek Balie het by ‘, sangoma gekuier die laaste ruk want toorkuns is al wat gaan help om die power Bulls skrum kompeterend te maak. Gelukkig vir hulle is die Sharks skrum maar self aan die swak kant na al die Bokke uit is!
Wen die Bulls, het WP ‘n beter kans om top of the log te eindig, verloor die Bulls hoef ons nie meer oor hulle te worry nie… 😆
@KingPaul –
Dis reg, moenie oor ons worry nie, tot ons julle verwoes in die semi finaal.
Ja, die twee Top of the Log spanne speel altwee weg games die naweek. Moeilik om te voorspel wie gaan wen. Sharks by 3 en WP by 5….my beskeie mening!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Julle gaan straks die Sharks trek in die semi’s sos julle nou aangaan!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Maak julle maar eers die semi final! Ek kan eintlik nie wag daarvoor nie! Die atmosfeer op Nuweland gaan weer moerse wees! Jy beter kom kuier as dit gebeur!
Ek begin sommer nou al Proheps drink sodat my lewer reg is vir daai dag!
#56 & 63: Thanks for the explanation Polla and Supa.
68@KingPaul – WP is maar sowat 1 game voor die Bulle op die Log…
Dit kan in een naweek omswaai…. pasop….
Netnou soek julle weer kalmeerpille en anti-depressante…
@grootblousmile – GBS jy weet mos, die WP het alklaar die Kerrie koppie gewen 😉
@KingPaul –
Wat worry jy so oor ons span? Met volsterkte spanne het julle ons laas in 2004 gewen. Ons sal die semis maak, jy sal sien. Onthou dan net hoe grootbek jy was!
@grootblousmile – 70
Het julle nog van 2008 se voorraad oor?
Tswane het mos so gekoop dat daar ‘n wereld tekort was 🙂
@grootblousmile –
Amper soos die s14. Elke jaar in Januarie word ons vertel hoe die Stormers die jaar SA se beste span gaan wees! Dan kom hulle nie naby nie, dan moet ons hoor hulle “bou” glo!
@grootblousmile – Dis waar wat jy daar se GBS…maar ons het darem nog net een moeilike game oor die naweek…daarna cruise ons semi’s toe!…As ons Saterdag wen natuurlik!
73@SA Barbarians –
😆
@grootblousmile – @Tripples –
Die CC sal lekker interessant word as die Cheetahs, Bulle, Leeus en GW die naweek wen met bonuspunte en die WP, Sharks kry niks. Dan sal die log naby wees:
GW 33
Sharks 32
WP 32
Bulls 31
Cheetahs 28
Leeus 26
Dink hoe gaan die spanne dan spook vir semis en tuis semis! n Ou kan hoop! 😉
Julle bulle manne moet onthou dit was nie donkiejare terug wat julle die onderste speen gesuig het in die Super 12 nie. Geniet dit wat julle het op die oomblik…die gety draai altyd!
@Polla –
Wat van die Leeus op Ellis Park? Julle kon hulle net-net wen op Nuweland sonder Alberts, Baywatch, Walter ens. Of skree jy Sharks?
78@Polla –
Dalk moet die WP onthou dat hulle nou al vir 8 jare niks gewen het nie en ophou praat asof die koppie reeds op Nuweland is!
@Supa Die Bloubul – 77
So gepraat van hoop…. ek is nou terug, gaan gou R10 000 se lotto kaartjies koop 🙂
@Supa Die Bloubul – Die enigste twee spanne wat realisties ‘n bonuspunt kan verdien hierdie naweek is die Lions en GW. Die ander 4 spanne se games is te tight vir bonuspunte.
@Polla –
Nee, die spanne wat verloor in die Bulls/Sharks en Cheetahs/WP game kan ook bonuspunte verdien.
Mmmmm ek wonder.
1WP
2Sharks
3Bulls
4Cheatahs
WP teen Cheatahs, Sharks en Bulls.
of
1WP
2Sharks
3Cheatahs
4Bulls
WP-Bulls, Sharks-Cheatahs.
Most Likely is
1Sharks
2WP
3Cheatahs
4Bulls
Indien so, is eindstryd Sharks teen Bulls op Kingspark.
My beskeie opinie.
My hoop is natuurlik dat die WP die Bulle trap op Nuweland……………..
@Supa Die Bloubul – Niemand hier rond praat van die Koppie op Nuweland nie..ons praat om ‘n home semi te maak. Daarna kan enige iets gebeur….En die Lions is nie meer faktor nie…hule het dan “My name is Earl” terug!…lol
@isigidi –
My opinie:
WP
Sharks
Bulls
Cheetahs
Finaal: ?/WP in die kaap.
Bulls sal Cheetahs klop op Loftusmet ons Bokke en so bo hulle eindig. Enigste game waarvoor ek skrikerig is met ons Bokke terug is die Sharks in Durban.
@Polla – 78
Sommer verlede jaar nog…. daar was meer galgtoue te sien in die strate van Tswane as mullets en tattoo’s.
Beskeidenheid is nie ‘n inheemse spesie daar in Tswane nie 🙄
85@Polla –
Ek is seker Ed en K9 sal van jou verskil. Ek glo die Leeus is wel nog n faktor. Hulle gaan nie alles verloor van hier af nie. Pasop om hulle af te skryf op Ellis Park, julle praat nou groot. Maar julle kon die Leeus net-net wen op Nuweland.
Julle het duidelik vergeet hoeveel galgtoue daar in die Kaap was n paar maande terug in die S14. Almal wou Rassie wegjaag. Nou red A Coetzee die boot en word Rassie gou vergewe.
@SA Barbarians – Janee, my ou groot golf pel hier in die Kaap is ‘n groot BlouBul. Affies geskool en Tuks ge-varsity, en daai woord bestaan nie by hom nie!..lol.
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