The Sharks will be happy to be back home in Durban and the Absa Stadium, as 5 weeks away from home must very hard on the players for so many different reasons, One can only hope that playing this weekend after their long flight does not take it’s toll.
Also one is not sure what injuries there are, that being besides the injury to Adriaan Jacobs and Johann Muller that is already known, On the plus side is being back at home their is far more players to choose from as back-up is at hand.
It does seem that the Sharks have turned to corner and one expects a good performance from them this comming weekend against the Queensland Reds who themselves are on a upward curve.
Compliments to The Daily News and CRAIG LEWIS
THE rollercoaster ride that has characterised the Sharks’ Super 14 campaign continued on its upward curve at the weekend, and so it is with unexpected optimism that the Sharks will prepare for Saturday’s match against the Reds at the Absa Stadium.
After five weeks of tour, marred early by misfortune, spurious rumours and much doom and gloom after poor results, the Sharks somehow found a way to turn their fortunes around, and last Saturday’s win over the Hurricanes was just reward for the character they have shown in the face of adversity.
The Sharks could so easily have touched down in Durban with their campaign written off in Australasia, but their last two successive wins would have sown seeds of belief that they can still get back into contention for a play-off berth. Knowing that four of their next six matches take place at the Shark Tank would have also fuelled the celebrations as the team journeyed home from Wellington, which was the last stop on their gruelling overseas trip.
Ruan Pienaar’s last-minute match-winning penalty not only capped another outstanding performance from the scrumhalf, but ensured the Sharks edged up the log standings to 10th. Nevertheless, it would be remiss to get too carried away with this win, and the lingering message to the team as they are welcomed home by friends and family would have been that there is still a massive challenge that awaits this Saturday in the form of the mercurial Reds.
After this match, the Sharks can look forward to a well-deserved bye week, but all their hard work over the last fortnight would be undone if they are unable to get up for this weekend’s encounter. Having made the long trip home, and after throwing so much into this past weekend’s match, it could be so easy for the Sharks to slip into a comfort zone of listlessness, but the Reds will be ready to cash in should this be the case.
The perennial underperformers have been the surprise package of the Super 14 thus far and are certainly capable of beating anyone on their day, as the Cheetahs, Western Force, Chiefs and Crusaders have found out. On Friday, the Reds were too good for the Cheetahs, and with that fourth win of the season having taken them to a relatively unfamiliar position in the top half of the log (they haven’t finished a Super Rugby campaign in that region since 2002), they will be settling down in Durban with confidence coursing through their collective veins.
It is with this in mind, along with the memory of how often the Reds have managed to produce upset wins against them in the Super 14, that should ensure the Sharks remain firmly grounded this week.
Sharks to just win this one.
Those Queensland dudes still like Joe Cools, so they are going to have a “lekker kuier” and not be up to speed…watch this space!!
Ok so I am really just talking to myself now.
2 – 4man……hahahahaha. Hope the beach is looking better. When I left to come up to Joburg in 1st of Feb, they were still refurbishing the whole beach area for the wc.
We need to win this one. Somehow think it will be tougher than the game against the Canes. The Reds are playing well, though never thought much of their game against the Cheetahs, seeing that Cheetahs had 4 of their players out.
Not sure about what happened to Goode either, if he got that permit or what?
Must resist the urge to move Lambie to FH if Goode can not get that permit sorted. Need to leave Lambie now at FB and he has to start there everygame now.
Don’t think we will make the semi. Road just too steep to climb from here. Just want to see them play some good rugby and win a few from here.
hello everyone
Problem is not about the winning all our games , that we are capable of, but we need to win them all with a bonus point everytime
and till now we have not acheived one this year for 4 tries in a match
puma sorry mate only just saw your comment on the other thread
no news yet on NO GOODE and yes the team landed early this afternoon
this place is now deader then a straight sex gang bang in cape town 😯
😆 😆
Folks, bear with us for a while, busy making a full backup of our system, before I upgrade to WP 2.9.2… so everything might slow down a bit now…. not necessary to stop blogging though….
6 – Sharky, Then looks like Ruan will have to start at FH and Kockott at scrummie.
Just hope they don’t have a idea to move Lambie to FH. He needs to settle and get a few games at FB. Actually they must not move him he must always play there. Also just keep the team like it is. Stefan at wing, seeing they not going to give Mvovo a chance.
Waylon will probably start now too that Adi is injured.
What worries me is we allowed the Canes back in the last 10 min. Our defence was not up to much there. Need to work on that. They have a very good FH and SH in Cooper and Genia. Also they will be less tired than our boys, though not ast bad flying back home than going East. So just hope they recover from the trip quick.
Okay out of here. Maybe back later or tomrrow.
Those watching the Varsity cup. Enjoy.
here is the team for saturday 🙂
15 Lambie
14 Stefan
13 Murray
12 Swannie
11 JPP
10 Ruan
09 Cockott
08 Kanko
07 Deysel
06 Botes
05 Hargreaves
04 Sykes
03 Smit
02 Bismark
01 Beast
16 Burden
17 Jannie Dup
18 Steenkamp
19 Daniel/ Downey
20 Mcleod
21 Mvovo
22 Ndugane
well unofficial team for now 😆
12 – Sharky, I like that team except think let Smit start again at LH. Our scrum was good with Smitty at SH.
Yes, think we should start with Deysel too.
14 – sorry typo there. Smitty at LH. 😳
Puma.
JS can play anywhere as far as I am concerned!
As long as he’s there.
puma brudda dont get caught into grants fever 😆
JS is fine at TH , also i put the team as i think plum will choose and take into account the rotation
but lets wait and see , as not so sure about flyhalf either
Hello fellow Sharks…..and the other supporters 😀
From what I’ve read on (I think) Supersport.com, the Sharks already announced they’ll not be bringing Goode over for the home leg of the comp.
So we’re once again where we started…or are we?
What I’ve been contemplating, after dismissing the thought outright of course…..how much worse is Monty than Goode? And I’ve been struggling to answer that question, I mean, What Exactly have Goode done that made him stand head and shoulders above the average Monty? My answer….NOTHING (except for a drop goal and his kicks at goal)
So will the Sharks be any worse with Monty at FH, with Pienaar taking over in the second half as was the custom with Goode? If there is one thing about Monty it’s him being ‘safe’….very boring and with no imagination, but was Goode any better?
I’d say to Plum, keep the format intact but, instead of Goode we’ll have Monty filling the gap.
16 – Piet, Agree Smit has to be there no matter what. We were very good though in the scrum while Smitty was at LH.
17 – Sharky 😆 Nah, will never..hahaha.
I know they will rotate, but if we start with the same front row, we could be on a roll now. Keep changing the players about ruins the consistency. Just for this week again would like to see the players start in the same postions. FH and SH would be a problem as Goode will have gone back now. So Ruan will have to start there and Kockott back to scrummie. Not bad though, could be a good thing.
18 – Fires, Not too sure about Monty though, yeah he is not much better than Goode, but maybe just start with Ruan and Kockott. Also think we should start with the same front row. Our scrum was really good last two weeks. Let Beast come fron the bench.
You see we have a kiwi ref? Sharks have been unlucky never to get a saffa ref more than once.
Stormers unlucky too they have Dickinson.
Okay out of here. Cheers catch up tomorrow.
if goode cannot play in SA ill put monty on the bench to cover incase of an injury
ciao puma tc bro have a good evening mate ^5
HIYAS FIRES whatsup mate??
be back later
22 – Sharky, We will have too have someone on the bench, it will be Monty have no doubt, there is no-one else.
Ruan and Kockott will start now that Goode can not get a permit.
Cheers Sharky, out of here now.
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