Sharks are working hard on their defence shortcomings and how to put pressure on the Blues back line, how that will be possible is going to be difficult as we know the Sharks back line lack first time defence and on many occasions it takes more then 1 player to put an apposing team player down.
SHARKS coach John Plumtree has highlighted the Blues’ ability to create line breaks almost at will as one of the major threats that they will need to nullify on Saturday.
The Blues who boast one of the best back lines in the competition, although not always taking advantage of their ability and ascendancy on attack, they have regularly sliced through defences virtually every team they have faced this season.
“No doubt it’s going to be extremely tough this week, The Blues have the highest number of line breaks in the competition and that pretty much says it all. So defensively we’ll obviously have to be at our best” Coach John Plumtree conceded”.
“They have threats all over the park and man-for-man are one of the most dangerous sides in the competition. Their forwards are playing good rugby, but especially if you look at their back line there are threats throughout.”
Plumtree pinpointed scrumhalf Alby Mathewson, who once again showed his class against the Western Force at the weekend, as did inside centre Luke McAlister and hat-trick hero Joe Rokocoko.
“On attack Plumtree felt the Blues pose a similar threat to the Reds but are a bit more dangerous out wide because of Rokocoko and Rudi Wulf, who are all in good form. When we’ve played the Blues in the past some of these guys have been out of form, but they are looking really good right now and that’s going to make it pretty tough.
However, the Blues’ performances have been most unpredictable this season – their recent results read lost, won, won, lost, won, lost, won, lost, won – and the Sharks will be hoping this contrast from match to match continues this weekend.
Their uncanny tendency to blow hot and cold was exemplified during weeks eight and nine when they stunned the Bulls with a 32-17 victory before being hammered 33-21 against the Stormers the week after.
This unpredictability factor may make it rather tricky for the Sharks to know what to prepare for on Saturday, but the coastal franchise certainly seem to be fully aware of what strengths the Blues have.
“I guess if you look at those two games against South African teams, there certainly were two contrasting performances – against the Bulls they were brilliant but then weren’t quite so good against the Stormers,” Plumtree commented.
“However, they still broke the Stormers’ line quite easily and that’s no mean feat. That’s how good an attacking side they are because the Stormers have been very stingy in terms of conceding line breaks this season.”
The Sharks will also know that if they provide the Blues with opportunities to counter-attack – as they did against the Lions last weekend – that they will be punished.
“We have to be more clinical and patient on attack, we simply can’t turn ball over to these guys,” Plumtree agreed. “If we do that then we’re going to be in real trouble because they’re pretty tough at the breakdown as well. So even though they’re not in the top four at the moment there aren’t too many weaknesses in this Blues team.”
At the moment the Blues lie in seventh spot on the log, just two places above the Sharks, and it should make for an enthralling battle on Saturday as this is once again a must-win match for both teams.
Meanwhile, on the injury front for the Sharks, despite a number of players reporting to training yesterday with injury niggles, Plumtree said there was nothing serious that would threaten the availability of anyone for this weekend.
eish puma its tough one
we can do it puma but we will have to improve 150% on last weekend
Not so much improvement needed… Sharks are strong up front… just deny the Blues too much possession!
we need bonus points rudi , and that means opening up and running , but that also means defence gets weaker\
thus big improvment needed
the sharks need to try mvovo at outside center
look at granger how must he has brought to the blues playing 13
they both big strong fast good hands and good defenders
34@ Tjarkie – Before one can contemplate bonus points one MUST concentrate on WINNING.
The rest will take care of itself, remember, the Blues also need a win and bonus points, so they’ll be vulnerable when behind and they try and run it from everywhere… then Sharks tries will come more easily.
true rudi it still wont be easy
37@ Tjarkie – It will be difficult, just hope the Sharks do not make the mistake the Bulls did with the Blues and Reds… and that is to play the oppositions’s favourite type of game.
Sharks must force the Blues to play the Sharks type of game plan!
On that i agree Rudi
The Sharks need to keep the blues forwards tight in and make them defend
if we give them easy ball to run with we in trouble
hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo vieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam 😆
Rudi there is a good chance i will be going to the bulls sharks game
Dis
lekkerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom
n
sharkyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
te
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 😆
Hey wat vang jy aan , jys nes my kleinkind los jou alleeen dan plok jy alles op
Tjarkie has dementia….. simpel ding!
Hierdie rugby week gaan te stadig verby.
OK, ek sê nag, nou klaar gewerk vir vandag, flok!
As ons net hierdie week kan wen en die regte spanne verloor gaan my senuwees meer kalmeer.
Hoop regtig die Stormers klap die Reds, maar gaan kyk op die Stormers thread hoe noukeurig beplan Ewen McKenzie sy games. Lyk of hy die mental strength goed coach
Tjaila tyd
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