Francois Steyn
The final log positions in the South African Super Rugby conference this year show just how crucial physical dominance is to success.
By Michael de Vries
The two derbies to end the regular season summed things up quite well – with the Lions running the Cheetahs ragged to secure their best-ever finish of 12th overall with seven wins, whilst the Sharks ground the Stormers down in a brutal clash at Newlands to finish a full 12 points clear of their nearest local challengers the Bulls.
The Durban side will carry South African hopes alone in the play-offs, and they will do it playing the physically and territorially suffocating style of rugby that has characterised successful teams from this country in recent years.
There is not much of a secret to the Jake White gameplan which was executed perfectly at Newlands on Saturday, prompting the World Cup-winning Bok coach to declare that their primary goal in the play-offs will be to simply recreate that performance.
They pinned the Stormers back with the booming boot of Frans Steyn and forced the home side to play from their own half, and a massive defensive effort saw them hold out under incredible pressure before taking advantage of a few key counter-attacking opportunities to run away with the game.
It is a sequence that has been seen many times before, and the groundwork was laid by a big performance up front by a committed forward pack that was solid in the set phases and slowed the Stormers’ ball down effectively to shut them out.
This approach has made the Sharks the most consistent South African team this season, and although the clash at Ellis Park on Saturday provided plenty of thrills neither of those sides will be playing next week.
That physical edge that the Sharks have had has been key to any South African side that has finished a Super Rugby season near the top of the standings, and has always been a non-negiotable aspect of the Springboks’ game.
This does not mean that every team should play exactly like the Sharks, but there is no denying that their success this season underlines just how important physical dominance is in South African rugby.
While there is far more to winning rugby games than just imposing yourself on the opposition it is clear that not many games are won off the back foot in this country, which matters far more than worrying about people calling you boring.
GO SHAAAAARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To Puma, Sharks-Forever,BananaBoy, Ryecatcher, HG, Snoek, Charo,Treehugger, ‘Finley the Dam Shark on Sabbatical”, and all our our Shark friends, all of the best, we RTs are right behind you…..
GO FOR IT!
@ Pietman: Oh, stop g*tkruiping!!!
Exactly what the Oom said above
JUST DO ITS SHARKS
@ BrumbiesBoy:
No bru, I am serious!
This is a Saffa vs Kiwi team, htf can you not support our guys?
It would be like not supporting Julius vs Jacob in a parliamentary debate about NkandlaGate….
“They pinned the Stormers back with the booming boot of Frans Steyn and forced the home side to play from their own half, and a massive defensive effort saw them hold out under incredible pressure before taking advantage of a few key counter-attacking opportunities to run away with the game”
The question is whether this style of play will be good enough against teams with a better attacking game, skill levels and much more vision than the Stormers had on Saturday?
It might work against the Higlanders in Durban but I seriously doubt if it will work against the Saders and Waratahs.
In fact I am quite sure it won’t.
@ robzim:
They should have Lambie back at 10 for those games.
I guess Jake might only play him off the bench against the Highlanders, but come semi and possibly finals time, he should start with Lambie.
Think the Sharks back line will be more fluent if he plays and not so one dimensional.
@ nortierd:
Perhaps, but White’s statement about using their performance against the Stormers as a template for how to approach the play-offs and also his “copy and paste” comments made me wonder whether Lambie will be allowed to play his natural game or whether Frans might not even be retained at no 10.
@ robzim:
True that, Jakeball template will be the plan, but Lambie is an instinctive player and will play his game.
With him at 10 they got 2 bonus points for 4 tries, since his injury not much tries scored in the back line.
Their best chance of winning the semi and final will be with him at 10 IMO.
With lambie they can employ the same gameplan.
The only difference might be that he is a bigger threat in the”danger zone”.
He isn’t suddenly going to play like Jantjies. The territory based gameplan will be the same strategy.
The biggest worry for the sharks is nt who plays flyhalf. It is who plays at 12 when lambie is fit… Should it be Fransie?
@ MacroBull:
If Lambie is 10 Fransie will definitely be 12.
I would have liked to see Lambie 10, Jordaan 12, Sithole or JP 13 and Frans at 15
If Sithole is 13, JP on the wing or vice versa
@ nortierd:
then again having fransie at 12 will keep lambie in check… which should be a good thing at this stage for the sharks. .. Never change to much for the play offs.
@ MacroBull:
I really rate Jordaan, the guy has some serious class.
He can be a great playmaker if he can get his hands on the ball with a little more space and time
@ nortierd:
there is no ways frnasie would be left on the bench now… fransie at 15 might be the way JW could go?
The sharks have so many options in the backline but very little clear options.
3 possible fullbacks
4 possible wings
3 possible centers
3 possible flyhalves
no clear selection unfortunately.
then again… best idea for jake now would be to just play the same team again and get lambie on the bench.
13 @ MacroBull:
Yep, Jake won’t bench Frans, but if we are honest, why should he?
Frans has been his stand out player all year, played through injury and out of position. He doesn’t deserve to be benched, so 15 might be the perfect spot for him now if they have Lambie, Jordaan, Sithole and JP available for fly half and centers?
@ nortierd:
I think he should keep the same team and bring lambie on near the end after…assumingly… a comfortable lead.
Sharks had a good year. Its a good thing he took a sabatocal between the lowly third tier test matches.
@ MacroBull:
sharks=fransie
16 @ MacroBull:
Yes, for the Highlanders match I agree, but I’m referring more to the semi and final when I say Lambie must start
@ nortierd:
its funny how most sharks debates have regarded the backline while the heart of the team is at the forwards. I still stick to the belief with the proper foundation must flyhalves should do well. (You could see the difference between coleman this week and last week) it’s just players with class like wilko and carter that can completely dominate.
So against the saders if the sharks worwards do well carter will be under constant pressure and the sharks ten will have freedom.
The sharks forwards are key.
@ MacroBull:
Yes, their forwards have won them their games, but when Lambie was 10 with those forwards, they got 2 four try bonus points.
When the Highlanders and Stormers in Durban, and the Cheetahs and Brumbies matched their forwards, they struggled.
He can spark the back line, and they have missed him a lot, even though they still won most games, they lacked something in the back line
wait a second.. in which two games did they get four try bonus points?
one was vs the bulls when the bulls played probably their worst game of the season and lambie scored after like 84 minutes. which was the other game?
I disagree lambie will make them much more expansive. its his tactical kicking that dictated games when he was not injured. the sharks are not going to suddenly run every thing from their own half. Even with lambie it will be the same game but for a slight edge when momentum and front foot ball was created.
The second bonus point the sharks scored was when lambie pulled out before kick off vs the lions. .. fransie was flyhalf for that game.
@ MacroBull:
I stand corrected, thanks.
I still think White will play Lambie at 10 if he is 100% fit
@ MacroBull:
The Saders pack looked pretty sharp on Saturday, Read coming back into form is crucial he’ll destroy teams on his own.
@ NZINCHINA:
The crusaders will rely on their pack. It is the one thing that has set them apart from other kiwi teams the last decade. Just creates a great platform for the likes of Read and carter. They also have two of the best locks around who could really put pressure on Bismarck in the lineouts.
Apart from the forwards the main attacking plan was “pass to Ndolo” and see what he can do… that could be a problem especially against defensively organized teams like the sharks. If the Saders go all out attack they wont budge the sharks… will be a strategic game…
if the sharks get past the Smiths 😉
@ Pietman:
And that Pieterman is as it should be.
@ MacroBull:
Ha, has Ben recovered I haven’t heard, the Sharks should take it this time around though they looked pretty average on the weekend.
@ NZINCHINA:
I wish they could play the play offs in one country.
The highlanders already know they face an uphill battle, if they beat the sharks they need to go back to christchurch for another hammering lol psychologically they cant be in a good space for the sharks game.
@ nortierd:
Good articles pal.
Thanks
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