Firstly, well done Sharks. You guys did us proud and proved that no matter how determined or desperate the opposition are, you guys just want this thing that little bit more. It was a superb performance in Hamilton, all things considered – the sort of performance that brings a team together and provides inspiration for when the going gets tough later on.
Secondly, well done Frans Steyn. We’re starting to see the benefits of the Andre Johns influence, for sure. This youngster is finally starting to settle and delivered his best all-round performance in a Sharks jersey for going on two years on Saturday. Sure, there was the blunder right at the death when he should have kicked the ball out, but for me, the performances of Steyn and JP Pietersen were a real positive to come out of the match.
On to the real talking point, though – the tour-ending injury to iron man Jean Deysel. I received confirmation late on Saturday evening that Justin Downey had been summoned to join the tour party and I see that the Sharks website confirmed the news yesterday. Deysel has done a knee ligament – fortunately, it’s not the one of the cruciates. He’ll be out for a good few weeks and should only be fit to play again towards the latter stages of the competition.
This is bad news – there’s no other way to look at it. I’m sure that if you had asked John Plumtree at the start of the season who the three players were that were absolutely vital to his campaign, Deysel’s name would have been there. It’s no coincedence that the Sharks’ winning streak in last year’s Currie Cup started the very game that Wolla came back from injury. He brings balance to the force that is the Sharks loose trio. Without him, they are all pace and not enough power.
As much as I rate Downey, the reality is, he is not a drop-in replacement for Deysel. He is far more of a ball-player, for one thing, one who prefers to jink rather than to bash. He will have an impact, of that I’m sure, but the whole pack is going to have to tighten up and one feels that it is now imperative to start with both John Smit and Bismarck du Plessis in the hope that they can collectively contribute enough to the tight-loose effort to mitigate the loss of the big diesel.
What worries me, though, is a quote on the Sharks site indicating that Skollie Ndlovu will be called into the match 22 to wear the number 19, with Keegan Daniel starting. I have absolutely nothing against Skollie, but with both Daniel and Jacques Botes already in the mix, we simply do not need, and cannot afford, a third “small” loose forward in the squad. Let Daniel come into the starting 15, because that makes sense, but for goodness sake, put Downey on the bench. Skollie can come in should either of Daniel or Botes go down.
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admit it rob, you have semi naked posters of deysel in your bedroom.
Rob you guys all over giving rookie Downey the thumbs up but not Ross Cronje, whats with that??
disagree with you though, ndlovu does more grunt work than keegan. in the warm up game ndlovu made more yards than keegan. i know this isn’t the best indicator, but as there aren’t any other indicators it will have to do.
@dragonshark (Comment 2) : ross pales in comparison with the likes of ruam and kockett. he is also too wet behind the ears to be thrown in the deep end. i would felt a lot better if boring charl had rather gone. i have seen ross twice and i find his distribution poor.
agreed TT not a lot of history here to work with i was at the bb warm ap game and skollie all over the place and definatly nothing wrong with downey both hard grafters
@dragonshark (Comment 2) : simple. Downey is related to me by marriage
Who said nepotism was dead? He he
@try time (Comment 3) :
I was just about to say that even though they are similar in weight, and Ndlovu is shorter than Keegan – Skollie is definitely stronger.
He’s just one of those guys who are able to fight their way through and did we mention that he tackled really well?
I can understand why Plum would put Skollie ahead of Downey ( aka 3rd lovechild)…
@try time (Comment 4) : experience thats all thats lacking ive seen this boy and his boet play many times for age group and school nothing wrong. Both ruan and kockott had to start green sometime in the bigtime same would apply to downey i believe
@robdylan (Comment 6) : hehe Rob now i understand i believe he went to Northwood its about time a few more big names were created from there!!
@robdylan (Comment 6) : def no family resemblence that guys got major hair not that i can talk
@dragonshark (Comment 8) : yes but rather throw in a player with experience eventhough he isn’t a maestro and let ross get some quality time in the sharks 15. scrum half is a pivotal position, experience is key.
@blackshark (Comment 7) : i agree, elephant reminds me a lot of beast.
@dragonshark (Comment 9) : northwood can’t beat port natal, so can’t expect much this year.
I must admit I don’t know if Downey or Skollie are good except for what I have read. However the Pieterson and Steyn comments are spot on! I also think Pienaar was doulbe as good this week as he was last (considering how bad he was last week) so he needs to just keep improving and he will be great. The backline will click properly in 2 weeks time against Reds. Kockott, Steyn, Pieterson and Terblanche are up to form, just Adi, Ruan and Ndugane to go. One more game… Please don’t change the backline formation at this point.
@try time (Comment 11) :
Give the youngsters a chance – great stuff!
But isn’t that what the Vodacom Cup and CC are for?
Not convinced by Ross – his distribution hasn’t been top class and I haven’t seen what he can do with the boot as well. At this level you need your scrummie to be useful with the boot as well.
Like I said before the start of the competition – if there’s one guy we don’t want injured- it’s Rory! That would just cause too many problems for us.
@dragonshark (Comment 10) : I did say it was by marriage…
@blackshark (Comment 7) : Nah – I can’t. As a like-for-like replacement, it makes no sense.
Sko is a 6 and Justin a 7… or at least, Justin has been told he’s the backup at 7, even if they insist on playing him at 6 for the Sharks XV. So if the 7 goes down, you bring in the next best 7, not the next best 6.
@try time (Comment 13) : TT whats with the batman pic dude??
@deanoelsch (Comment 14) : well – I thought Odwa was shocking. Cost us at least one try… just needed to draw his man and pass to Stefan, yet he opted for contact. His workrate is way below what we’re used to and his defence is suddenly suspect.
Not sure what’s got into him.
@blackshark (Comment 15) : I think Ross’s boot is fine… I mean, he was the goal-kicker for the under 19s last year, wasn’t he?
@robdylan (Comment 16) :
I also feel Skollie would be more effective at 6 – so they can leave me there and switch one of the more experienced guys to 7.
We don’t have to do a like-for-like substitution…there are many ways to skin a cat. If we don’t have the power of Jean ” Vinnie Jones” Deysel…we have to find other ways to outsmart and outrun the opposition…
@robdylan (Comment 19) :
Great – tactical wise?
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Yip, he has been shocking but what to do? Is Murray fit? Put him on wing for a game or two. At least the defence will be much stronger.
@deanoelsch (Comment 14) :
No need to change the backline at this point…
Things are just starting to come together…
We played some good rugby in the middle of the 2nd half…
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
Must’ve missed that moment – but I’ve had concerns with his defence of late…
Expecting him to start firing around Game 5/6…
@blackshark (Comment 23) : our backline looked better on Saturday than it has for a loooong time. I am mostly happy… just worried about Odders.
@deanoelsch (Comment 22) :
Shocking?
Bring Waylon in?
Easy…
like you said before you looked at Rob’s avatar for too long…our backline is starting to gel…
@blackshark (Comment 21) : not sure…I also haven’t seen enough of him to comment.
Congrats on the win, will be easier next weekend.
@blackshark (Comment 25) : BS – he was really bad. By his own high standards, that is.
@PaarlBok (Comment 27) : you think?
@PaarlBok (Comment 27) :
Thanks PB, we’ll try and beat the Blues for you guys ( ok not really for you
)
@robdylan (Comment 29) :
Let’s face it- the Stormers were supposed to klap that lot…
I’m looking at another 4 points here…
@blackshark (Comment 31) : we have a good record at Eden Park of late, but I’m not getting ahead of myself. This was always going to be the toughest match on tour and we need to give them the utmost respect.
@robdylan (Comment 29) : Ja they wont be able to cheat like the Reds. Surely Jet Lag will get to them on saturday and the Sharks will be settled.
@robdylan (Comment 32) :
Lots of respect fo’ sho’ …but our defence and kicking will win it for us. All I’m saying is don’t leave your heart medication at home…it’s gonna be another close one.
@blackshark (Comment 34) : yeah, agree.
I think we have a more structured game at the back than they do. Lavea and co are pretty off-the-cuff type players. Their tight five is pretty strong, though and with Kaino back, they have a monster loose trio. And us without Wolla… ai!
@robdylan (Comment 35) :
All of their forwards give me the creeps a bit…but I think we’ll manage their backline.
Surely Beast will be able to start this one???
@dragonshark (Comment 17) : i liked the devious look on his face, and it is a cool pic.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : my thought too, looks like the twins swopped over christmas.
@try time (Comment 38) : it actually does, doesn’t it? Hadn’t thoguht of that!
@blackshark (Comment 36) : yeah – like I said over the weekend, I think we should start with all our go-forward players, Beast, Bis and John, to try and mitigate the loss of Deysel
@try time (Comment 38) :
Is Akhona looking better?
Cos that would explain a lot of things then…
@blackshark (Comment 20) : @robdylan (Comment 16) : look i am not too concerned about deysel if it is a 3 week injury. we can still win the next three games without him. my concern is the brumbies and crusaders. we need someone capable by then.
@robdylan (Comment 39) : not a bad idea.
@blackshark (Comment 40) : yes look at that beaut off load he made to spies. that definately was odwa.
@try time (Comment 41) : and hurricanes waratahs. deysel will be crucial against these teams.
@try time (Comment 43) :
Investigation required…good thing I’ll watch the next Bulls game…
@try time (Comment 41) : @try time (Comment 44) :
True. I just hope it’s a minor thing so that he can be ready when the boys get back from tour…
deysel was probably just missing his mommy. he is faking.
@try time (Comment 47) : Serious
@blackshark (Comment 46) : eh – wouldn’t be getting hopes up… It’s starting to sound like a 6-8 week thing, minimum
189 needed. 54 overs.
Last 10 ovs 20/0 RR 2.00
Wrong thread.
I dunno if this has been said but it was a very good Chiefs team beaten at home..they have been close at winning all thier games against class opposition.
2 cross kick tries had Johns written all over them…hell it must be good times as a Sharks suppoter.
@McLovin (Comment 50) : @McLovin (Comment 51) :
Wrong thread…
@robdylan (Comment 49) :
Yeah- just wishful thinking I guess…
@McLovin (Comment 52) :
speaking of wrong threads…
Rob- please explain to me why all my posts on Saturday were directed to the Sharks match thread…no matter which thread I was posting on ???
@blackshark (Comment 55) : I have no idea…
@robdylan (Comment 56) :
Thanks.
@blackshark (Comment 57) : seriously, dude – that’s pretty weird. Never seen that before
@robdylan (Comment 58) :
Oh- I was using the phone…does that help?
LIONS!
Comment 253, posted at 28.02.09 16:48:39 by blackshark
Come on Stormers!
Comment 254, posted at 28.02.09 20:12:19 by blackshark
Damn Stormers…
Comment 255, posted at 28.02.09 20:52:01 by blackshark
@blackshark (Comment 255) :
you stuck on this thread?
Comment 256, posted at 28.02.09 21:04:01 by KSA Shark ©
@blackshark (Comment 59) : might explain it… but still weird