If I read one more article today about some or other former Bok star or self-styled “expert” writing off the Sharks on the basis of jet-lag, I think I’m actually going to scream.
They all seem to follow exactly the same formula, don’t that? “Ja well, no definitely. It’s going to be very tough on the Sharks. They are going to be tired and sore and jet lag will play a big part… ” Then go on to add in something about how the travel factor always works against South African sides, throw in a quote from Heyneke Meyer, mention the respective sides’ record play-offs and away you go . You have a story.
The same old one, repeated over and over with only the names of the experts changing.
I think it’s time to move on from that. Of course jet lag and travel will work against the Sharks. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? That’s why it’s better to finish higher up the log. That said, what’s done is done and complaining about the travel schedule isn’t going to change anything. Bringing it up over and over isn’t miraculously going to make New Zealand any closer, neither in distance nor in time-zone.
It’s an 80-minute game, at the end of the day, played on a rectangular field between two insanely talented teams of players. We all know that little factors can have big results, but I feel there are plenty of other factors we can concentrate on leading into this game, some of which are as likely to work to the Sharks’ favour as the much-discussed jet lag should work to the Crusaders’. Let’s stop concentrating on the negatives that we can’t control, just for a little and find something fresh to discuss about this match.
Can I second?
How about we discuss selections for the Sharks?
I’ll start.
If I were Plum this is the team I’d select………
Amen to that
Jet-leg rob?
Sounds painful!
But yes, they can stop complaining. Saw that even Ollie opened his big mouth again…
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 1) : Only if I can use a stronger word than “bleeding”.
We here the same shit every year.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
I would go for the exact same Loftus 15..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : I second, but then again – should we not him them with a bit of a suprise like we did to the bulls?? How about another combo we have never played before??
@Ice (Comment 8) : lets sommer make it.
McLeod, Fred, Mvovs, Lambie, Adi / JLP / Bosman, JPP and Stefan
@Ice (Comment 8) :
Good point.. But a surprise combo only works if the combo can actually play together well..
These guys will now have had a second week of working on thier communication, it should be even better than at Loftus..
@PTAShark (Comment 4) : don’t mess with the man who has an edit button
I agree. Jet-lag is going to be a problem.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : Communicating in the plane?
Even Dr Ross Tucker reckons it’ll be a problem.
@McLovin (Comment 14) :
Jy soek weer, Rachel… 
@PTAShark (Comment 5) : Who was the moron that asked the Burger King for his opinion?
@Ice (Comment 15) :
Saders should have asked to play the game at Twickenham again.
SSDD or SNDW
@lostfish (Comment 16) : Knwing him, he was not asked but gave it anyway!
@lostfish (Comment 16) : Probably no-one. He probably rang the newspaper himself.
@McLovin (Comment 21) : Snap!
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 19) : Same Shit Diffirent Day or Same News Diffirent Writer
@Ice (Comment 22) : Great minds né?
@McLovin (Comment 24) : We’ll stay away from the “fools never differ” thingy!
I agree ,jet lag is a lame excuse .
jet lag ppppffffttt they said altitude at loftus now i hear the rain blablablabla me thinks the sharks will klap the saders…i still can not believe it that my bulletjies are not even playing this saturday
in the lighter side of things i am loving the new bulls puma jersey 
the currie cup is around the corner and guesss what we have the sharks at kings park stadium first talk 
sadly they will beat us again 
@Ice (Comment 25) : I predict we will see tears from the saders players especially from your dan the man carter
@Muzi (Comment 27) : Muzi – you called it last weekend…seems you calling it this weekend! Go MUZI!!!
And sommer a great start to our CC campaign as well! Yeah fo Muzi!!
@Ice (Comment 29) : You know the sharks will beat the bulls at kings park
the bulls always start badly in the currie cup
@Muzi (Comment 28) : I think I can handle seeing him cry just once!
@Ice (Comment 31) : let’s hope baby lambie can hold it together it would be a bad sight to see him shed a tear or two
OH F??K!! What have I done? I HATE it (and I hate the word itself) When everyone plays selector.
@Ice (Comment 31) : Add some World Cup knock-out tears to that
@Ice (Comment 8) : Oh I see it was only popcicle who wanted to make changes.
All this speculation will just give the Sharks extra motivation. We play best when we aint given a chance. Go boys!!!!
Are we allowed to tackle Dan Carter in this game?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 33) : I just did a backline suggestion..
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 34) : I will have to prepare for that one..
@KSA Shark © (Comment 37) : Yes you are allowed to tackle him in fact scratch him..ruck him..alles he is a pretty boy but not untouchable rugby teams give him waaaaayyyyyyyy tooooo much respect no wonder he looks chilled that guy can jol though
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : If I had a Rand for every comment like that . . .
@KSA Shark © (Comment 37) : That was hilarious. Did you notice how Ma’a Nonu sounds like a 12 year old girl when he speaks?
@war1 (Comment 40) : You’d be a millionaire.
@war1 (Comment 40) : We all do it, its a sickness.
@lostfish (Comment 41) : all those mauri oaks have a habit of saying the boys this the boys that..and the aussies with thier mate mate mate in every single sentence but as saffas we like the boet…brew…dude… i guuss we are all the same
@KSA Shark © (Comment 37) : Funny
@KSA Shark © (Comment 42) : The at least there would be a use for amateur selector comments.
@Ben (Comment 43) : Yep. It seems we do it a lot more when the Sharks have lost. But if I hear one more ‘We should never have let x go overseas’ or ‘Maybe we should throw money at x and he will join the Sharks’ I will scream.
Its cold in Cape Town today
@lostfish (Comment 41) :
yip. It was cause for a good giggle.
@war1 (Comment 47) : I don’t see anything wrong with it. Its a blog after all and if people aren’t allowed to express their opinions, what are we here for?
@war1 (Comment 47) : scream really loudly… Maybe that way Straeuli will hear you
@robdylan (Comment 51) :
@Ben (Comment 50) : you’re right Ben. Select away. War1 and KSA are just grumpy old goats and I’m sure they’ll get over it
@Ben (Comment 50) : It’s just completely unrealistic. The players that left have their reasons, mostly due to not getting enough chances to play for the Boks. Wrt to throwing money at players, this is not fantasy league top players generally only move when their contracts run out if it all. So while people will continue to do these things, it won’t stop irritating me, that is my opinion it is a blog after all.
@war1 (Comment 47) : Never mind the “we should throw money….” scenario its more to the tune of we must buy De Jongh, Sadie, Samaai (remember him) etc as if they are all for sale and just dying to be bought by the Sharks. Last week were we also in the market for Dawie Theron!!
@robdylan (Comment 51) : Even if he hears, will he listen?
@robdylan (Comment 53) : Hey!!! War1 isn’t old.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 57) : Tell him!
@Salmonoid (Comment 55) : I actually believe we should buy my neighbour’s 18 year old soon ASAP, he sidestepped the tap in the garden before sidestepping the lounger. A real prospect for the future.
@Salmonoid (Comment 55) : the fickleness….was meant to have been deleted.
@war1 (Comment 54) : Yes its a blog but even so I don’t think its right for you to be of the opinion that someone else is wrong by giving their opinion.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 59) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 59) :
.If I saw a lounger now I would crash tackle it…..long day, short night yesterday.
@Ben (Comment 61) : Shouls we start a “let’s irritate War1″ thread??
@Ice (Comment 64) : Good idea, who would you like to come and play for us?
Johann Sadie would be my 1st buy.
@Ben (Comment 65) : Ditto that! And Dan Carter…
This would be my team to face the Saders.
1. Beast
2. Bissie
3. Jannie
4. Mostert
5. Chris Jack
6. Keegan
7. Alberts
8. Kanko
9. Sarel Pretorius
10. Michalak
11. Mvovo
12. Nonu
13. Sadie
14. JPP
15. Lambie
@Ice (Comment 66) :
Now you are going to reignite the Patrick at 10 furore.
@Salmonoid (Comment 60) : hey presto
@Ben (Comment 61) : Nah, by all means express your opinion. It just irritates me when we play fantasy league on here and I told you why.
@Ben (Comment 67) : wow quite a checkbook u have there
@war1 (Comment 70) : Thats what I love about it! You can play coach without gettin the shit if it does not work out!
@war1 (Comment 70) : Thank you so kindly for your blessing.
@robdylan (Comment 69) : Thanks,
@franshark (Comment 71) : Fantasy league, huge chequebook involved!
@lostfish (Comment 41) : mike tyson sounds like a girl too..but boy he would knock out many people..haha
The discussions seems to veering off-topic. So… jet-lag… man that’s gonna be tough on the Sharks…
On the Supersport website there’s an article by some sports scientist, one Ross Tucker, stating that jet lag could be a problem (Really? You don’t say? Haven’t heard anyone venture that opinion yet….
).
The interesting thing though is the size of the guys head!!? Some serious cranial capacity there to fit all the brains in to. Geez, if I could draw a cartoon of what a scientist should look like I’d use him as a template, just with a few tufts of hair on either side of his head a la Cuthbert Calculus…
Anyways, made my day, that did.
hehehe – The Sharks are the only SA team playing this weekend (not like NZ having two teams to concentrate on
Still can’t believe that the Ausies grabbed the first spot. So no wonder the Sharks have so much attention – glad that all the sundry follows 
@Muzi (Comment 28) : dannie boy must just realise that there is only one team to play for
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 48) : go to Pretoria – its hot there …
@rekinek (Comment 81) : Ja! 23-26!
@rekinek (Comment 81) : flippen hot
@Ice (Comment 82) : not you again come on i support the sharks now the bashing
@Salmonoid (Comment 68) : the Sharks have great tradition of imported 10s – this Lambie at 10 seems so modern
@Ben (Comment 67) : we want ruan back
@Ice (Comment 82) : exactly
@Muzi (Comment 84) : nahhh – nee worry only 2 more days and either we start saders jokes or we will go into deep depression
@Muzi (Comment 84) : What, Muz?? What have I done??
@rekinek (Comment 86) : Shirbit! Forgot about him.