Previously, I would have started this thread by saying the Cheetahs are the Sharks’ bogey team and how they historically struggle against the men from Bloemfontein, but we actually have a decent record against them over the last few years.
The Sharks beat the Cheetahs home and away in last year’s competition and we can only hope the results go the same way this year. The Cheetahs struggled against a Bulls outfit that the Sharks easily took care of, albeit that the Bulls were at home. But if you want to go with that debate, the Sharks are at home as well, so it should be an easy game, right?
Well not really, specifically if you take into consideration the injuries picked up by some key Sharks members, most importantly Fred Michalak. At the time of writing this article, we still had little clarification of who exactly was going to play in which position in the backline, but should the talisman not be fit for the game, I predict a much closer game.
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Mark Richards, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sbura Sithole, 10 Fred Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (capt), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Jandre Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Cobus Reinach, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Marius Joubert
Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Andries Strauss (captain), 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 PW van Vuuren, 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Pieter Myburgh, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Philip Snyman, 22 Philip Burger.
The boys are warming up
Beautiful day in Durban, sun is shining and we’re ready for some rugby
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 1) :
You guys in the stands yet?
GO sharks!!!
miss the shark tank!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : Yip long time.
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 5) :
Enjoy the game!!
See you guys a bit later…
here we go… good luck sharks.
Go Sharksssssssssssssssssssssssss
We can do it
Big game to kick-off..
Go Sharks!!
anyone doing the updates Ksa Sharkette
enjoy the Tank
Sitting behind KSA and KSA sharkette…. Privileged to be here whoo hoooooo
Hahaha! André cant see the cheerleaders
Bresler seems taller than skeate and heavier.
We need to win all our games
and to get above the Snoils
the points are the same on the log
so lets just hope we can pull this one through
Almost game-on..
@Franshark (Comment 12) : hope you all got your Sharks Flags
Going to miss this one. Go Sharks!!!
A Sharks win will go a long way to brightening my mood.
Here we go!
And the game is on
go Sharkssssssssssss
gee how many supporters are at the tank it looks empty
@Ben (Comment 18) : hi Ben
@chaz (Comment 22) : Hey Chaz…
Scrappy start by both teams
What a lovely tackle by Herbst
@Ben (Comment 23) : why are you missing the game
work
go sharksssssssssssssssss
sharks try
Richards!!
Richards scores down the right hand touchline as he wrongfoots de Bruyn.
Under the posts.
Sharks 7 – 0 Tjietahs
Sharks 7
Cheets0
4.43 min
@chaz (Comment 26) : I’m attending a 21st Bday. No tv.
Only booze! 
Woohoo sharks with the first score on the board
5m scrum after Cronje hacks one into the goal area.
that was close
i think i should of gone by 15 /20 on this game on SB
Tjietahs are so dirt poor they have to reuse their kit.
@Ben (Comment 30) : Thats no good. When I lived in SA and the Sharks were playing if there wasn’t a tv there to watch the Sharks on we would leave before the game to watch it if it was a late game or we would arrive late if it was an early game
@Ben (Comment 30) :
oh my remember the chocolates and a L water and strong tables for the barbie
Waiting on a 5m scrum … Is this our second score coming ?
Sharks DESTROY the Tjietahs scrum.
Sharks just destroyed the Cheetahs scrum. Os won’t be happy.
TRY!!! Ludik
Ludik try under the poles …. 9 minutes
HAHAHAHA
Cheetahs defence asleep and Ludik breezes through under the posts.
2nd tryyyyyyyyyyyyyy
yes Sharks thats the way
Sharks 14 – 0 Cheetahs
10 mins
And a perfect kick brings us to ….
14-0
So far, so good. Keep it up boys.
Possession
Sharks 68% – 32% Cheetahs
playing like this is just great we should get a great points diffs
and top the log way ahead of the snoils
@klempie (Comment 47) : Hey Klempie, how you doing ?
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 49) : Hello love!
How’s it being back in Durbs? 
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 49) : Are you guys warm enough over there?
VRYYYYYSTAAAAAAAT!!!!!!
Sharks were penalised for I dunno what. Sias kicks a woer-woer through.
Sharks 14 – 3 Cheetahs
14 mins
Cheetah points on the board after a successful PK
14-3 Sharks
13 minutes
@McLovin (Comment 52) :
DROOOOOM AAAAAAAAAAN!!!!
@klempie (Comment 55) :
@McLovin (Comment 52) : Hey McLovin, thems fighting words round here
@klempie (Comment 55) :
@McLovin (Comment 56) :
Michalak still on holiday
BOTES!!
TRYYYYYYYYYYYY BOTES!!!
Hacked through by Oupa and between Cronje and Botes we finally get over the line.
shit cronje that was close
and a try
woep woep woep yessssssssssssssssssssss
Woohoo try number three after 17minutes
Conversion off the posts
Sharks 19 – 3 Cheetahs
20 mins.
gee it will be great if we get BT before 30 min are in the bag
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 64) : but Michalak appears to have left his kicking boots at home.
@klempie (Comment 50) : Always good to be back in The Stadium
yes yes goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
and BT in the hat
eeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
BONUS POINT!!!
Crickey. Vrystaat going for a record score.
BONUS POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOINNNNNNNTTTTT!!!!
Cronje intercepts on retreat off WP Nel in our 22. He gets it to Sithole in a gap who goes all the way.
That is what happens when you take the opportunities on offer. BONUS POINT!!
Blow the whistle… Ive seen enough
sharks just got bonus point! Tearing the cheetahs up
Michalak converts a tricky kick.
Sharks 26 – 3 Cheetahs
22 mins
Skeate is off.
Oh no Skeate is off.
And with that we have the BP try woohoo and within the first 20 minutes
@klempie (Comment 76) : My fantasy league team is like the walking wounded.
Thankfully Kempson gives us the obligatory ‘there’s no substitute for pace’ quote.
@Rahul (Comment 74) : I haven’t.
@RuckingFun (Comment 75) :
and we need the snoils to loose or just win with a 4 pointer and we are top of the log again
@lostfish (Comment 51) : Flipping hot, sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky
that was now K@K missed that turn over ball what happened
Smit intercept. Try under the posts.
Sharks 26 – 10 Cheetahs
25 mins
Ok we’ll give them one ….
Cheetahs convert a try
26-10 Sharks
24 minutes
@lostfish (Comment 79) : Please excuse my poor manners. How are you lostfish? How is the bambino?
@klempie (Comment 81) : see
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 83) : glad to hear it
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 86) : i just hope its just one we are going to give them
@Rahul (Comment 88) : see what?
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 83) : Given Durban’s latitude, you should have some shade in the second half?
@klempie (Comment 87) : I am good thanks Klempie. The baby shark just woke up so I am trying to blog, watch the rugby and entertain her. How are you doing?
Apparently, Skeate has tweaked an abductor.
@lostfish (Comment 93) : Frenetic. Lots of projects on the go. Lots of stress. Not enough money for my efforts. You know how it is.
@klempie (Comment 94) : don’t you mean adductor
gee when is skeate going to see his better half so that beard can come off
I like this Sithole chap.
@klempie (Comment 95) : I don’t have a job anymore so life is rather stress free
@klempie (Comment 98) :
great player he is
@klempie (Comment 98) : yup, he is fast. Imagine that. 2 fast wings in team. Both can step. It’s like Christmas.
@lostfish (Comment 96) : Well it was one or the other. I didn’t hear clearly.
@klempie (Comment 98) : KSA asks how you feel about his cousin
@lostfish (Comment 99) :
but mom’s do have a 24 hr job
but just full of love
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 103) : That depends on how old she is, and a couple of other vital statistics.
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 103) :
tell KSA i say hi hope both of you’s are enjoying the game
Botes mauls over in the right corner.
Hmmmm….there is a high correlation between thumping victories and black and white kits this weekend.
@klempie (Comment 105) : I’ll leave it to KSA to enlighten you as to who on the site his cousin is ….
Conversion missed
Sharks 31 – 10 Cheetahs
35 mins
@chaz (Comment 106) : Will do, and thanks
@chaz (Comment 104) : haha, yeah that’s true but it’s stress free.
Isn’t it nice that this is supposedly our bogey team?
Cheetahs have a lineout 7m out.
Cheetahs have moved into a menacing position
oh my we better get some more points on the board don’t want the cheets to win this one at the last moment
You can’t award that surely. Although, the ref has asked the WRONG question.
Try awarded.
HT Sharks 31 – 17
Clear try.
oh well we gave them 2 trys now stop that sharks that is all they are going to get
grrreat first half sharks!
@McLovin (Comment 118) :
You’re welcome to it.
that try was a shocker… he needed to release when he was brought to ground 5m short and didn’t
@robdylan (Comment 122) : agree but the ref has the last say no matter what we say they just won’t give ears to what ever we say
test
@robdylan (Comment 122) : Was the infringement not in the previous phase where Marcel Van Der Merwe crawled? The TMO can’t rule on that, can he?
test
@klempie (Comment 126) : what are you testing
another test
@war1 (Comment 125) : nope but you would hope that either the ref or 2 AR’s would see the crawling.
Michalak goind for 45m kick…and it’s over.
Sharks 34 – 17 Cheetahs
Michalak penalty takes it to 34-17
Sharks 34
Cheets 17
46 min
@RuckingFun (Comment 120) : lets hope that was their bad half
Why is michalak playing 9 and cronje at 10?
More than two converted tries ahead. The Sharks have got to keep the pressure on the Cheetahs and kill the game off.
Nice chip Freddie.
@Rahul (Comment 134) : They seem to be interchanging quite a bit
Dale Chadwick is down, sitting up already though.
sharks 37
cheets 17
51 min
cheers Sw till later
Can i get a score, please guys?
@CapeShark (Comment 141) : 37 – 17
After a lot of effort, WP Nel is over and converted
Sharks 37 – 24 Cheetahs
58 mins
@lostfish (Comment 142) : Game must have gone to sleep a bit, I take it?
WP Nel scores for the Cheetahs. Conversion over. 37-24. Sharks went to sleep a bit there and the Cheetahs are back in the game.
@CapeShark (Comment 144) : :nod:
37-24 Sharks
18 minutes into the second half
@klempie (Comment 143) : Damn, Sharks have taken their foot off the pedal.
Fred grubbers a DG.
Kempson is awful.
Fred puts a penalty deftly through the posts.
Sharks 40 – 24 Cheetahs
62 mins.
Let’s pick up the pace Sharks! No tries in the second half!
Looks like Fred got a penalty. Caught a glimpse on SuperSport Blitz, you know that amazing channel that shows you a whole 2 minutes of live action…
Craig gets blown up for offsides. Penalty right in front. Cheetahs opt for scrum.
Uys over in the left hand corner. Good build up. The Sharks have truly gone to sleep.
Looking good!
Ebersohn from left hand touch. Through
Sharks 40 – 31 Cheetahs
68 mins.
Sharks, FFS!
@CapeShark (Comment 144) : Just a bit but the motley crew has ust scored a try
Raced to a bonus point in 20 minutes and tiring fast it seems, bring on some subs!
10minutes to go ….
40-31 Sharks
Cheetahs turning over the ball quite regularly now.
gee i leave the S World for a couple of mins and look at the score what happened
but i’m still 1 point out
@klempie (Comment 156) : Would be kak if we lose now…
come on Sharks get that score up please
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 163) :
Sharks are in a little bit of trouble now. Have to score next.
Ludik blown up for not releasing…although that seems dubious.
It’s over.
Sharks 40 – 34 Cheetahs
73 mins
Successful PK by Cheetahs …
40-34 Sharks
33 minutes
@klempie (Comment 167) : see
6 min left
trys please
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 168) : I’m speechless
Sharks just destroyed another scrum
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 168) : 33 minutes??
@klempie (Comment 167) : Sharks need to hold on now. 7 minutes left boys!
Sharks finally putting some phases together
Vrystaat helping my SB with this score. Just as long as they don’t get carried away and win.
Smit penalised for not releasing.
Freddie stepping up. 5m from right hand touch, about 40m out.
THROUGH!!
@klempie (Comment 176) : oh please, please Freddie
yes yes its converted
Sharks 43 – 34 Cheetahs
78 mins
Shew …
PK for Sharks
43-34 Sharks
38 minutes
Nice kick from Freddie.
@klempie (Comment 176) : For a moment there I though u were talking about John SMIT and got very confused
Cheetahs have the ball in our 22
@chaz (Comment 179) : Thank the pope
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 173) : Sorry scoreboard here is showing second half as time of it’s own so 33 minutes OF THE SECOND HALF
Cheetahs lose the ball forward and we go back to a penalty. Ebersohn will go for posts to try and get a 2nd BP
Time !!
Final score
43-34 Sharks
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 181) : Sharks should bring this one home now.
He’s missed a fairly standard kick.
FT Sharks 43 – 34 Cheetahs
Underwhelming victory
well done Sharks
just 1 point out on SB
The most important kicks of the game for the orange team and Ebersohn misses
@klempie (Comment 190) : It’s still a victory
@klempie (Comment 190) : Well, if you left the television at half-time, it was a blinder
@CapeShark (Comment 185) :
Sharks need to learn from this game. Keep the momentum in the second half. Still, beating a pretty decent Cheetahs team needs to be applauded.
enjoy the braai guys… it’s a good enough win for now
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 186) : I figured as much, no worries.
well done boys
Anton Bresler is man of the match. Well done big guy!
MotM = Anton Bresler
@war1 (Comment 200) : @The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 201) : Rob will be happy that his “lock” is coming around.
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 202) : Well, with both Sykes and Mostert gone he has suddenly become quite an important player. We had better hope he does not get injured.
@war1 (Comment 203) : Didn’t watch the Bok game but am told Mostert was good on debut.
How was Lambie?
go Anton!
@robdylan (Comment 205) :
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 204) : I only watched the second half. Lambie looked good, fearlessly taking on the opposition defensive line but the Boks also gave away quite a lot of ball so my interim verdict is that he is definitely a good prospect and will obviously benefit from a dominant pack which will hopefully happen with the Boks in the near future.
Ag this game was boring, the get together afterwards was better.
Big thanks to those who attended.