We have reached the half way stage of the Currie Cup, and we can now safely look back as all teams have now faced each other and it cannot be said that the Stormers still have to tour.
Seriously though, the Sharks have managed to reach the half way mark in third position, tied on points with the second placed Western Province on 22 points, with the Lions five points clear at the top of the log, having only lost one match, on 27 points.
With the log so tight in the middle, a single loss can drop a team two or three spots, and this could easily happen to the Sharks this weekend if their form continues and they lose to the Bulls at Loftus. This might seem like a bit of a doom wish, but its realistic taking into account the form of the Sharks and how the Bulls have improved over the last few weeks.
The Sharks face a tough four weeks, with the trip to Loftus only the start to what should make for an interesting September, with a tricky home fixture against the Pumas (something the Sharks will make heavy work of if the Leopards game is anything to go by), followed by a tricky trip to Bloemfontein and then a home game against Griquas to wrap up what must be looking like a daunting month.
The problem with this tough month, is that should the Sharks not click soon and play some winning rugby, they could quickly find themselves stuck in sixth position on the log, with no realistic chance of making the all important play offs. So where do we start?
First thing is first, we need to minimize the damage in the next game against the Bulls, a tricky fixture historically, and the Sharks will have to improve ten fold to make an impact at Loftus. The difference between the Lions and the Bulls is that the Lions team overall is far more experienced compared to the Bulls team, and if the Sharks can play for longer than the moments of brilliance they showed in the second half against the Lions, they might make an impression and get away with a few points.
The main aim after that will be to put away the stocky Pumas at home, a task the Sharks team and management should take extremely seriously, as momentum gained against the Pumas can be vital in the following weeks. A four try bonus point victory against the Pumas becomes non-negotiable.
Travelling to Bloemfontein the week after the Pumas clash can result in one of two things happening. The Sharks could be full of confidence from a nice victory, or they will come off yet another disappointing showing against a minnow team and will lack the confidence going into the Cheetahs game. The Sharks will have to pick up points in Blomfontein if they hope to feature in the latter part of the Currie Cup.
The last game in the torrid month will make or break it for the Sharks as they face Griquas at the Tank, and a victory will put distance between them and a team that will be hoping to reach the playoffs. A victory for Griquas here will almost certainly end any hope of the Sharks ending the season in home semi-final contention.
All in all, September is going to be one rough month for the Sharks, but they still have it all to play for as they have their destiny in their own hands, and can still quite easily finish top of the log. The question on everybody’s lips though is – do they want it enough?
Some hard work to be done no doubt.
Spare a thought for Province though, they have the Griquas, Sharks, Bulls and Lions. Considering that they have played the aforementioned teams at Newlands I think they can not be too happy with the points they have gained in the first round.
@Salmonoid (Comment 1) :
Good point that.
My favourite band…
@McLovin (Comment 3) :
Groen dag!
@Pokkel (Comment 4) : Yip, hulle.
@Salmonoid (Comment 1) : Considering all the injuries plus Bok call ups, I reckon they’re happy.
@McLovin (Comment 5) : Very good band. But not as good as my Favourite band, Linkin Park.
@McLovin (Comment 3) :
@Pokkel (Comment 4) :
Was listening to this song while writing the article, it was inspirational!!
@Ben (Comment 7) : They’re not bad either.
@McLovin (Comment 9) : Chester is one of the best vocalists out there.
@McLovin (Comment 6) : No doubt they have done well and will be happy, but those 4 teams away games could see them sliding down the log at a rapid rate.
the sharks cant be doing THIS badly that you have to start talking about your favorite bands
@Ben (Comment 10) : @Zibbie (Comment 12) : An dhere I was like “TG I did not have to listen to Chester Williams singing”!
@Ice (Comment 13) :
might have been better than Ard .. who knows …