John Plumtree’s Sharks were forced to watch in horror as first the Hurricanes and then the Reds recorded victories this past weekend that further dented their already tenuous chances of Super Rugby knock-out qualification.
Starting the weekend in seventh position, the Sharks were hoping that a loss for the Hurricanes against a Crusaders side that really should have beaten them at home, might see them leapfrog Plumtree’s former team from Wellington, however given the unexpected result there, the Canes are still level with the Sharks on log points, yet ahead on the table by virtue of having won more games.
Adding insult to injury, though, the Reds picked up a bonus point win over the hapless Rebels, moving them up to 49 points as well, also with one win more than the Sharks and thus ahead of them in the standings. With the Canes ahead of the Reds on points difference, they are currently clinging to the final qualification spot, with the Sharks now back in eighth.
That’s a far cry from the home semi-final that was meant to be the Sharks’ aim this season and, if anything, sees the team faring slightly worse than they managed in last year’s disappointing season.
Whilst permutations abound, there is still a faint hope for the Sharks in that both the Hurricanes and, strangely enough, the Crusaders are vulnerable should either (or preferably both), lose to the Chiefs. The Canes have a bye week coming up too, meaning they can achieve a maximum of 9 points over the last two rounds, so even without a loss to the Chiefs, the Sharks can still overtake them. In order to be sure of a knock-out place, though, the Sharks need 10 points from the next two games and will need either the Reds to drop a point, or the Crusaders to drop a game, in the next two weeks.
Those of us who’ve endured the roller-coaster that Sharks rugby has been over the last few years, though, will know not to get too far ahead of ourselves. With the inconsistent rugby that this team likes to dish up, the chances of two successive bonus-point victories at home against South African opposition is going to be enough of a long shot, regardless of what any other teams may or may not do.
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I would not hold my breath that the Sharks will make the playoffs. A team that looses to the Lions without even a bonus point simply does not deserve to be in the playoffs.
Just beat the bulls, and do it well, and you will be a man my son
Why the hell didn’t we just win against the Lions. We could have been on 54 tied with the Bulls!
Sharks were made the laughing stock losing to the Lions, I still get flack for the lose by other supporters.
If the Reds get a bonus point this weekend, then both the Crusaders and Hurricanes would have to lose against the Chiefs to give the Sharks their best shot of making the play-offs, because they win against the Chiefs and the Reds get a Bonus point, even if we get 10 points in the last 2 weeks the Reds should stay ahead of us by getting a bonus point win against the Waratahs. Obviously a loss for the Reds this weekend against the Highlanders is still a possibility and would be the best possible thing for the Sharks to happen, because that would get the Reds of our back (assuming the Sharks manage to win their own games). And since the Hurricanes won against the Crusaders it would also be great if the Chiefs can manage another local derby win this weekend.
Even if the Reds and Crusaders lose this weekend, we will still have to hope for some results in the final week to go our way if we don’t manage 10 points.
This sucks!
@Rvw (Comment 4) : The Crusaders lost against the Rebels and the Stormers lost to the Sharks. I’m just saying. Sometimes good teams lose easy games!
@Letgo (Comment 5) : I think your final paragraph was the key one
@Letgo (Comment 6) : to be honest, I reckon Crusaders fans are probably feeling some of the same frustration we are this season… it hasn’t been a great year for them at all.
That said, they have won the trophy a million times before and they are still in with a shout, unlike us.
@Letgo (Comment 6) : I know but it is still a bitter pill to swallow.
Sharks must just what they can still do…they must get 10 points from their next two games and pull as much points difference as possible, and looking at the fixture list if we get 10 points we should go through, and also seeing as our points difference is better than those fighting for the same spot we should go through…Sharks have to go out and pump the Bulls and Cheetahs.
I think we have to utilise Frans Steyn for these 2 games, i reckon putting him at fullback won’t disrupt things…we need to do all possible to qualify.
My Team for the weekend-
1.Beast
2.Bissie
3.Jannie
4.Sykes
5.Bresler
6.Coetzee
7.Alberts
8.Keegan
9.Mcloed
10.Lambie
11.Mvovo
12.Whitehead
13.Jordaan
14.JPP
15.Steyn
16.Burden
17.Herbst
18.Du toit
19.Deysel
20.Kankowski
21.Freddy M.
22.Bosman
go Sharks
@JJR (Comment 10) : JJ, points difference means nothing unless the teams are on equal wins as well. Assuming we end up on equal points with the Canes or Reds, we’ll still not go through ahead of them because they have won more games.
We can’t worry about PD… we just need to get the 10 log points and hope like hell that the Chiefs do the rest.
Hurricanes have a bye so impossible for them to get 10 points…Reds have 2 home games against highlanders and the Tahs…So we need to pray Reds don’t get full points from both games, cos else there is nothing we can do to get into knockouts.
@robdylan (Comment 13) : Ja you’re right noticed that just now…Reds have struggled to get 4 try bonus points this year…so i just hope they don’t get one this weekend…I’m nervous!!
It’s only the Reds we need to worry about if we get 10 points, Canes have a bye and only 4 points…Gonna be close!!
@robdylan (Comment 13) : Rob actually it will help if we draw on log points with the canes, because even though they have one more win than us this weekend if we win we’ll be even on wins with them as they have the draw this weekend. We can also go ahead of them on log points by getting the bonus point. This one’s out of their hands.
If we get the 10 points, we should make it in, but if the Reds gets that bonus point this weekend and the Crusaders win, even 10 points will not be enough unless Waratahs can deny the Reds a bonus point.
Basically for 10 points to be enough, we need to hope that the Highlanders deny the Reds a bonus point this weekend. Then its all back to the Sharks.
@JJR (Comment 14) : Unless the Crusaders lose against the Chiefs this weekend (without a bonus point, because their points difference is way better than ours and 6 points in the last 2 weeks will have them even on the log).
@JJR (Comment 15) : I think the Highlanders can win against the Reds. That would be even better.
Who wants to take a bet that both the Crusaders and Reds lose without bonus points this weekend and the Sharks win with a bonus point against the Bulls and then we lose to the cheetahs in the last game!
@JJR (Comment 11) : Depends if Jordaan is ready to play, if not, I’d have Steyn in the midfield (this is if Plum even decides to use him now). Bosman did not look good in the last few games, specifically the Barney’s Army game – too many wayward passes.
@JJR (Comment 11) : O and I actually think this is a better loose trio
6. Deysel
7. Alberts
8. Coetzee
With Keegan and Kanko on the bench… I don’t know why Deysel moved so far down the pecking order, but he’s a huge ball carrier and strong contender at the breakdowns, something that our current loosie trio is lacking (as far as the breakdowns go).
Bleh, bleh, bleh……I don’t care!
I hope the Sharks don’t make it this year….it’s time for a change in management and coaches…..so I’m hoping there are performance clauses in their contracts!!
okes, the elephant in the room is that we’re not going to get 5 points this weekend…
@Letgo (Comment 16) : d’oh! I missed that point.
Of course
@robdylan (Comment 22) :
We might not even get 1……like against the lowly Lions!
@Pokkel (Comment 21) : I’ll never hope for the sharks to lose.
And hoping for new coaches. Maybe not so smart. There’s worse out there than Plum. Super Rugby is a tough competition. We might get a coach that then gets nowhere (like really nowhere – Lions) in Super Rugby and can’t manage another trophy in CC for about 12 years.
I think Plum could use assistance, but I also think he’s a pretty decent coach who has done more good than he has done bad!
I get that your expectations are high and it should be, but a clean out of the coaches may not be the answer.
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Don’t say that. We’ll get 5 this weekend. The sharks have to instil hope before they crush you. It’s next weekend, after everything else has fallen into place, that they will disappointing.
@Letgo (Comment 25) : The problem is, for the past three years Plum has steered us into exactly the same position.
That tells me one thing, he’s the definition of insanity – trying the same thing hoping for a different outcome (man, Skinstad really ruined this saying for me – but in this case it’s relevant)
@Letgo (Comment 25) : My problem with Plum is simple – he is supposed to be a breakdown expert, but the Sharks must be in the top 20% of Super 15 teams at conceding breakdown turnovers. We have seen some improvements in some games but no real consistency.
My feeling is that by taking on the head coach responsibilities, he has neglected these critical areas.
I don’t mind him as a forwards coach at S15 level, but I am not convinced by him as head coach
So the Sharks thanked again – whether or not they sneak through on the kindness of strangers. Is another mid table finish really worth celebrating? The Stormers and Bulls deserve their spots; the Sharks don’t.
Maybe Plumtree isn’t the world’s worst coach – but he has also proven not to be up to the task of winning when it matters. Let’s spare our tears for those who deserve it – the Sharks just weren’t good enough; and there is no sense in hiding from the fact that the last 3 season’s have consistently demonstrated that.
What happened to old drunkard Dick?
The last time the Sharks looked like something in Super rugby and, the last time Dick looked like a good coach was when the two were together.
He at least had the guts to get specialist coaching in – Campo springs to mind.
I’ve officially boarded the KSA Shark ship, where hoping for a series of embarrassing losses, leading to a shakeup at the Sharks Union, is the order of the day….
@Culling Song (Comment 31) : Another vote, but the shakeup needs to go all the way to Straueli. The only decent buys of recent times were Whitehead and Frans – although Meyer probably needs to the credited for half that one
@Culling Song (Comment 31) : problem is, the Sharks are individually far too talented to ever drop as far as they’d need to
Time to get the suffering over. I would be sad in the short term if we lose the bulls this weekend but I would be happy in the long term if it means the bulls have a better chance at winning the competition.
@robdylan (Comment 33) :
It might be as you say Rob, but we might just lose the signature of a promising youngster because the Sharks are just not continously up there like the Bulls or Stormers. And he then rather signs with them.
Plus, there’s no Varsity Cup and its also been a while since we won a trophy in the other comps.
The cups we did win wasn’t followed up with futher victories that makes the Sharks THE franchise to join.
@Culling Song (Comment 31) : @Bokhoring (Comment 32) :
I’d like to see the Sharks finishing 7th, missing out on PD.