The two big coastal unions, the Sharks and Vodacom Western Province, will be hoping that the return of several Springboks for this weekend’s round of Absa Currie Cup matches will help get their respective campaigns back on track.
Gavin Rich writes on Superrugby that both teams lost last weekend, and while WP’s losing sequence has lasted two weeks now and the Sharks only one, in truth the Sharks have not looked at all convincing this entire domestic season.
Indeed, when you talk about the Sharks the conversation is a bit like the one we kept hearing during the Vodacom Super 14 season — “they are too good a team to continue struggling, they will come right soon”.
It is debatable that they came right at all during the Super 14, and the long sequence of matches where they won when not playing well gave away towards the end of the competition to a sequence of defeats.
It was only two home games right at the end of the league phase against relatively weak sides that saw the Sharks clinch a semifinal place that was considered almost certain in mid-season.
So what is the Sharks’ problem, and what is WP’s problem? In a word, it might come down to confidence. Three weeks ago Province were riding the crest of a wave and could do no wrong as they came from behind to beat the Blue Bulls and then saw off the Vodacom Cheetahs in a wet-weather game without really raising a sweat.
But they may have underestimated the Wildeklawer Griquas in Kimberley. When they came a cropper there, that was the first dent to their confidence.
The freaky flat-lining approach of the Valke unsettled them in the early stages in Brakpan last week, and against that style of play there were problems with the WP defensive alignment.
Yet heading towards half time, WP seemed to have recovered and settled and it seemed they had everything in hand. Had a PJ Vermeulen try that would have made it 22-14 been awarded, WP would probably have won by 20 points.
It wasn’t awarded and, instead of taking control, Ross Skeate was yellow carded and in the period he was off Province conceded three tries.
WP, facing a massive catch-up job, saw all their confidence disappear, and for the rest of the match nothing went right for them, and by the end of the game they were a demoralised team.
The good news for them for this weekend’s match against the Boland Cavaliers at Newlands is that their team is quite different, with the return of several players who have not lost in WP or Stormers jerseys since March. Peter Grant (if he plays), Schalk Brits, Brian Mujati and Bolla Conradie will bring back some of the confidence, and as Newlands is starting to turn into a bit of a fortress for the premier Cape team, the smart money should be on them getting back on track in resounding fashion with a comfortable victory.
Predicting what is going to happen with the Sharks is more difficult because their problem is not quite as easily diagnosed as the WP one. Their players did look down on confidence in Bloemfontein last week, where admittedly they were up against a strong team desperate for a win in their first home game for quite a while, but there were also times when they seemed to lack direction.
There are times when the Sharks look as if they are between coaches and coaching styles, which maybe they are. Well though previous coach Dick Muir and John Plumtree get on and work together, and it was a union that worked wonderfully during 2007, when the Sharks won the Super 14, it needs to be remembered that both have very different approaches.
Plumtree is big on structure, whereas Muir is very much a heads up coach, meaning that he likes to let the players play the situation in front of them.
For a while now the Sharks have been a bit like the current Springboks in that they appear to be not quite sure what is expected of them and, as a result, they have lost the clinical aspects that they were so good at last year.
It may though take just one game for it all to come back, and the Sharks have also had a ridiculous injury record so far in the competition. With Ryan Kankowski returning to No 8 and Ruan Pienaar also in the team, be it at scrumhalf or flyhalf, perhaps some of the old direction will return, which could spell problems for the Lions.
If the Sharks do win now, this could be the turning point of the season for them, and with more Boks destined to return later on, they may pick up the momentum they have been lacking. Durbanites will be living in hope…
WEEKEND FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Vodacom Cheetahs v Valke Bloemfontein 19:10
Prediction: Cheetahs to win by 10.
Saturday
Vodacom WP v Boland Cavaliers Cape Town 15:00
Prediction: WP to win by 20.
The Sharks v Xerox Lions Durban 17:05
Prediction: Sharks to win by 5.
Tweet
it was a union that worked wonderfully during 2007, when the Sharks won the Super 14
😯 We won ???
@blackshark (Comment 1) :
I think he meant “topped the table”
Just looking at the SB picks and it seems Kette has stuck to her word of never picking WP again after they messed up her SB two weeks in a row. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : So why didn’t he just say that? 👿
I thought someone with a conscience decided to give us the trophy… 😉
I see from the POLL our guys are pretty confident.
Ok….so is the valke gonna take it again this weekend??? I need to make my SB picks..
😉
@I’ce (Rebel With a Cause) (Comment 6) :
No i don’t think so.
@I’ce (Rebel With a Cause) (Comment 6) : Nope…but wouldn’t it be awesome if they could?
eish…that’s jammer… 😉
@I’ce (Rebel With a Cause) (Comment 9) :
I’ll CERTAINLY be shouting for the Valke.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 10) :
me Too…I dont believe in having ‘second” teams – but they certainly have turned me into liking them a lot and shouting for them… 😀
And I WIIL blame the 2 of you if the Valke goes out and Rook the Cheetahs… 👿
The Valke had me shouting at my team as opposed to shouting for them. 👿
@I’ce (Rebel With a Cause) (Comment 11) : I hope I’m wrong
I have a cricket question. Why are we playing Bangladesh ‘A’ in Eng ❓
@blackshark (Comment 13) :
hell have no fury…. 😈
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 12) :
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 14) : 😯
Didn’t know we were.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 17) : 3 day match, starting today.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 18) :
Will be over in 2 😉
The Coastal minnows 😎
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 20) :
Who?? WP???
@I’ce (Rebel With a Cause) (Comment 21) :
Them too 😉
Just been checking the Showtime schedule and it seems as if they are only showing the Sharks Lions match for the weekend.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 20) : You should choose your words carefully … you’re in SHARK territory… 👿
@KSA Shark © (Comment 23) :
Yea its always just the one with the top teams playing that they show..which I don’t understand cause he Sharks aren’t one.
😯
All three CC matches live on Sky this weekend. 😎
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 25) :
Bwhahahaha
Excellent dig that. 😆
need to be on my toes today I see.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 26) :
I have them all on Supersport as well 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : So far it seems everyone’s a winner today. 😀
Its fun being a Leeu..you have nothing to lose..No expectations at all and if you win its a bonus…
The Valka , Cheetah game should be a goodin!
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 29) :
YIP the only game CSB really wants to see is the Lions one, though for the life of me i can’t figure out why?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) :
To witness the fantastic return of Sephaka and perhaps see Benji catch a ball ..
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 32) :
Seeing benji catch a ball would be historic………..have you got a recorder? 😆 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 33) :
We won the toss and are batting first.
Smith, Duminy, Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers, MV Boucher, RJ Peterson, A Nel, PL Harris, M Zondeki, M Ntini
12/0 – 2 overs
Bangladesh A
Mushfiqur Rahim, Sajidul Islam, Dhiman Ghosh, Mosharraf Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Junaid Siddique, Tamim Iqbal, Nazimuddin
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 36) : Happy Birthday to Monde Zondeki…hope he will have a good game.
@blackshark (Comment 39) : 26 today. Happy Birthday Monde. 😀
32/0 – 7 overs
51/0 – 12 overs
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 42) : Are you watching the game? Are these Bangladesh bowlers any good?
I see the GREAT Robin Petersen is playing… 🙄
Test
@PJLD (Comment 45) :
Hey Check it’s Ricky!!!!!!! Welcome to Sharksworld. 😉
@blackshark (Comment 43) : Nope not watching unfortunately.
139/0 (26.0 ov)
Jeez, this blog is quiet today ❓
Maybe we should start talking politics again, that got things going 😉
Just joking…anyway I’m on my why home. Everybody have a fantastic weekend 😀
I nearly forgot …. GGGGOOOOOOO Sssshhhhhhhhaaaaaaarrrrrrrkkkkksssss
@Pokkel (Comment 49) : We’ll have a lot to talk about tomorrow and Monday.
A lot of tries to analyse… 😆
Sharks forever!
South Africans 191/1 (39.0 ov)
Smith out for 87.
@Pokkel (Comment 49) : my head hurts. Quiet is good
Smith is useless!
Go JP Duminy!!! 😎
why is the vodka always gone?
The CC problems for the coastal teams are not new…
The last time a coastal team was in a CC final was in 2003 when there was no semi-final for them to fall out of…
And the last time 2 coastal teams were in the final was 2001…
They should maybe rename it to the Highveld Cup….LoL
This goes even further to the Super competition…
The only two SA teams to win a Super comp were from the Highveld too…
@Hmmm (Comment 58) :
What should they call the S14?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) :
Bullucky cup….
@Hmmm (Comment 61) :
😆
@Hmmm (Comment 61) :
clutchplate cup?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 63) :
LoL
Luckily the Bulls don’t really visit here…you might be censoring the whole weekend and miss all the games….
LoL
@Hmmm (Comment 64) : f*ckers aren’t bright enough to type the URL correctly 😉
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
Must be the pluralled double barrel name…should have called it “swo”
@Hmmm (Comment 66) :
.co.za off cozz
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
not enough repeated letters in the URL
on their site they only have 4 letters to remember. B, U, L, and E