It is that simple. The Sharks are guaranteed a semi final spot if they win their last two games.
For the Sharks to get a home semi it is important for the Hurricanes to beat the Chiefs this weekend. That will allow the Sharks and Bulls to leapfrog the Chiefs, leaving the final match of the tournie to decide who gets the home semi. Bonus points aren’t required. We are out of the race for first position, but a second place can be achieved by simply winning the final two games. If we lose a game then we deserve our fate, with three teams waiting to capitalise on a mistake on our part.
So whats left, Bulls vs Cheetahs, Sharks vs Waratahs, Chiefs vs Hurricanes are the only games that matter this weekend for Sharks supporters. Bulls, Sharks and Hurricanes need to win putting the log Hurricanes, Bulls, Sharks and Chiefs.
The next week it is Reds vs Hurricanes, Chiefs vs Brumbies and Sharks vs Bulls. Hurricanes won’t lose this game, so expect them to top the log, Chiefs vs Brumbies could go either way, but lets look at worst case scenario, a Chiefs win. This will put the Chiefs ahead of the Sharks on the log, leaving the Sharks one simple task, a win. A win against the Bulls jumps us from fourth to second in eighty minutes. A loss, well who cares too many permutations to worry about. Rugby players aren’t rocket scientists so keep it simple stupid. JUST WIN THE LAST TWO GAMES SHARKS.
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Simple as that 😉 Should have been a lot simpler had the Sharks not had those brain farts 👿
@Pokkel (Comment 1) : i am trying to be positive, don’t get me started. 😈
So this weekend.
Crusaders to thumps the Reds
Lions to beat the Highlanders
Hurricanes to beat the Chiefs well
Brumbies to beat the Blues
Sharks to just beat the Waratahs
Bulls to beat the Cheetahs VERY well
Force to beat the Stormers
The Way I see the top of the table after this weekend.
Hurricanes 44
Bulls 42
Sharks 39
Chiefs 37
Crusaders 37
Brumbies 36
Force 35
Waratahs 32/33
Blues 31
Quite frankly I am no longer optimistic, actually for what must be the first time in my life I am actively angry at my team! It just seems that the Sharks always start strong, we are always favorites and always seem to fade at the last obstacle. I went to Tembe Elephant parck this weekend, and couldn’t get to see the match but I switched the radio on to Radio 2000 while on a game drive so not to miss the match, but by the end of the match, I felt cheated, (it really wasn’t worth the effort that some of our group made to drive 100ks out of the parck to catch the game on TV), I was livid! 25 knock ons! that is unacceptable at this level, and the indiscipline once again has us holding our breath to see if we can field our best team!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 3) : not too well, points difference could hurt us in the final game if we don’t get a bonus point.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 3) : sorry bulls mustn’t win well.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 4) : i thought i would actually go to the game for the first time this season. i was hoping the sharks looked better in real life than on tv. they actually look worse. tv edits out all the out of action rubbish. i left the ground feeling like we lost.
@try time (Comment 5) :
Yip.
A win without a BP over the Bulls will put us ONE point ahad of them, but if they get a BP then we will be level on log points.
Current PDs
Bulls 57
Sharks 48
I expect the Bulls to open the flood gates against the Cheetahs this weekend to ensure they have the PD advantage going into the final game.
@try time (Comment 7) : Exactly how I felt! In fact my son, who attends the Sharks rugby School u12s was given a ticket for this weekend, and we had organised for my Brother in law who lives near the tank to get us tickets etc. but honestly the way I feel right now I don’t really think that the expense of buying the tickets and the petrol to get to the tank, (considering I live 120ks from the stadium) and the time to watch this team knock every ball, and to MAYBE make the semis is really worth the effort anymore! Maybe next year 😡
@KSA Shark © (Comment 8) : yeah, thats why i hope the cheetahs come out to show off. they just need to stop the bp.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 9) : it worries me that johann cannot inspire the team, yet the man who can isn’t captain. he gets subbed and the team lose direction.
How those 8 points against the Reds and Cheetahs are now coming back to bite the Sharks in the ass.
@Morné (Comment 12) : stop it, you guys are really baiting me. they can do it. they can. 😆
@Morné (Comment 12) : actually whats worse is not getting bp’s for losing within 7 points against those bottom feeder teams. that is the real embarrasment.
@try time (Comment 14) :
No the real question is why the Sharks lost the plot in those two games to two bottom feeders.
Where did they go wrong, or WHO went wrong.
For the fear of repeating mistakes in future I suppose it is only fair to ask why it happened???
stupid sharks. We need to improve by 200 per cent to stand any chance of winning the next two games
@Morné (Comment 15) :
I am having a little de ja vu here….please NO!!! 😕
Let me tell you, if we play like we do lately, we gonna be the laughing stock of the BB supporters….we need to step it up big time…a gear or 10!!
@Morné (Comment 15) : no those same mistakes have been made since game 1. it is a simple case of chasing and defending against ball you have kicked away. it tires players out defending, yet the sharks are quite happy to let stefan kick everything away. when it gets to easier teams the players aren’t up for the smaller teams and cos their bodies are a mess from all the extra work they are creating for themselves, they battle to get out of first gear. the same happened on saturday, instead of driving the sharks superior strength home, we rather took penalties that sent us back into our half to defend some more. instead of going for tries and making the highlanders infringe some more in their 22. we simply aren’t thinking properly. and i blame the captain.
I don’t think kicking the ball away cost us, how many balls did we turnover within 5m of the tryline? Easily 4 or 5 tries went abegging from poor finishing.
I honestly think a bye has a twofold result – it gives everyone a much-needed break but it also compromises continuity and to me that’s what happaned, the guys just weren’t matchfit.
I have a good feeling that this week will be a lot better in that respect, especially as that’s when we need it!
@Baldrick (Comment 19) : how much time did we spend in our own half because we weren’t prepared to kick the ball out, so they came running right back into our half. the knockons cost us in this game, but the pointless kicking has cost us all season.
@Baldrick (Comment 19) : instead of kicking why doesn’t stefan pass the ball to jp. the four balls he got he looked dangerous. the problem is our best player is not getting ball. you don’t see hurricanes, bulls and chiefs keeping the ball away from their flyers. and they surprisingly are ahead of us on the log.
I also don’t think Odwa got a single ball in controlled phase play.
I agree that kicking hasn’t helped all season, but in this game I doubt it cost us the BP. Finishing did.
The Sharks actually played very good rugby in the 1st 30 min. Some of the best of the season..they kept the ball in hand(ignoring the knock-ons)and build some phases….but then the knock-ons and the knock-ons and the knock-ons…… 👿 👿
@Baldrick (Comment 22) : not if we had created more opportunities, some passes would have stuck. but as i said above bp’s don’t really count anymore unless bulls get two. so lets hope we can play some intelligent rugby for the last 4 games.
@Pokkel (Comment 23) : and as i said before, the main culprit bis gets to stay on the field, to knock on another certain try.
Best we can hope for after the last round is
Canes
Sharks
Bulls
Chiefs
Assuming we can pull a rabbit out of the hat and actually beat the Bulls in a semi, there’s still a chance the Chiefs could pull off a miracle against the Canes which means home final for us and an unexpected S14 trophy.
@klempie (Comment 26) : that is what i said. can’t you read. 😆 😆 😈
@try time (Comment 10) : Cheetahs defense is balls at the moment.
@klempie (Comment 26) : bulls could end 4th which would be ideal.
@klempie (Comment 28) : but they hate the bulls, and could surprise.
@try time (Comment 13) : You know how chicks have “that time of the month”. TT has them too except he goes the other way and gets all positive when everyone else is negative. 😛
@try time (Comment 29) : I disagree. That would mean the Bulls having to beat the Canes jetlagged. Not gonna happen. The only way we can win the S14 is a home final and best chance of that is letting the Chiefs have a go at the Canes.
@klempie (Comment 32) : @klempie (Comment 32) : That said, what are the chances of the Sharks beating the Bulls in consecutive knock out games at KP? 🙄
@klempie (Comment 33) : yeah so it really doesn’t matter. we need to focus on two wins…for now.
@klempie (Comment 31) : 😆 😆 pms-post match sarcasm
@klempie (Comment 33) : 99.5%
@Rahul (Comment 35) : Where do you get your stats from? I’d like to see.
@klempie (Comment 36) : A reliable source…. straightoutamyhead.cr.ap
I was thinking – if the shars would just keep winning – forget the bonus points … 4 x 13 = 52 – they would be in the semis & final –
really simple
Another notice, since the blog is so active today. I’ve got tickets for the Sharks v B&I Lions in June at R230 face value. We’re having a braai after with KSA. Anyone interested?
@rekinek (Comment 38) : thats how many weeks in a year (exactly the amount of time they can hold onto the trophy), and cards in a deck (unless they are jokers) 😆
@klempie (Comment 39) : not if ksa is there, he is bigger than me and owes me a few klaps. 😆 i can’t believe baldies are so touchy about hair comments. 😈
@klempie (Comment 39) : Unfortunately can’t see myself making a midweek game 😕 – especially that I will be taking off the 3 weeks off later in june.
got myself as consolation Lions v lions – though it starts looking more like punishment now
@try time (Comment 41) : Come on dude. I’ll protect you.
No mention of Stefan Terblanche in the article?? 😯 😕
my 2 cents, i have good and bad tidings
The good is that i think the sharks are a far better team than recent results suggest. Many try-scoring lost and uncharcateristic bad hands from a normally very efficient and well drilled unit. Even the cheetahs walloping the sharks lost focus and the game ran away, crusaders could have easily won and the highlanders the sharks actually played incredibly well imo despite all the negative press.
The bad news is that you are up agains two of the best packs in the compeition in the last two weeks who are going to come at the sharks very hard. I think the sharks can win both, but need to get back to their clinical best to do so. The bulls will be very difficult to beat in present form but the sides are closely matched.