Another game that’s just impossible to call in this round! The Sharks are finally home and have finally managed to pick up just a little momentum, going through the last two weeks in New Zealand unbeaten.
The Reds, however, are anything but easy-beats this year – not that the Sharks have ever found them a walkover, barring 2007 – and are riding high near the top of the table. They waltzed over the limp Cheetahs last week and if anything have picked a stronger side to face the Sharks this weekend.
The home side will need to overcome the effects of travel and a long tour, as well as a disrupted midfield featuring veteran Stefan Terblanche playing his 100th game in the unfamiliar position of outside centre.
Ref: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
ARs: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Marc van Zyl (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Venue: ABSA Stadium, Durban
Kick-off: 17h05 SA Time, 16h05 BST
he Sharks: 15 Patrick Lambie, 4 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 John Smit (captain).
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Andries Strauss, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Reds: 15 Peter Hynes, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Will Chambers, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Van Humphries, 4 Adam Byrnes, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Sean Hardman, 1 Ben Daley.
Replacements: 16 Saia Faingaa, 17 Greg Holmes, 18 Jack Kennedy, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Leroy Houston, 21 Ben Lucas, 22 Rod Davies.
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So not tooooooooo bad for me on SB so far this week.
Game 46: Hurricanes v Crusaders: Crusaders by 9 😥
Game 47: Force v Stormers: Force by 8 😎
Game 48: Blues v Bulls: Blues by 6 😎
Game 49: Chiefs v Highlanders: Chiefs by 17 😎
Game 50: Waratahs v Cheetahs: Waratahs by 39 😎
Game 51: Sharks v Reds: Sharks by 4 ❓
4 from 5 with one to go.
I suspect it will be 5 from 6 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : and this be mine KSA
So not tooooooooo bad for me on SB so far this week.
Game 46: Hurricanes v Crusaders: Crusaders by 3
Game 47: Force v Stormers: Force by 4
Game 48: Blues v Bulls: Blues by
Game 49: Chiefs v Highlanders: Chiefs by 15
Game 50: Waratahs v Cheetahs: Waratahs by 21
Game 51: Sharks v Reds: Sharks by 7
4 from 5 with one to go.
I suspect it will be 5 from 6
oops i had blues by 3
😯 damn this place is deader then a straight sex orgy in cape town today 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
rob must be taking his afternoon nap 😆
Man we ARE an optimistic bunch aren’t we.
Picks for Sharks 43768 (74.86%)
Picks for Reds 14560 (24.9%)
Picks for draw 142 (0.24%)
Average Sharks pick Sharks by 8
Average Reds pick Reds by 7
I would have expected a MUCH more even and a probable majority of picks in favour of the Reds.
lol ksa we all picking with the heart for the most
@sharks_lover (Comment 5) : no such luck 😉 just had to drive through to my folks’ place 😉
Go SHARKS, make us proud today boys! 😀
@mbayshark (Comment 9) :hey boet. You’ve been scarce
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Hi Rob, yes moved house, had to wait almost 3 weeks for Telkom to move my telephone line.
@mbayshark (Comment 11) : Great Telkom service as usual. 👿
GO SHARKS !!!
Congrats to Stefan on his 100th Super Cap for the Sharks.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHARKSSSSSSSSS 🙂
Well done Stefan!!!
This is it.
C’mon Sharks!!!!!!!!!
Kudus to Stefan !
3 – O to Sharks
Sharks 3 – 0 Reds
5min
😯
I thought the Sharks would want to keep this tight 😯
We need quick hands 😉
Great passage of play Sharks!
😳 Try Saving tackle by Lambie on Housebreaker 😳
Can’t get him the 2nd time. 😳
Try Cooper
Sharks 3 – 7 Reds
12min
Defence being questioned 😳
I like Lamb(ie)
GO SHARKS ❗ ❗
Well there certainly seems to be no sign of the boring games that this match up has produced in the past.
both teams going at it from anywhere.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 23) : ”that was a burgling try if I ever saw one”
Lambie is defending very well
Reds are using obstruction runners a good 5-8 meters in front of the ball carrier at most phases 😯
Penalty Sharks!!
PK Sharks for Faainga throwing it away as he goes into touch.
Ruan slots it.
Sharks 6 – 7 Reds
21min
6 – 7 to Reds
@JarsonX (Comment 29) : 😛
6 – 7 Sharks
Same criminal 😉
faingaa looks surprised again as he gets penalised again 😆
Runa slots it
Sharks 9 – 7 Reds
23min
9 – 7 Sharks
Much better sharks! Forwards doing well at breakdown
I paused the game so I was a minute behind 😳
great pick up and clear by Lambie
Go Sharkies!!!!
@JarsonX (Comment 41) : 😀
😆
Cooper misses a PK from 43m out
Sharks 9 – 7 Reds
27min
super Quade misses the kick, before taking off
Tackles made
Sharks 45 😯 (how long can we keep that up for?)
Reds 17
Is it Smit’s birthday?
Goode kick
AWESOME double tackle on Genia!!!!!!!!! takes him back and we win an easy ball!!!
Andy goode!
Sharks looking good on the ground 😈
@JarsonX (Comment 48) :
YES IT IS 😯
Full Name John William
Surname Smit
Height 188
Weight 125
Birth Date 3 April 1978
Birth City Polokwane
Happy Birthday John!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday Captain Smit
Dinner time for me, back in 15
Sharks have made triple the amount of tackles of the Reds 😯
Kanko holding his wrist 😕
@JarsonX (Comment 58) : Deysel on for Kanko, blood??
Weak defensive line!
Chambers try! 🙁
Defence still in question 🙁
9 – 14 Reds
Halftime
14 – 9 to Reds
Eish. Not a great scoreline
Sharks need to catch a bit of a wake up.
Big 2nd half needed by these guys now.
C’MON SHARKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Concentration the only problem, otherwise they actually look ok
@Charlie (Comment 62) :
Would have made no difference if you were there mate. 😛
Try Chambers. 🙁
TMOP sounds impressed that he can’t comment on the forward pass beforehand. 😥
Sharks really need to start getting their hands on the ball and working with it.
Ag no man 🙁
Odwa TRY!!!!!!!!
Oddone try!!!
Ruan converts
Sharks 16 – 21 Reds
46min
Thanx Oubaas, why so touchy 🙁
And we’re back in the game
Oubaas I know that I can’t tackle 😉
Come on Sharks!!
@Charlie (Comment 76) :
🙂
Not touchy. You said it twice so i thought you wanted a reply. 😉
JP NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Come on Jp man ! 🙁
No Try back for the penalty
Botes TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try!!!!!!
Sharks!!!
conversion to come…. nailbiting
23 – 21 to Sharks !
come on SHARKS!!!
Hargreaves off injured. 🙁
Steenkamp more than good enough to take his place though.
Converted
Sharks 23 – 21 Reds
57min
Mark Wahlberg on for Hargreaves
What a brilliant take by Lambie, he is great in the air with the highball.
MAN Lambie IS good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please stop calling for him to move to 10.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dinner Time
Go Sharks
Brilliant work sharks! 😛
Keep the ball in hand !
How many times is P*llock going to let the Reds collapse the maul without handing out a card?
Ruan Pienaar options please !
#1 Red comes in the side gets told to go back, doesn’t go back because a team mate pushes him forward and they sloooooooooooooow our ball down and NOTHING happens!!!!!! 😳
How did the Sharks not score in the corner?????
How many damn infringements are the Reds going to get penalised for less than 10m from their tryline and NOT get carded???????
JPP TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JP jou doring !
YES TRY!!!!
@lostfish (Comment 99) :
We waited so that JPP could score under the poles. 😛
Yes man we can actually score tries GAIN! 😀 😀 😀
Converted
Sharks 30 – 21 Reds
66min
@KSA Shark © (Comment 104) : My nerves are shot and the dogs have left the room!!
30 – 21 to Sharks
Holmes BP TRY!!!!
damn try reds
Quick hands wow !
@lostfish (Comment 107) :
Cooper converts
Sharks 30 – 28 Reds
71min
Missing tackles costing 🙁
Lambie you go boytjie !
great chase by Lambie to dot down a Cooper kick.
Cooper is good, Lambie is awesome.
John off injured. 😳
C’mon Sharks keep it together!!!!!!!!
Ouch Beast !
Andrie Strauss no man !
75min
Sharks 30 – 28 Reds
Scrum Reds on Sharks 10m line
77min
Sharks 30 – 28 Reds
Sharks scrum just inside Reds half
GO SHARKS !
Come on boys we need a try
I am going to need a STIFF drink after this game
PK Sharks on the reds 10m line
Sharks going for LO 15m out
79min
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK
FULL TIME
Sharks 30 – 28 Reds
Yes we did it !
make that a triple
Well done SHARKS. 😛
What a way to lose the lineout right at the end like that. I thought for sure when Digby got that ball and cut through the midfield we were done for, especially when Lambie missed his tackle. Thank goodness he was looking all around him and slowed down.
Sharks jou lekke ding !
Lekka Sharks. 😎
Man that does feel good!!!!!!!!!!
JEEPERS sharks… my heart.
Man, but what a pack we have. A pack like that really deserves a pair of centres…
These f-ing Sharks will make me an alkie!
Now I have to go to church to repent all my profanity in the last 160 minutes
@Morné (Comment 136) : I have to go make friends with the dogs now.
@Morné (Comment 136) : rugby over the Easter weekend is bad. Afraid I took the sweet Lord’s name in vain towards the end there too.
Well done Sharks. That was just tooooooooooooo close. At least one saffa team gets a win 😆
Hehehehe !
@robdylan (Comment 138) :
My soon-to-be 3 year old actually tapped me on the shoulder in the last minute and said… “It’s okay Daddy…”
Mom just walked out the lounge 🙂
@Morné (Comment 141) :
My Cats are slowly climbing out of their hiding places.
I think the experiment of playing Terblanche at 13 worked damn well.
5 from 6 on Superbru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😎
@robdylan (Comment 134) : my thoughts exactly! Forwards were awesome. We need some off season recruits in the midfield.
All or nothing for me on LMS next week, am thinking of backing the Lions against the Reds.
Is Wickus v Heerden back for the Lions next week?
The Bye will be handy, it seems we have a few walking wounded.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 144) :
I hope you got the Stormers game wrong!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 146) :wickus should hopefully be back,had a few vodacom cup games. Plum reckons kankowski out for the season..
@Morné (Comment 148) :
Nope I got the draw wrong. 🙁
@zenrugby (Comment 149) : crap – did they say what was wrong?
@zenrugby (Comment 149) :
😎 re Wickus
👿 😥 re Kankowski.
SB this weekend
Game 46: Hurricanes v Crusaders: Crusaders by 9 😕
😎 😎
Game 47: Force v Stormers: Force by 8 😎
Game 48: Blues v Bulls: Blues by 6 😎
Game 49: Chiefs v Highlanders: Chiefs by 17 😎
Game 50: Waratahs v Cheetahs: Waratahs by 39 😎
Game 51: Sharks v Reds: Sharks by 4
@lostfish (Comment 151) : broken hand. On the bright side,deysel and alberts are seriously tough in tandem
@Morné (Comment 148) :
I don’t pick who I WANT to win I pick who I THINK is going to win. 😛
This coming weekend is going to be damn hard on LMS.
Chiefs v Vodacom Bulls
Highlanders v Emirates Western Force
Blues v Vodacom Stormers
Crusaders v HSBC Waratahs
CA Brumbies v Vodacom Cheetahs
Auto & General Lions v QR Reds
Well done Sharks! Well done!
@zenrugby (Comment 149) : the SEASON? Surely not… has he broken his whole hand, or just a finger?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 156) : Think I’ll go with the Brumbies
@robdylan (Comment 158) : he was holding his wrist
@KSA Shark © (Comment 156) : not so hard. Pick all the home teams except for the last game
@JarsonX (Comment 159) :
I’ve already used the brumbies. 🙁
I have Cheetahs, Lions, Blues, Highlanders, Reds, Force left.
Think I will go with Lions. 😉
@robdylan (Comment 161) :
You only get 1 pick on LMS. 🙂
@JarsonX (Comment 160) : ah crap. That’s bad news. But at least now we have cover in Alberts, unlike last year
@KSA Shark © (Comment 162) : Blues, Brumbies, Lions, Sharks, Force
@robdylan (Comment 164) : Kanko was regaining form again 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 158) :apparently only his finger,he dislocated it,tried to reset it and ended up breaking it!
Have a good night guys, enjoy 😀
@KSA Shark © (Comment 163) : I meant on SuperBRUUUU 🙂 You horrible pedant 🙂
GO SHARKS ❗ 😛 ❗
@zenrugby (Comment 167) : tosser… should have asked Jannie to do it for him
@zenrugby (Comment 167) :
TWIT
@robdylan (Comment 169) :
At my age you can’t change the subject without telling me. 😛
he will play with tapped fingers
luckily we rest this comming weekend
@robdylan (Comment 134) : Hahahaha. Rob for sure, we need centres.
Anyhow 3 wins on the trot after a long, long flight home. Tank looked quite full too. Pleased to see that.
Cheers out of here now.
Once again well done Sharks. 😎
Not the brightest thing to do! Have a great evening guys im outta here for now. Well done sharks for saving face for the sa teams
And so much for the talk of the Reds coming away from Sa with 3 good wins. 😎
My Sharks make me proud!!!!!!!!
Fantasy League after this round
SexKitten’s Revenge 3358
Sandsharks 3348.75 😎
Karratera’s HasBeens 3339.25 (1st time not at #1 I think)
Wolfpac317 3263
The dream team 3262.5
Rions Lions 3252.25
Ellies XV 3247.25
Blue Kevan7 3218.5
StraatKinders 3204.5
Goggabies 3184.75
@sharks_lover (Comment 174) : except I think it was his thumb 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 179) :
He can tape it to his wrist if it is still dislocated. 😛
did’nt someone in here say earlewier it was his finger that was dislocated?? and in trying to set it back it broke??
earlier
🙄
@zenrugby (Comment 154) : they were creating some serious go forward near the end.
My nerves were shot after the game….Sharks made me soooooooo proud!!!
Nervous about our midfield defense though, especially 12 and 21 (Dries ‘the Choker’ Strauss) and of course Andy Goode’s lack of defense.
As for the rest of the guys, all pulled their weight.
❗ ❗ ❗ SHARKS FOREVER ❗ ❗ ❗
We just need to back our guys, hope we can have as much casualties back for our nexy game 🙂
@sharks_lover (Comment 182) :
😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 143) :
You are joking right?
Look at how many times we were cut open in midfield. 😐
@Big Fish (Comment 187) : 10 and 12 got cut to shreds, might be because of the new combo of Swaan and Blanche that Swaan kept coming out from his channel.
Most of the line-breaks for the Reds came through 10 and 12, Plum will have to give some special attention there.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 188) : There was a huge gap in the 10 channel, it was attacked constantly and they nearly always got over the gain line there. How many times did Cooper hop skip and then run through there.
@lostfish (Comment 189) : I still get nervous just thinking about it. 😐
@lostfish (Comment 189) : lost fishy the problem is not so goode
he has no defence unless the player comes straight at him without a jinx
atleast a monty would cover his channel
Poor swannie is a far better player than he looks right now
@robdylan (Comment 192) : Even at his worst he still out shone Dries. 😐
You think Swaan is trying to be everywhere on defense because of Goode’s lack of defense?
I think Blanche added a lot more on attack, just the combo of him and Swaan on defense that needs time to settle.
10/12 however worries me, we need it sorted before playing the Lions, they’ll also be running everything at us.
Odwa really impressed me, he had a very busy game and chased every ball hard, seems he got some if not most of his speed back.
I have a suggestion that might work Move Rory to F/H and that way if Ru is out of position in any way Rory is there to cover him
Rory can kick with both feet has an eye for the gap will tackle his heart out and who knows it might just prove to be the thing that sparks the line
I remember years back with Gawie Visage we played province in the semi final of the cc-we were still in the b section just couldnt beat the purple people eaters what is it with free state sides-the selectors moved Gawie to 10 and he won the game for us much to provinces disgust
what so you think
We were particularly fragile in the 10/12 area, but Ioane also made a few telling breaks from the wing – which should have been covered by Stefan.
He didnt have the worst of games – better than I expected; but I dont like the idea of a non-specialist 13, and even less that of Strauss as cover…
Huge games by the pack – particularly Alberts and Deysel.
@Fattmann (Comment 195) :
I really believe that Kockott could do it – he has the skills, and we have the gap.
Would just need to be drilled to pass the ball.
But how good is Lambie? That boy is gonna be a Bok.
@Big Fish (Comment 197) : Lambie is very good(e)!!!! very impressed when i saw him last year and he has come on a lot
heard that Hof’s injury is a broken thumb 4-6 weeks out Just as well alberts is there this could also open up a door for Rhodes
Does anybody know how long Guy Cronje is out for?
@Fattmann (Comment 198) :
Haven’t see that kind of skill under the high ball since Jouba, and he also seems to have a fair turn of pace. Not fragile either.
I reckon Luddick is gonna find it hard to get that 15 jersey, unless Plum moves Lambie to 10.
Well done Sharkies!!!!
I thought Alberts has justified his purchase in the last two games alone. Huge on defense and does not get stopped behind the advantage line. And what can one say about Lambie? That youngster has class to burn and what´s really great to see is how much he is enjoying the game – all smiles.
It seemed as if Kanko´s injury was the bone sticking through his skin, which is why he initially went off for blood. Apparently that is why he will be out for longer than expected.
As far as the Reds go I like the way they play. Expect to see Genia, Cooper and Ioane in the Wallabies starting line-up. With a stronger forward pack these guys are going to severely test both the All Black and Bok defenses come Tri Nations time.
@Big Fish (Comment 199) : Read somewhere Plum saying something to the effect of Lambie being the solution at 10, but apparently it won’t happen during the S14, so chances are we’ll see him at 10 during the CC. Lets hope it works.
@rhineshark (Comment 200) :
Add Beale, Giteau, Barnes and O’ Connor to that mix and it gets frightening.
Yet Cooper and Beale were developed over a long time, and lost their teams a few games. Seems the Aussies are more forgiving of young talent then we are (Frans Steyn).
@FireTheLooser (Comment 201) :
I will wait and see before commenting – he has the game to be a helluva 10 too.
And why do we seem to change the “next big thing” at 10 every year?
Guy Cronje, Len Olivier, that boy whose girlfriend made him retire…
Bottom line.
Cooper and his midfield have made MOST sides’ defense look less than ordinary this season.
@Big Fish (Comment 203) : It’s time for the Sharks to pic a FH and stick with him.
Same goes for Swaan, he’s probably not the best 12 in the country but it’s time the Sharks show some confidence in their players….same goes for us fans though, I’ve been one of the guilty ones calling for heads as soon as someone under performs. 😳
@FireTheLooser (Comment 205) : I was pretty critical of Swanno in my latest article, but I actually agree with you. We have nobody else to play 12 so we’ve just got to let him develop there
@robdylan (Comment 206) : The Sharks might need to give specialized training to Swaan though, put in some extra time to unlock his potential.
Morning, the latest thread is closed/broken 😉 ‘Nice work Sharks, now enjoy the break’
Anyone interested in a SB pool for the T20?? You can join my pool and SW’s if they decide to create one
@FireTheLooser (Comment 185) : don’t moan about dries he caught this ball in the last move
@Big Fish (Comment 187) : it seemed more of the goode – swannie problem than stef’s really. can goode tackle?
@rekinek (Comment 210) : Probably the most he’s been able to do under pressure 😀
@FireTheLooser (Comment 212) : i dare say ball catching very important in rugby
what about : give dries a run at 13 and stef at 10. we could dispense with goode. Dries is good tackler. Not sure whether stef will do much passing though but this and kicking is a common problem with 10s so he should be fitting enough.
Sharks well done me knew the team would not let me down watch the game but not at the bar but in me friends house The owner of Sabi river camps and it was in the mud and then back to watch the game and well we won that is that well done guys
Well done Sharks – I knew you could do it, being at the game was awesome, especially walking out with a win!!! 😀
@dawnwallenkamp (Comment 215) : 😥 😥 😉