Naka Drotske was yesterday drawn into making a few comments that suggest the Cheetahs will ‘target’ the shaky midfield defence of Meyer Bosman as they aim to turn the tables on the Sharks this weekend. While this will, I’m sure, be part of their strategy, the shaky Sharks scrum is sure to be another area for the Cheetahs to attack.
A lot has been said about selection for the Sharks, with John Smit’s form at loosehead coming under fire (quite predictably). While it is beyond discussion that the Sharks scrum was woeful against the Waratahs last weekend – in fact, it’s safe to say that this once-exemplary facet of play for the Sharks has been shaky all season – I feel that blaming particular individuals doesn’t get to the root of the problem.
Simply put, the Sharks pack as a whole appears the be coming under pressure in the scrum due to poor technique. Smit is himself far from blameless in this, but blaming him and him alone when the whole front row engages with bent backs and heads down is unfair. The difference in body position between the Waratahs and Sharks was palpable, with the Aussies setting up lower, straighter and tighter than the local boys, who duly disintegrated in virtually every scrum. In fact, the only tight forward in the whole 22 who appeared to be doing his own basics well at scrum time was young Wiehahn Herbst when he came on. The others, quite frankly, look as though they have forgotten the art of scrumming entirely. Perhaps, once again, a lack of specialist coaching in this area has led to an erosion of the players’ core skills?
I mean, if my own idiot-level analysis can spot this after a single viewing of the last game, I shudder to think what the Cheetahs, low-budget though they may be, will have learned from the interpretations of their dedicated scrum coach, Os du Randt.
Changes have been made, with Gerhard Mostert brought in to add a little more weight on the loosehead side. This might work, but only if the second row binds tighter and sets lower than they did against the Waratahs. The addition of Ryan Kankowski at 8 might also backfire; Keegan Daniel’s superb hands saved the Sharks a few blushes last week, whereas the Hoff has never been known for accurate control of the ball at the back of a retreating scrum.
This is not to say that Bosman will escape attention, though. His defence has been shaky from the set phases all season and with the Cheetahs scrum potentially rampant, he may find himself with a lot to do in defending that particular channel. His penchant for 50-50 offloads and hesitation before contact will also not have gone unnoticed by the Cheetahs coaching staff, who will doubtless have devised strategies to capitalise from both.
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Well at least it sounds like Coenie is out for now…
“Cheetahs will ‘target’ the shaky midfield defence of Meyer Bosman” yip, that’s how they can beat us. What does Bosman say to the couch that keeps him on the starting line-up; because it is not by merit that warrants.
I reckopn you should apply for the scrum coach position Robbo..
@PhillipGibb (Comment 2) :
Bosman talks to his couch?! Crazy person…
@PhillipGibb (Comment 2) : Does he actually sit on that couch….? No wonder he’s been kept in the midfield and do no defending! 😛 😆
Good read Rob, and good analysis.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Coenie is a poor scrummer too – but the Cheetahs pack tight and scrum as a pack. The Sharks only really hit from the T5.
To be honest, I’m not quite sure that the scrum is a major issue anymore – it certainly doesn’t seem to help US when we dominate the scrum.
Maybe if Bosman spent less time talking to the furniture and more practising, he would be better on defence. 😉
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : didn’t realise there was one available 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 9) :
Talk to your friend RS, I’m sure he can arrange something.. lol
I wonder how the Sharks are going to play on the freezing fields of Bloem. Probably conservative.
Have to agree with Rob here , a scrum is not dependent on one person but all 8 as a unit
Also people are not seeing through Naka’s big mouth??
He speaks of our weaknesses ? I watched last weekend and saw many from his own team , like his flyhalf that dreads having to takle anything bigger then a midget , like Russouw ran all over him
Oosthuizen is a penalty machine because of his weak scrumming etc,
And his lineouts were woeful to say the least.
Nowhere have i read anywhere on any site or in any press where the Sharks have asked the Cheetahs for a favour???????????? how arrogant is this clown??
I am sure the Sharks feel and know they are good enough to beat the Cheetahs without expecting favours, and if they lose it will be simply the better team won on the day , but there has been no request for favours…………………….
I expect things to be betrter than what people think!
(1) Bosmans defence to be better this week! Having played with the cheetas he will know each players individual attacking styles…
(2) Stats say that the sharks scrum was not as bad as what it looked. The issue is about getting Good ball and with Mostert and Sykes playing lock and Alberts on blind I expect a stronger showing. We might even dominate
Sharks must forget about playing fairytale rugby
Do the basics upfront and dominate the cheetah scrum and that will negate the flair and the likes of Ashley, the man with a mop lol
@byron (Comment 13) : i agree with that
I aint saying we will win as anything is possible on the day
But i have a feeling we will see a different attitude from the Sharks tomorrow
With our heavier lock pairing and good technique our scrum should improve me thinks.
The Bulls beat the Cheetahs when the brought on the likes of Russouw and made their pack stronger
as soon as you tighten the game you take out AJ for example
Coenie gives away umpteen PKs per game so we had very little to fear there if he was playing.
We can only hope that Bosman lifts his game against his old team mates, like most players do.
That`s why I said Andries Strauss must be really upset right now.
Well, I reckon having the opposition coach saying they’re going to target your crap defence is about the best motivation a player can get!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) : I’ve been known to talk, beg and plead to my couch during shocking sharks games 😛
@robdylan (Comment 20) : There’s always some hope that Meyer Bosman will be a late bloomer 😛
@CapeShark (Comment 22) : if he doesn’t manage to step up this week, then I don’t know.
He’s a player who likes to try and do things, but somehow they’re not coming off. I really do admire his willingness to offload, but he needs to communicate better so that his teammates know when they’re coming. I noticed when Swannie came on on Saturday he immediately started marshalling the defence – talking all the time and helping the guys line up. I haven’t seen Meyer doing that
@robdylan (Comment 23) : exactly Rob it was pretty clear to see
@robdylan (Comment 23) : this is week 14 or something of the competition and you guys are still HOPING for a professional player to “step up”? the guy is USELESS ! he’d be called a certain name by now if his surname wasn’t bosman
@robdylan (Comment 23) : Yeah, Swannie aint flash but he does the basics well. Right now Bosman is not even doing the basics… 🙁
@CapeShark (Comment 26) : Well the entire backline is not doing anyhting spectacular so having Swannie in there and only asking him to tackle would not set us back at all. Meyer needs to make the step up now if he wants to keep playing for the Sharks.
@Megatron (Comment 25) : transie , take note…. this is not KEO
Here we dont treat our players like trash , just like we dont call our non white players quota’s
Yes we do voice our opnion that he is not shaping and should be dropped
WE KNOW SHARKS MANAGEMENT DO READ IN HERE EVERY NOW AND THEN 😉
Scrum isn’t an issue what you should be worried about is Sias’ up and unders on Mvovo and Viljoen chasing them and Sias and his brother giving our mind field a long day in the office. Focus on the real issues, scrum, not a real issue. We’ve handled their scrum well for over a year now.
Mega He is that name already 🙁
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 30) : 😆
@sharks_lover (Comment 28) : please … let’s not even use the word to discuss how we don’t use it? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 32) : lol
hiyas bro ,eish cold wet weekend in the cape again
this place is like a baby… if it aint wet its fulla winds
@sharks_lover (Comment 28) : bra, just say black, non-white has a negative connotation, use it don’t use it. 🙄
@sharks_lover (Comment 28) : cough cough
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 30) : hehehehe
@sharks_lover (Comment 28) : in a hope that they will implement some of our radical suggestions
@Megatron (Comment 36) : what happened to your avatar ?
@robdylan (Comment 32) : oops I see you are already here. 🙂
guys – let’s make this clear. Regardless of whether your intention are pure or not (which I’m sure they all are) we do not discuss matters of race on this blog.
It doesn’t really get more simple than that. If you find yourself making any argument or point whatsoever on the basis of somebody’s skin colour, that point would better be made elsewhere.
@Megatron (Comment 34) : not all are black??
eish guys??
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : ha ha… who’s going to play the good cop today?
@rekinek (Comment 38) : this is my avatar 😛 the strip the southern kings will be wearing tomorrow against the premier xv.
no matter how one looks at it we have different RACES , and yes they are all south african by NATIONALLITY
I am merely pointing out the fact that on other sites , the players or colour are being called QUOTA’s , that we dont believe is right at the SHARKS
@robdylan (Comment 40) : we heard you sir, we heard you…just teaching this sharks_lover some manners 😀
@Megatron (Comment 45) : I’ll give you his email address and you can do it off the site, k?
@sharks_lover (Comment 44) : LOS dit nou liewer, oom! Samblief!
@Megatron (Comment 45) : i think you should get out from behind that glass door 😉
@robdylan (Comment 42) : I’m in the mood for being Bad Cop. :Grrrrr:
@Megatron (Comment 43) : at least better than the Landers one … 😀
@KSA Shark © (Comment 48) : go walk your beat meter maid
@KSA Shark © (Comment 48) : not loving your new work schedule?
@robdylan (Comment 46) : nah thanks 😀
@sharks_lover (Comment 47) : it’s all bricks & mortar here tjarkie 😎
Mega u disappointed me – I couldn’t wait to get to get to work to see what u looked like only to find you headless so all my begging to get hubby’s password was for naught 👿 😆
@robdylan (Comment 51) : Not at all 🙁
I see the fscheetahs.co.za site has the headline “Robert hulle is reg vir Meyer”
Hehehehehehe
force 18-14 landers
@KSA Shark © (Comment 56) : 😯
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 54) : hehehe will upload again quickly 😀
no better motivator then what the loud mouthed cheetahs are doing
@sharks_lover (Comment 57) : I’m not on my PC, so I might be wrong but I think there is a match thread. 😛
21-14 with 1 minute to go
I hope Bosman steps up because there is no better motivation than playing against your old team.
Having said that if I was Naka I’d have Johnstone running off Sias into the 12 channel all day.
Mega looking forward to it!
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 64) :
Same here. I was on my phone this morning so couldn’t see the avatars and was hoping to catch a glimpse of ‘ol Mega.
@sharks_lover (Comment 62) : Did someone get injured and the final whistle has been delayed to take the player off?
No final score yet?
Pokkel I blog from BB don’t see avatars was really keen to see Mega and he goes and changes it 🙂
@Pokkel (Comment 63) : and i would have alberts whiping out johnson from the 7 position 😉
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 67) : eish aunty , mega is mpandla
@Pokkel (Comment 65) : @Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 67) : I caught a glimpse of his avatar on my phone last night; glasses, bald and dusky – sort of like a well-tanned Rob Dylan actually! Maybe it’s a non-de-plume Rob uses to bait everyone on the site to increase the number of hits
@sharks_lover (Comment 68) :
Alberts will have to be damn fast to get around from the blindside to get to Johnstone in time. 😉 (from 1st phase that is)
Don’t worry I’m in a better mood today!
@Pokkel (Comment 71) : 😆 good
well keegan and kanko are both more then fast enough lol
@Culling Song (Comment 70) : bwahahahahahahahaha 😆
@Culling Song (Comment 70) : 😆 😆
Mega you still haven’t updated your avatar ❗
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 75) : yes i have 😛
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 75) : who are you giving a lap dance to on your avatar, WA? you naughty bella donna 😛
@Megatron (Comment 76) :
Good to see the face behind the name. So what do you do for a living?
@Pokkel (Comment 78) : except talk kak about rugby? 😀
@Pokkel (Comment 79) : much like you do 😀
@Megatron (Comment 80) : much like all of us 🙂
can’t believe we’ve actually said all there is to say on this point…. or is everyone having an early Friday afternoon nap?
@Pokkel (Comment 79) : It looks like it is only “talk kak about rugby”
@Megatron (Comment 80) : But you’re not denying it? 😉
@robdylan (Comment 82) : Snooze you mean. 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 84) : well – not going to rule anything else. Just cos I’m at work doesn’t mean everyone else is 🙂
Sharks are parking off at ORT… boarding a flight to Bloem in 10 mins
@Megatron (Comment 80) : @robdylan (Comment 81) :
Pity that I don’t get paid for it though? 🙄
HI Megatron!!! At last the face behind the words 🙂 really please to meet you!
And to answer your question that would be Willem Alberts 🙂 Only because when he stood next to me I came to his belly button so he accommodated me 😉
@robdylan (Comment 86) : King Shaka to ORT, ORT to Bloem?? That is a bit of a round about way to travel?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 89) : you don’t get direct flights from Durbs to Bloem, AFAIK. Too close
@KSA Shark © (Comment 83) : this whole site is based on talking kak about rugby, what you thought you were special KSA? 😆 bwahahahaha
@Megatron (Comment 91) : I thought the idea was to keep skin colour out of it. This is not a white site , is it? 😈
@Salmonoid (Comment 92) : Ha ha, well saved.
@Salmonoid (Comment 92) : the background looks wit to me 😀 🙄
@Megatron (Comment 94) : to me too. 😆
@robdylan (Comment 90) : have they heard about buses 🙄
@rekinek (Comment 96) : It’s not THAT close…its a moerse ent actually…
I flew directly from Durbs to Bloem….? Cost me a fortune though…about R2k just over 8 years ago…coz you fly Airlink..
@Ice (Comment 97) : and that was one way… 🙄
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 88) : you’re just making us all jelaous 😆
@Megatron (Comment 94) : i see you’re looking up – still the same light though 😆
@Ice (Comment 97) : Are you telling me you bought one way ticket to Bloem 😯
@rekinek (Comment 101) : LOLOLOL – I stayed for a week or so – then my husband came down for a weekend and we drove home! LOLOL
@Ice (Comment 102) : My parents dont live too far from Bloem…makes sense now? 😉
@Ice (Comment 103) : i guess everybody has skeletons in the closet when it comes to family – they tend to live in strange places 😆
@rekinek (Comment 100) : i have to look up to dodge the Sharks
@Megatron (Comment 105) : especially difficult in here – I’m surprised you’re still afloat
@rekinek (Comment 106) : a clean shaven head and lots of smarts…when you’re born in the eastern cape, you know how to run *cue* ndungane twins, mvovo, nokwe, basson, sbura sithole, brent russell, kanko 😆
from news24 ” The Cheetahs have set their sights on attacking the apparent weak defence of Sharks midfielder Meyer Bosman.” 🙄 🙄
@sharks_lover (Comment 28) :
😉
@Megatron (Comment 107) : Keegan Daniel
@robdylan (Comment 40) :
Amen
@robdylan (Comment 86) : i’m glad i’m not in bloem tonight its dame cold much worse than jhb
megatron has your avatar changed and if why do i still get the good looking guy one the front page 😕
@chaz (Comment 113) : i’m the good looking chap charmaine 😀
@Megatron (Comment 114) :
so you have the same avatar 😕
must say he is good looking but KSA avatar gee that 6 pack oh my
What`s going on here?
Mark Lawrence at the Kings match?
I thought he was supposed to ref our match?!
OH NO! 😯
@Original Pierre (Comment 116) : WTF? Are you sure it is him?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 117) : Definitely Mark Lawrence reffing the Kings game!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 117) : I`m watching the kings match right now and he is there!
Who`ll take our match then?
What if it`s Pro Legoete?? 😯 < Pours a drink! >
@Original Pierre (Comment 116) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 117) :
maybe his double otherwise we are in deep shit 😉
@Original Pierre (Comment 116) : yep the one and only 😯
@Original Pierre (Comment 119) :
eish i really don’t know but i’m going to pour myself one 😕
@KSA Shark © (Comment 117) : look at ss 201 and you’ll see him
@Original Pierre (Comment 119) : Some “up and coming” referee probably. There is only ONE of those is SA who is good enough to referee our game and that is Stuart Berry who is a Durban Boy. The 2nd best is Jaco Peyper who is a Bloemfontein boy. We are screwed unless JK or Jonker are available.
EP Kings 3
SA Premier XV 0
22 min
@chaz (Comment 123) : If KSA was in SA I’m sure he would have! 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 124) :
my nerves are nearlly shot just for our game and then this gets put on top of everyting
not good at all
@Ben (Comment 126) :
but KSA can watch the game maybe another channel how does he get to watch our games same channel i guess 😕
EP Kings 6
SA Premier XV 0
24 min
@chaz (Comment 128) : Same broadcast but not on dstv.
Marius Jonker is reffing the Sharks game. 🙁 from the SARU website.
@Ben (Comment 130) : ok thanks
@KSA Shark © (Comment 131) :
oh my
@KSA Shark © (Comment 124) : Peyper Neeeee He`s a Cheetah supporter.
Semi final 2009!
@chaz (Comment 132) : Not sure what service Saudi Arabia use. You should ask KSA.
@Original Pierre (Comment 134) :
we are in shit thats all i know
KSA Help out here 😕
@chaz (Comment 128) : My satelite provider OSNetwork carries all the SuperRugby, IRB 7s, Aviva Premiership, Currie Cup and ITM Cup games.
It does not interest itself in games of no significance such as this one between the Kings and a Premier bunch of hasbeens with the odd good player thrown in for entertainment.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 138) : 🙂 Kings suck.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 138) :
thanks