It’s not often than I read things in the press that have me, quite literally speechless, but now and again, it does happen…
“It was actually strange for me to see how the Sharks struggled in the scrums. They have scrummed well the whole season, but there were one or two scrums where the Pumas definitely had their number.”
That’s a quote coming directly from Naka Drotske, who clearly watched last Saturday’s match between the Sharks and the Pumas very selectively. There was, I will concede, a single scrum where the Pumas managed to catch the Sharks on the hit and got a good shoulder. What Drotkse clearly didn’t see, though, was how the Sharks props annihilated the bigger, more experienced Pumas props in every other scrum. Dale Chadwick’s systematic dismantling of Ashley Buys at tight head was obvious enough that even Tank Lanning – who tends to see little good that doesn’t wear a hooped jersey – saw fit to remark on it during the game.
I understand, of course, that journos like to twist a coach’s words, thus I’m not going to rise to talk of Drotske aiming to “dismantle” the Sharks scrum. I do remain a little disappointed, though, that a coach with as much experience as him would make a statement indicating such a basic ignorance of the facts. Then again, the media have been writing up the chances of young Cheetahs props Marcel van der Merwe and Coenie Oosthuizen all season, notwithstanding the great performances put in by the Sharks boys Wiehahn Herbst and (especially) Dale Chadwick.
According to Drostske, Oosthuizen has now “successfully made the transition to tight head” after playing there for three weeks. Chadwick has so far this season made a fair few 3s look very ordinary indeed, including the Blue Bulls’ Werner Kruger, so it will be interesting to see if Drotske is as convinced of Oosthuizen’s tight head credentials after this weekend’s outing.
Whatever the case, let’s hope the Sharks front row has a copy of Drotske’s Volksblad interview ready to stick up in the change room ahead of this weekend’s game.
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To be fair, anyone makes Werner Kruger look ordinary. I think Coenie will give Chadwick a good game. That Cheetahs front-row looks big and by what Naka is saying they’ll definitely try put pressure on at scrums.
I’m backing Sharks by 5 or so, but for the Cheetahs to demolish them in the scrums. Coenie is a monster.
Roberto – I reckon this is just tactics and antics Naka is using to try and unsettle the Sharks.
Coenie is a monster – but deffo not a good scrummager – he will give Freddie loads of work to do – let’s hope who ever is FH will have their kicking boots on.
I really do not see all the hype about Coenie…really.. Omdat hy soos ‘n Os lyk perhaps?
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 2) : It’s the goose step.
Dale to make Coenie his bitch this weekend..
@war1 (Comment 3) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) :
@war1 (Comment 3) : And the speed, he is quick for a big guy.Seriously quick.
Can’t string together 2 decent performances in a row though.
I for one am only too happy for an opposition coach to smoke crack and completely underestimate us in a department. Why on earth would you be ‘disappointed’, Bobby?
Sharks will probably win the scrums, but Cheetahs will really test us in open play anyway. We will have to play really well if we want to take this. The problem is that the youngsters are still learning to be consistent in their execution.
REUTERS, Bloemfontein: The community of the rural town of Bloemfontein yesterday reacted in shock at the surprise arrest of Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske by police after responding to a domestic disturbance call. Eyewitnesses report that on arrival at the Drotske household, police officers were confronted by a naked and disorientated Drotske, claiming among other things to be a cheesegrater, that the Sharks pack couldn’t scrum, to have received a message from the great prophet Ba’a Zulthara indicating that the world would end next Tuesday, and that Steve Hofmeyer is a genuinely nice guy. Toxicology reports from a blood sample taken at the scene apparently indicates the presence of an excpetionally high concentration of hallucinogenics in Mr. Drotske’s bloodstream, suggesting that he was, in the words of one of the officers at the scene “tripping his ass off”.
@Culling Song (Comment 8) :
@Culling Song (Comment 8) :
I think people underestimate Coenie because he’s a bigger rounder guy rather then a square if you like. But I recall him having a few very good scrummaging performances in the S15, especially against the All Blacks/Crusaders front-row who him and WP Nel demolished.
And he’s got the highest workrate of any prop in Super rugby. Makes turn-overs, is a great ball-carrier, clears out rucks. He really is another 1 1/2 looseforwards.
I’d be shocked if he isn’t the starting Springbok loosehead next year.
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : I’d be shocked if you are right.
Coenie is a great player that doesn’t do his primary job as well as he should, imo.
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : Emphasise om “a few”.. 😉 😆
@Ben (Comment 12) : “LIKE”
@Bump (Comment 13) : I think you have hit that one on the head…perhaps thats why I am not overly impressed by him.
@hendrikp (Comment 11) :
If he can rule out all the penalties he concedes..
We need all the good props in the country as we can get!!
@Culling Song (Comment 8) :
Have I mentioned that I love your work? 😆
@Big Fish (Comment 17) : I need to see less lip, more organising of Culling Song-shaped islands in the Persian Gulf for your words to ring true
So in short, thanks!
@Big Fish (Comment 17) : @Culling Song (Comment 18) :
Get a room!! 😉
@Pokkel (Comment 19) : Touch of jealousy there perhaps? Have you forgotten already that I’m getting a room with you next weekend at Bivane…? 😉
G’Day everyone
I for one got sliced and diced by some for saying i rated our props poorly last week, but my feeling was they scrummed great
It was their poor general play that bothered me , defence and giving away so many penalties in the loose was bad for me
so other then that i agree 100% with Rob , to say the Puma scrum got the better of us?? Rubbish
@Culling Song (Comment 20) : a room????? You couldn’t handle my snoring. Does this mean our wifes are sharing the other room? This could get interesting. 😯
@Pokkel (Comment 22) :
😆
Dale must just cut out his scrum penalties.
@Culling Song (Comment 20) : Going fishing?
@hendrikp (Comment 11) :
You ARE Coenie Oosthuizen and I claim my R50 compliments of ABSA!! 😈
@Salmonoid (Comment 25) : Going away for a weekend of drinking beer in picturesque surroundings. Undoubtedly some attempts will be made to reduce the local fish population, but that’s more Pokkel’s forte than mine.
@Culling Song (Comment 27) :
I hope you have a nice pub that serves breakfast in mind..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 28) :
Breakfast will be up to the ladiesand it should be served with beer. 😉
I don’t think there is a pub within about 60km.
@Pokkel (Comment 29) :
Haha.. good stuff.. make sure you have cleared this with the ladies before any assumptions are made!
Enjoy guys!
Take him apart Dale … just like all the rest
@Culling Song (Comment 27) : Is this near Utrecht.
I had a mate that was the resident forester at a Mondi plantation in the area. Absolutely stunning area and some nice trout fishing in the river that flowed just beneath his stone cottage.
@Culling Song (Comment 8) : Something missing in this report….I know its Naka’s (and John Smits) nemises, the hamburger eating guardian of righteousness (and the front row) Ollie le Roux.
@Salmonoid (Comment 33) : I also thought of Ollie while reading this article.
@Salmonoid (Comment 32) :
You’re thinking of Balele where I’ve often been. and it’s near Utrecht.They have 8 trout dams with great fishing. I have a personal best of about a 3 kg rainbow there.
We’re going to Bivane dam which is between Vryheid and Pongola and it’s renowned for great bass fishing and I’m hoping to catch some monster spawning bass there.
@Pokkel (Comment 35) : Monster! Dont you think fish can feel?? 👿
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 36) :
I don’t eat fish so they’ll end up with a bit of a sore mouth after I chuck them back in. Not too much harm done.
@Pokkel (Comment 35) : Thats right Balele.
Is Bivane a newish (last 10 years)dam. I think the river that flows near Paulpiet and past Natal Spa is the Pivane, close in pronounciation to Bivane.
3kg rainbow is 😎
Do you know Horst Filter?
@Pokkel (Comment 37) : laat ek ‘n hoek deur jou mond druk… 🙄 😆
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 39) :
Jy sal my eers moet vang! 😀
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) :
I’ve heard the name can’t say I know him.
Bivane is probably about 10 years old. It was build for the Pongola sugar farmers and they irrigate from there when it’s dry.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 36) : They have short memory spans. There was a marked trout that was caught and released about 18 times in the Holsloot river in the Western Cape
@Pokkel (Comment 41) : He farms in the commondale area outside Paulpiet. Very clued up flyfisherman and really sharp when it comes to yellowfish, he also has access to a lot of great yellowfish waters in that Piet Retief – Paulpiet – Vryheid area. He does guiding if you ever want to fish new waters.
@Salmonoid (Comment 42) : i am just fooling around with Pokkel! 😉
Sort of like me, then? 😆
@Pokkel (Comment 40) : Wel ek is seker ek kan vinniger hardloop as wat jy kan rol! 😈
@Salmonoid (Comment 43) :
I’ve never really tried fly fishing for yellows. Apparently it’s quite an art.
@Ben (Comment 34) : 😀 probably the words domestic disturbance, Naka and Bloemfontein in one post that triggered it.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 44) :
Jy het nog die afdraendes by die dam gesien nie. Jy sal blerrie vinnig moet hardloop.
@Pokkel (Comment 47) : Ek KAN!
@Pokkel (Comment 45) : It is, they are very skittish but not impossible to catch. On warm winters afternoons just before sunset they come on the rise and you catch them with small dry flies. They are incredible fighters and can grow to a good couple of kilos in the waters around Piet Retief. Methinks that if you catch one you will be hooked.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 44) : Blonde fish, yellow fish…ja.
@Salmonoid (Comment 49) :
I’m sure I will. So many fish so little time! 😉
@Salmonoid (Comment 50) : nah – talking bout the short memory span! 😆