The big match for the morning in terms of Sharks supporters, where the Sharks take on the Brumbies in Canberra, looking to get their first win of their tour, after narrowly losing to the Waratahs last weekend.
The Brumbies come off a confidence boosting win over the Highlanders last weekend, and with that are the top ranked Australian team in the tournament as it stands, this after being touted as being the worst of the lot in the pre-season build up.
The Sharks welcome back influential backliner JP Pietersen to the starting team, with Jean Deysel flying in during the week, certain of making an impact from the bench. The Sharks have to win this match to stay in contention with the two South African teams taking each other on later today, in a bid to stake a claim in the play offs.
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Pat McCabe, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Ian Prior, 8 Ben Mowen (capt), 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Peter Kimlin, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Leon Power, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ruadhri Murphy.
Reserves: 16 Anthony Hegarty, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Scott Fardy, 19 Ita Vaea, 20 Nic White, 21 Zack Holmes, 22 Joe Tomane.
Sharks: 15. Riaan Viljoen, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. JP Pietersen, 12. Tim Whitehead, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Frederic Michalak, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (Captain), 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Jandre Marais, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Dale Chadwick
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Jacques Botes, 21. Meyer Bosman, 22. Louis Ludik
Tweet
SSSHHHHAAAAARRRRRRKKKKSSSS
We simply HAVE to WIN today! Go Sharks!!!
Shhhhaaarrrrrkkkkksss….I really don’t mind losing this pick 🙂
@Just a Fan (Comment 3) : what you picked Brumbies 😯
I never pick against my team.
We expect nothing less than a win in this game.
Well done to the Cheetahs. If they, of all teams, can beat the Canes away the Sharks can beat the Brumbies. We need to believe, we need to focus for 80mins and we need to be ruthless.
I am disappointed to see how easily the Chiefs dispatched the Waratahs today. Can’t help thinking we really should have beaten them last weekend.
Go Sharks… to stay in the hunt we need this game…
Go Sharks.
Hope we don’t mess up after the Brumbies kick offs this week like we done against the Tahs last week. That cost us huge last week.
Need to watch Hooper too at the breakdowns. Need to get their fast and in numbers.
Please Sharks don’t let in soft tries today. Get back to the brilliant defence we had against the Bulls and Stormers.
Go Sharks win even by a point that will be good enough, just need to win….. 😎
@siorc (Comment 5) : Feel the same watching the Chiefs/Tahs game. Makes me even more annoyed that we lost to the Tahs and gave them a bonus point to boot too. They not a good side at all. We had that one for the taking and threw it away.
Today hope we keep the discipline we have Kieth Brown reffing, who is not great at all.
5 points nothing less boys. GO SHARKS
Go Sharks!!!
@Puma (Comment 7) : I´m just happy that we don´t have Kaplan.
It’s that time of the week again.
We need to win this come on Sharks!!!!
Come on Boytjies!
@rhineshark (Comment 10) : keith brown is worse!
@klempie (Comment 11) : yap you right 😉
@siorc (Comment 5) : same here, does not matter how bad the odds are…
Very scrappy game so far
What’s with all the kicking!
OK eggs have been consumed, so I can resume commentary duties.
Fred just made it Brumbies 0 – 3 Sharks
13 mins
Fred’s passing has been awful so far – nothing in front of the receiving player so far.
Still have to wonder if Bosman should not have been starting 10.
Michelak pen kick…no probs..sharks 3 brumbies 0
Well, doesn’t look like one of Michalak’s brilliant games so far. Putting a lot of pressure on his backline.
How stretchy is Lealiifano’s jersey?! 😆 It’s like a condom. 😛
Wow…I don’t remember. Seeing JW in a suit and tie before!
A Shark didn’t release a Brumbie and Lealiifano squares it up.
Brumbies 3 – 3 Sharks
17 mins
@klempie (Comment 23) : Ninja edit!
Our handling is shocking!!
3 all..
@vanmartin (Comment 26) : What constitutes Ninja? 😛
Sharks close!
Much more. Positive whenb we keep ossession instead of kicking it away…
@klempie (Comment 29) : Putting ninja in front of anything makes it cooler.
Viljoen in the corner!!!
Why is rthe crowd booin?
@vanmartin (Comment 32) : Ohhhhhh!! 😎
@Just a Fan (Comment 34) : They thought that the ref had missed a knock on from that McLeod quick tap. But replays showed he didn’t knock it.
@Just a Fan (Comment 31) : your P just made a back-summy and landed as a b @ when 🙂
Fred missed the conversion from touch.
Brumbies 3 – 8 Sharks
22 mins.
Time for Odwa to join Oupa Terblanche in the retirement home methinks…
And we screw up the kick-off again… 🙄
How was that pass forward?
Fred blown up for holding on…curious given that he wasn’t the tackler. 😐
Brumbies 6 – 8 Sharks
26 mins
@Franshark (Comment 37) : uhh?
@war1 (Comment 41) : Looked forward. What did you pick up?
How was michalak the tackler ther?
@klempie (Comment 36) : Thanks 🙂
@klempie (Comment 38) : we only got 2 points for the try? 😯 😛
That was a GREAT try……that crowd went moggy….
BIG forward pass in the Brumbies try.
Hmmmm….Mogg scores a freak try by a kick and chase from halfway. Lucky bounce gets himself under the posts.
Converted.
Brumbies 13 – 8 Sharks
29 mins
@KSA Shark © (Comment 47) : nice edit 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 51) : I actually spotted it before you mentioned it, so there! 😛
I didnt think we would, but were desperately missing SuperPat!!
Poccock just getting away with murder…. 👿
Ruck attendance from the Sharks has been pathetic so far.
@Just a Fan (Comment 54) : What game are you watching?? 😐
@klempie (Comment 52) : 🙂
@Just a Fan (Comment 54) : ???
Philhuan SCORES!!!
Viljoen…you beauty!!!!!!
dammit I hate watching ruggas at the in-laws. how about this idiot comment: Jake white is the most underrated coach is Superrugby.
Referees’ incompetence helping th e Sharks there
Lol. “What’s wrong with Ndungane?” the commentators ask? 😆
Uhm. He’s just not very fast.
Sigh of relief !
We`re pretty poor at the breakdown.
If only we had a fetcher like Botes on tour . . . oh hang on! 👿
Fred converts
Brumbies 13 – 15 Sharks
34 mins.
Odd One did well to put Philhuan away there.
Great work by Odwa
@klempie (Comment 56) : an emotional one? NEVER let emotion cloud your judgement is something I TRY to live by ESPECIALLY in a rugby game.
dammit I hate watching ruggas at the in-laws. how about this idiot comment: Jake white is the most underrated coach in Superrugby.
@Crock (Comment 61) : I agree with your in laws bud.
@klempie (Comment 56) : 😳 😳 sorry..just meant to say their number 7….
@Crock (Comment 61) : If they`re Bull supporters, fake a call out and get out of there!
It’s painful being a Sharks’ supporter. Envious of Bulls’ and Stormers’ fans. Moving the ball side to side without gaining any metres. No commitment to the rucks. Guess we need to go through this pain to learn.
@Just a Fan (Comment 43) : there’s a b after your “when” and a p missing from “possession” 😉
@klempie (Comment 59) : F*** took me about a minute to figure out who that was. 😆
@Big Fish (Comment 55) : Our body positions must be the worst in the competition.
@Just a Fan (Comment 54) :
Where?
Chadwick putting in some big tackles. 😀
@GreatSharksays (Comment 72) : and the Chiefs fans. They are a pleasure to watch. At times, I just grimace when I watch the Sharks
Someone else will have to tell you what that penalty was for.
Brumbies 16 – 15 Sharks
39 mins.
@rhineshark (Comment 75) : We must be the worst SA team….please boytjies pull it together….
Ndungane is officially the slowest winger to ever play the game.
Embarrasing.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) :
Ja. So so. The Sharks just don’t look like they have it tonight. Or this season.
Anyone’s game yet but I sense the Brumbies are the more hungry.
HT Brumbies 16 – 15 Sharks
Poor rugby.
Poorly coached and poorly captained.
@John Galt (Comment 81) : I don’t think he is the slowest, but I am flabbergasted that he is being tipped to still be a Bok this year.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) : 😆 he had me too 😆
Go Sharks!
@John Galt (Comment 81) : What is more important is that he created the opportunity, realised that he needed support, looked for it and got it from Viljoen, who scored.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 86) : I think some props might beat him in a foot race
@slammerboy (Comment 78) : Agree, this morning´s display by the Chiefs showed how limited we are.
Odwa might be slow but Mvovo is a bang gat!
@John Galt (Comment 85) : Agreed.
The Cheetahs will murder our ” bok laden ” team. 🙄
@rhineshark (Comment 91) : and the Chiefs have had loads of injuries. They’re a much better coached outfit who are not scared to express themselves
@Original Pierre (Comment 93) : There’s a real chance that the *Sharks* will be the ones tussling it out with SARU to escape relegation.
Second half under way.
@klempie (Comment 95) : Surely we`ll beat the Lions? Well as long as their injury crises continues at least. . .
There’s never an all round, comfortable game for a Sharks fan, is there? This one looks like it’s going to go all the way too. It’s pretty hard being a Sharks fan… week in and week out with this nail biting stuff. When at times it can be so easy for the fans of our main local competitors.
whats the latest score?
@Original Pierre (Comment 97) : Guess it depends on whether the SA log or overall log is used to determine who’s last.
@klempie (Comment 95) : If we lose again today I will not be surprised, but there is still 40min of rugby to go and we only ever play 1 good half. Let’s hope that was not it.
@klempie (Comment 100) : There is no difference in the overall log and the individual logs other than the 1st 6 places.
Alberts with a flip-flop try. Can’t say the Sharks set that up. Toomua fumbles it going backwards and Alberts flops down on it.
Converted.
Brumbies 16 – 22 Sharks
45 mins
@KSA Shark © (Comment 102) : Sorry, you’re right. What I meant to say was a virtual log of SA v SA results only. That would be different.
Coetzee must learn how to pass.
Brumbies barging their way into the 22.
Sharks rip it away from the BRumbies.
Forward off black??
WHY WHY WHY do we kick away possession….. 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿
@klempie (Comment 104) : Ah okay I see what you mean. There is currently no such log. Well not a publicly displayed one anyway. 🙂
Get Michalak off the field and on a plane back to France!
Sharks bashing it up into the 22.
We have control of this game. COME ONE SHARKS PUT THEM AWAY FFS!!!!!!!!
Ah man! That poor kid! Hope he gets well soon – knee went like spaghetti there. 🙁
Toomua has done his knee in. He’s off.
Sharks fluff an attacking play with a spill by Keegs.
@Ben (Comment 111) :
Tend to agree.
Sharks into the 22.
” Timane after that like a mongrel dog after a steak ! ”
Brumbies maul it 15 metres.
Tine to bring on Bossman
That was a double knock-on!! Not making excuses for the Sharks, but this ref has been less than competent.
We´re letting them stroll back into the game. 😥
Lealiifano makes it Brumbies 19 – 22 Sharks
59 mins
Where is Kanko btw? Is he on tour?
Final Whistle !!! My SB is looking good!
KSA, since when are players allowed to pass forward to themselves? 😐
Why are keegan and freddie still on?! We are handicapped 🙁
Damn man Sharks, don’t let them back in now. 🙁
BRumbies 8m out.
Shift Alberts to 8 Deysel to 7 would be a whole lot better. Bring on Bosman.
MVOVO!!!!!!!!!!!
MVOVO!!!!! Breakaway 100m try!!!
MVOVO!!!!!!!
MVOVO!!!!!
F*** Mvovo is fast!
Mvovo!! And Sykes!
Well Done to Sykes as well. Right decision at the right time for a change!
Welldone Sykes and Mvovo!
MVOVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Good sped by our wing there. 😎
Sharks seal it with that try
16 phases and Sykes steals it from the Brumbies 3m from our line. He offloads to Mvovo, who beats two Brumbies to the line.
Fred converrts.
Brumbies 19 – 29 Sharks
63 mins
@Puma (Comment 140) : sped = speed
@Mutley (Comment 141) : That’s optimistic to say the least bud.
@Just a Fan (Comment 139) : Would you say Pocock is having a good game??
Now Sharks defend like monsters, don’t let this team back in. For once let us keep a good distance away from the team we leading from.
Another try would do it.
Brumbies to the line!! Sio spills it over the line. Philhuan knocked it free.
Sharks need to show some killer instinct now. Game is not over yet.
Fred off.
Weldone RV….he is has my man of the match…..
Now turn on the gas and finish them
@war1 (Comment 148) : Just play smart and we can win this with a bonus.
Brumbies lineout on our 22.
Brumbies bashing it up 8m out.
@klempie (Comment 127) : not allowed unless it is seen to be a fumble that he regathers.
It comes to an end with Keegs forcing Lealiifano to hold on.
Ok soRry Keegs! I eat humble pie
@KSA Shark © (Comment 155) : Did you see what I saw? Their hooker? I didn’t get the impression it was a fumble.
Great tackle by odwa and keagan wins us a penalty
Last 5 minutes we`ve only had 20% possession! 😳
@klempie (Comment 158) : What what……… oh
70 mins
Brumbies 19 – 29 Sharks
Finish it Sharks! FFS!
Brumbies have been the better side by a country mile in this game.
Meyer Bosman really stepping up this year 🙂
Sharks set up their first maul of the game and go 10m.
Nice grubber Charl. 🙄
76 mins and Sharks have a scrum 10m inside their own half.
@klempie (Comment 166) : is that how you spell maul, not mall 🙂
@klempie (Comment 167) : Exactly what Jake White said as well
Ok soRry Keegs! I eat humble pie.
Holy crap. We have not won in Canberra since ’98. 😯
I wasn’t even watching Super Rugby back then.
Sharks, put your feet back on the gas please!!!
@Franshark (Comment 169) : Yes. Yes it is! 😀
Philhuan has put it out on the full, and the Brumbies have a lineout just outside our 22 with 2 mins to play.
Eish….JPP and RV having brain farts so close to the Full time….
👿
@klempie (Comment 174) : see its good to read others comments, learning every day 🙂
We did our best to give them a bonus point 🙁 🙁 🙁
Please tell me its over.
🙁 we are really I don’t know 🙁
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Like NONE of us knew that would happen… 👿 👿 👿
A lot of obstruction on that try – school of the blind reffing here.
White under the posts. Converted.
Brumbies 26 – 29 Sharks.
The hooter goes and the Brumbies have the ball.
BRumbies up into Sharks territory.
BRumbies into the 22.
Alexander fluffs it and it’s over!
FT Brumbies 26 – 29 Sharks
And then we did our best to let them win, but luckily screwed that one up.
My head hurts! I should be happy that we won….but HONESTLY!
We did not deserve that win.
Jake’s done wonders with that side.
I need a doctor, I’m hyperventilating…..
Too frustrated to be happy right now. 👿
CRIKEY THIS BAD FOR A OLD HEART. Almost messed that one up AGAIN THIS WEEK.
Just damn well pleased we won it.
WELL DONE SHARKS. 😎
I need a stiff drink.
But hey at least they catered for my SB margin this time. 😎
Lucky win but that breaks a 14 year duck and is 5 points on the log.
I find the reffing of the rucks ridiculous.
How come the Sharks steal so much ball on tour, but get pinged so much in SA? The Brumbies were diving head-first into rucks all game and were never pinged.
Anyway – well done lads! We believed you would.
@war1 (Comment 196) : 4. We didn’t get a BP.
Jetlag or fitness? Coaching or commitment.
@Franshark (Comment 192) : Bwaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaa. Try watching these games at my age buddy…….hahahahaha. Toooooooooooo much for a old heart I tell you…lol.
Damn man, we almost let that one slip too.
Hope we can do to the Canes what the Cheetahs done.
We were lucky 🙁 although I didn’t see the 1st half. If we cannot beat the ozzies what chance do we have against the canes?
A win is awesome. A bonus point away win is SUPER AWESOME!!! Well done boytjies!
@klempie (Comment 198) : We did. Viljoen scored 2, Alberts 1 and Mvovo 1.
How many tries did we score?
Thank Goodness! Almost had a heart attack!!
And now my friends you know what it is to be a Stormers supporter.
Serious pride for the Sharks, your season is back on track.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 199) : Rob had it right last week. We lack killer instinct.
One single gripe…….no killer instinct from the Sharks. They slowed their own play down as if there were only seconds left in the game. But there were 4 minutes to play.
And then the Brumbies scored.
And then the Brumbies almost scored again!!!!
My nerves are totally fucked
We get the 5 points from that game so pleased about that. IF ONLY we beat the Tahs last week like we should have. Ag not even going to think about that loss annoys me too much after seeing the Chiefs destroy the Tahs today, much like we should have last week.
Now for the Canes. Hope we can beat them next week.
So far even losing to the Tahs we have 6 points on tour. Not bad could have been better but will take those points gladly.
@rhineshark (Comment 203) : Oh ja!
Forgot about Alberts’ cos it was so opportunistic. 😛
@Sharksmad ? The Blog?s Dudette (Comment 204) : 4
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 208) : Great minds my man! 😎
We weren’t lucky. We showed more balls than the Brumbies did.
Do you guys have to always have to play done the positives? The team should be proud of what they achieved.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 204) : 4 😎 got the bonus point.
Arnie Geerdts is 50 today. 😛
@Big Fish (Comment 213) : Whatever dude. Let’s wait for the possession stats in the second half.
@Big Fish (Comment 213) : EXACTLY – LIKE, LIKE, LIKE X 1000.
Tell them Naas ! 😈
Shit! But we nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
@vanmartin (Comment 207) : I think Plum has been around too long. We need new blood in the coaching department. New ideas etc.. Don’t know why Riaan did not kick a grubber at the end there. Jake is doing very well.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 220) : Jake lost – at home. If it was the Sharks that lost at home what would we be saying.
Anyway off to Newlands to watch our enemies tear each other apart.
So relieved the game is over. That was far too stressful ….
@klempie (Comment 216) :
Snappy comeback. I’m obviously dealing with an intellectual titan here. 🙄
@Big Fish (Comment 223) : I said let’s wait for the stats. Intellectuals tend to have arguments with those.
Well done sharks!
2nd half was our good half today 🙂
Excellent.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 226) : You reckon?? 😯 Seems to me that we were defending for most of it. Those second half tries were opportunistic.
Good to win away from home. Great to snap the bizarre Canberra record too. 1998 was far too long ago.
I am disappointed that we let them back into the game (as we always seem to do). We need to show a lot more mental “attitude”. However we won AND we got a bonus point so overall the result is great.
Importantly, we keep track of the pace setters.
The kick offs were much better this week, so was the defensive structure.
@klempie (Comment 224) :
Well, sorry to inform you, Mr Intellectual, but that “whatever” doesn’t give me much confidence in your analytical ability.
With that snotkop response, I almost expected you to start talking about school rugby, Johan Goosen and Nick Koster. 😈
Thank you Ben and Puma 🙂
@klempie (Comment 224) : @Big Fish (Comment 229) : Come on lads. Sharks won! Happy days!
Well done with the win Sharkies. But you got to step it up some more.
Well done to the boys, we asked for a victory and you gave us just that. Wish we also win the remaining 2 games on this tour.
@Ben (Comment 231) : its just the tension from the game spilling over, things will calm down in a while :). I’ve just offended my sister cause she phoned me in those last two minutes 🙁 will have to try and make it up to her before the Sharks come home as we sleep at her house after the home games or I will have to be content on watching them at home
Very well done Force
@klempie (Comment 227) : Gary Player once said, “The more I practice the luckier I get.”
That can be slightly adapted to read “The more we apply pressure the more oppertunities we get” 😉