The Highlanders have beaten the Sharks by 25 points to 22 in a thrilling game in Dunedin, in the process all-but ending the Durbanites’ chances of making the knock-outs in this year’s competition.
The Sharks had chances aplenty to win this game, make no mistake, but costly errors at big moments ensured that they never got far ahead, despite good first half tries by Lwazi Mvovo and Meyer Bosman.
Leading by 15 points to 7 at the break, the chances of an away win looked reasonable; however, the Sharks fell asleep for the opening period of the second half, as we’ve seen them do, and conceded 20 unanswered points to end up with their backs against the wall once again. Trailing by 15 points to 25, a thrilling passage of play saw Bosman get over for his second, but the Sharks, despite spending the last 5 minutes of the game on attack and pushing hard, failed to score the try that would have turned one log point into the five they so desperately needed.
To add injury to insult, Frans Steyn and Tera Mtembu both had to leave the field with what look like serious injuries to ankle and shoulder respectively.
Scores:
Highlanders (25): Tries Sean Treeby, Aaron Smith, Colin Slade. Conversions Slade (2). Penalties Slade (2).
Sharks (22): Tries Meyer Bosman (2), Lwazi Mvovo. Conversions Pat Lambie (2). Penalty Lambie
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and cue the woeful comments…. 😉
I’ll start. How fucking embarrassing. Possibly the last game I watch for a while. I can’t take any more of this 🙁
I thought it was a lekker game! Despite the mistakes and outcome, no-one can tell me that these okes did not put their bodies on the line!
Thrilling match?!? It was so error strewn it has to go down as one of the poorest. If other teams had the opportunities given by the Highlanders, they would have putt them away pronto.
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 4) : Likewise visa versa. A better team would have nailed us big time.
Oh absolutely yes!!!!
OK. Now I’m behind the Cheetahs for 2013. Do the Cheetahs have a Cheetahsworld?
No, seriously. Sharks can do whatever the fuck they want for the rest of the competition. I don’t give a shit. Will see how I feel in the Currie Cup.
Unless, of course we pull off a 2012 comeback of note. 😀
Great game by the tight 5. PSdT amazing. Franco and Cooper very good. Daniel had a shocker, and Coetzee still doesn’t pass. Frans for me was better but Piet Lindeque had a shocker. Great to see Mvovo back. Entertaining game which could have gone either way.
Guys go and like KSA’s petition on facebook to remove Plumtree as the Sharks Coach. The Sharks are utterly pathetic!
@Pokkel (Comment 8) : If we had won this game, it would merely have prolonged the inevitable.
Sharks need serious changes and it won’t happen while our SR aspirations hang by a thread. Now that our campaign is pretty much dead and buried, changes can be made.
@Ice (Comment 3) : ya, for 40 minutes. How long is a game?
@Ice (Comment 3) : Which is why I believe it’s all in their heads.
We lack self belief and who knows what it will take to fix.
A new coach might freshen things up, new game plans, new structures, new half time speeches etc. Plum’s style has become stale with the players.
The time is now for someone and something new to sweep through the Sharks corridors.
@rhineshark (Comment 7) : Talk about sitting on the fence dude. I agree, Cheetahs are the our only hope of play-off satisfaction. Who would’ve thought.
We learned absolutely buggerall from last week’s game when we allowed the Chiefs to score 24 unanswered points. To go into the second half and let a team like the Highlanders do the same just means there is something BIG wrong with the mental side of things at the Sharks.
Yet another game where we played for 40 minutes in stead of 80. I am absolutely pissed.
@Squillo (Comment 13) : 😆
Both my parents are born and bred Freestaters. The only reason the Sharks are my first-choice team is because they moved to the coast and I popped out in Addington Hospital. So therefore born and bred a Natal boytjie. 😀
@rhineshark (Comment 7) :
Agree,
Actually pathetic.
McLeod what a circus, Minnie the plenty king, is this guy just stubborn or stupid?
Lambie as well, he will not wear the springbok jersey this year. He has not once controlled a game this year.
Then last but not least, we need a total overhaul on the coaches, this needs to be their last tour, when they get back they must get the marching orders. All 3 of them, we are dead in the water with them.
Daniel, do I need to say more, playing with an attitude that he is upset cause he got dropped last week.
Post edited – Admin
Nice attack from the Sharks, woeful defence. You’ll never get anywhere in this competition if you can’t tackle players properly.
My thoughts:
Riaan Viljoen – Not bad
Piet Lindique – Please someone keep this kid away from the field until he can actually catch a ball.
JP Pitersen – Toiled hard all night, but didn’t really intimidate the opposition.
Frans Steyn – Improved performance
Meyer Bosman – Hey, what a game! Scored 2 tries and set up 1. Nice going. Defence a bit wobbly.
Lwazi Mvovo – Great game. Lovely incisive running.
Pat Lambie – Not his greatest. He had some lovely little moves like the chip ahead kick for Mvovo’s try, but missing his touch-finder penalty at that stage of the game is unforgiveable.
McCleod – Well, what can I say? He’s all we’ve got so there’s no point bitching about his aimless kicks and random runs that achieve nothing.
Coetzee – The day when this kid passes the ball, the opposition are going to be so shell-shocked,
Daniel -Dunno why Plum persisted with Daniel ahead of Jean Deysel. My word, he is awful at the moment.
Terra – A quieter game. He was well-marked
Tight 5 – I thought played pretty well with PS Du Toit performing admirably, but you can’t rely on the rolling maul every time. Also the rucking over – and protection of the ball carrier was pretty bad.
Where to from here? – Nowhere I’m afraid. Having lost to the worst team in the competition, and looking frightfully off-form, copping penalties and dropping balls. I’m afraid it’s down to the basement for us… 🙁
@rhineshark (Comment 7) : the Cheetahs haven’t discovered the TV yet, let alone the Internet.
@CapeShark (Comment 18) : I actually saw Marcell pass . Was so surprised I forgot to tweet
@CapeShark (Comment 18) : I think the only reason Daniel finished the game was that Minnie was so kak today. Plum didn’t have a choice. How often do you see a sub get subbed? Even the Kiwi commentators had a chuckle at that one.
Hahahahahahahaha !
@robdylan (Comment 19) :
@SharksRTB (Comment 22) : sharks…. hahahahahahahahaha !
@rhineshark (Comment 21) : Which is probably why Plum should have backed our own player (Kanko) instead of getting someone on loan from a second tier team 🙄
Anyways, last week most were calling for Minnie to start this game, suppose Plum knew something by not starting him. 😉
@SharksRTB (Comment 24) : lol pathetic! Hahahahahaha… sharks…
@SharksRTB (Comment 26) : you look like the lions… and play like them too
The boys might as well come home now, season’s over as far as I’m concerned.
@rhineshark (Comment 16) : well as long as you don’t disappoint the ancestors, like suddenly vying for the Bulls to win, I’m happy.
@SharksRTB (Comment 27) : fk this rugby shit for now. See you in the CC.
@Ice (Comment 3) : Too many mistakes, Ice, just way too many.
I agree with you that they put their bodies on the line, but they make life very difficult for themselves.
@Squillo (Comment 29) : they will win against us quite comfortably
@robdylan (Comment 20) : When 😯 Where??!!
Hah-hah. At least he’s got time on his side. Daniel’s contract must be re-evaluated. He’s not getting any younger, he’s playing like a poephol and his lack of bulk in tight play is noticeable.
@Ben (Comment 9) : I’m all for that. Not going to waste my time and watch this team against the Reds and Force..rather spend my weekend doing something else.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 25) : I’m with you on the Kanko thing, but after last week’s performance Minnie should have started. The problem we have is that we don’t have a fetcher. Kanko and Keegan are the same. Coetzee and Deysel are the same. Without Bosman and Cooper we wouldn’t win ONE ball on the ground without the skills of a Minnie, although he got hammered by Walsh.
Last time this year that I pick the sharks on Superbru. Any other team in super rugby would have killed the Landers today, they must be the worst team in the comp and yet the beat us. If this is the way the sharks play they’re going to loss against all the teams including the Kings in Durbs. Will always be a Shark but this shit must stop, fire the coach, captain or some players I don’t care as long as something gets done!!!!!!!!
Gutted. Deysel was immense, completely justified our whinge about not starting him. As good as Deysel was, Daniel was poor.
Along with the poor defense at times, and our handling errors, I thought our poor fielding of kickoffs were totally unacceptable at this level.
How the coaching staff cannot implement a plan at half-time to counteract the homework the highlanders had clearly done on our kickoffs, is unfathomable. We came straight out, conceded the first kick-off and handed the initiative to them on a plate.
Finally, the pick and go on the tryline against a team that is spoiling at every breakdown and getting away with it, is the wrong strategy. We should have played wide, the overlap was on!
@Squillo (Comment 29) : Dude, now you’re getting personal! 👿 👿 👿
I’m just disappointed. We could have put them away, but we didn’t…
Individually:
1. Herbst – Not as present but still played really well and scrummed really well out of position.
2. Cooper – He was well marked but he provided some good power in the close encounters.
3. du Plessis – He is showing some nice leadership and also contributing to the fast plays which is something we aren’t used to seeing him do.
4. du Toit – What a game! I don’t think anybody on either team contributed as much as he did. He could be starting for the Boks at this rate. Good carries and good line-out work.
5. van der Merwe – A game on the bench seems to have done him good. He was good in loose play and carried well.
6. Daniel – He was disappointing, but I am convinced he is close to coming out of a slumber. He has the potential but he made quite a few mistakes.
7. Coetzee – He wasn’t great but thank goodness he figured out how to run in a forward direction. He never should have started ahead of Deysel though.
8. Mtembu – Hard to judge him when he was only on for such a short time. He had a few runs but didn’t contribute much. He would have though!
9. McLeod – His decision making dipped again after a good game last week. I miss Reinach.
10. Lambie – He played very well in my opinion. His tactical kicking was very good and his distribution was very nice. His running game is still a bit lacking.
11. Mvovo – Welcome back! We have missed his pace. He looked for worked and played very nicely.
12. Bosman – Far from his worst game. He showed some nice touches here and there.
13. Steyn – His best game of the season. I thought he ran and PASSED well. You can tell he is significantly lighter than he was at the start of the season. I really hope the injury isn’t too bad.
14. Pietersen – He played well. Like Mvovo, we have missed him. He also looked for work and is probably due a try.
15. Viljoen – He noticeably ran more than usual. It worked at times. I think he played quite well.
16. Burden – N/A
17. van Rensburg – He carried well when he came on. I don’t think we should be promoting him to a start just yet though.
18. Bresler – N/A (Should have come on)
19. Deysel – Carried strongly and should have started.
20. Minnie – I don’t believe he played that well last week and this week he played terribly. That many penalties should have him dropped from the 22.
21. Meyer – N/A
22. Lindeque – He contributed where he could. I think there is a lot of potential in him but he needs to get into the centre grove I reckon.
Overall we were not terrible but our loose forwards need to get their shit together. I want to see a Daniel Alberts Kanko back row at 6, 7, and 8 respectively.
“22. Lindeque – He contributed where he could. I think there is a lot of potential in him but he needs to get into the centre grove I reckon.” – Has hands like an under-13 schoolboy.
“18. Bresler – N/A (Should have come on)” – AGREE
The Sharks have gone from playing badly and winning to playing somewhat better and losing.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 34) : It’s criminal that players such as Bismarck, Alberts, JPP, Steyn, Jannie, Kanko, Daniel, John Smit himself, Deysel, Muller, Sykes, Freddie etc haven’t won a Super Rugby title. These players at one stage were coached by Plum at the same time. Their rugby years down the drain. With a coach like Mallet or White we surely would have had at least 1 since 2007. Yes he has had to deal with a hell of a lot of injuries. He’s been at the helm meaning he should have overseen the uniformity of a Sharks way of playing so that juniors fit in seamlessly into the senior side…like what the Bulls, and Stormers do. Unfortunately the tolerance levels are now rock bottom and no excuses can be tolerated. He is paying for his past sins.
Don’t miss next week’s episode when Plum finally realises we have to win every game for the rest of the season to get into the playoffs, and throws the gameplan out the window in favour of a more expansive traditional Sharks rugby approach. 🙄
@rhineshark (Comment 16) : I popped out at Parklands!
@Pokkel – gaan kyk die game weer! Ek weet ek is eenogig, maar Coetzee het ten minste 3 keer gepass waarvan ek weet, en hy was ongelooflik op defense! Liewe FOK! Wat verwag julle van die arme kind??!!
Another thing – the Highlanders was not bad at all today – they played a good game and things went their way. Unlike how they have been playing most season.
@Ice (Comment 46) : sorry to say but Landers had some good phases only cause the Sharks let them. The Landers were poor and any other side (including the Kings) would have nailed them today. The Sharks had an ok first halve but were really poor for the first part of the second halve and that cost them the game. Coetzee was ok but Deysel should have started the game in place of keegan.
There is something REALLY wrong at the Sharks and I don’t think plum has any idea how to fix it or he does not think it’s a problem. Something NEEDS to be done before the end of the season!!!!!
@Ice (Comment 45) : Ice, Marcell again had a poor game.
@robdylan (Comment 48) : don’t think she’s going to like that at all. 😈
Ag weet julle. EF this shit! I’m not gonna have my day spoiled by all of u negative people that should all seem to be playing for the Sharks and coaching them. Cheers and good bye.
@robdylan (Comment 48) : back that up with facts and stats. I’m gatvol of this shit.
@robdylan (Comment 48) : back that up with facts and stats. I’m gatvol of this shit.
And I guess every other commentator does not know shit.
Steve Walsh was terribly inconsistent at the breakdowns -warning the home side but penalising the Sharks for the same. However we put ourselves under pressure from the kickoffs and then allowed the Landers to get back into our 22 just after scoring.
Sharks did a couple of good things too, but too often our hands let us down on attack.
I think we can now write off a top 6 finish, and rather just start fixing what is wrong with this team.
I don’t log in for many things but this did give me a good laugh. 😆 if you get to close to something, you are blinded by its weaknesses/shortcomings/problems.
@Bokhoring (Comment 53) : he was very inconsistent , but don’t blame him entirely though. U should always play to outplay a shit ref. But I guess because I’m in a good mood, I actually enjoyed the game. Mistakes and everything beside.
There is more to this IMO, and I guess that’s why I watched with a “better” mind frame…not expecting them to work wonders.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 54) : guess u talking from experience…
@Ice (Comment 56) : I was actually referring to me blindly supporting the Sharks a few years back. But I see how easily you could have taken that the wrong way.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 57) : hehehe! I’m trying to keep this a beautiful day! Guess it was a case of “if the shoe fits” and I fell. Hook line and sinker! 😉
@Ice (Comment 58) : Ice, marcell does a lot of good but it’s undone by some really bad decision making. Look at how PSdT, Cooper, Herbst and even Jannie offloads. Sorry dear but those are the facts. No faulting his defence though.
@Pokkel (Comment 59) : for a change though, I would not MIND people focusing on the GOOD he does! And reckon he and the many others being critiqued neither…
@Ice (Comment 60) : I don’t recall Marcel making any handling errors today, so that is a definite plus.
@Bokhoring (Comment 53) : The kickoffs were a mess,how they couldn’t fix that during the course of the game is beyond me! It reminded me of how we couldn’t fix the lineout in the CC final…
I trust no one was surprised by this result. Consider the following:
A week ago, a hastily cobbled together Sharks outfit were given no chance against the defending champions. Instead, they ran them close in a committed and skilful display, something from which they would have taken great heart. Furthermore, for today’s game they had an additional week to get to know the new guys in the squad and integrate them in the team. Also, an additional week to acclimatise and recover from jet lag.
Added to the above, they were scheduled to play the competition’s no-hopers, a winless team who haven’t looked to date like they could even buy a win. So all the signs pointed to a comprehensive Sharks win.
Anyone who did not realise this meant they should bet the house on the Highlanders has not been watching Sharks rugby for the last six years or so. Sadly.
@Culling Song (Comment 63) : 😆 😆 😆
So sad but true.
Fuck me you boys are tough on your team.
Look they made some schoolboy errors, and yes team selections left me in a daze somewhat too.
But none are more gutted than those boys out there who will know for a fact that they now lost two games on tour they could have won.
This game is about small margins, and a bounce of a ball at crucial stages.
Reading some stuff on here by die-hard fans reminds me of baby-bathwater stuff.
Tweaks are needed, but if Meyer Bosman can have a good game then fuck me, commitment is not the issue. If losing in dying seconds twice on tour everything is not the coach’s fault and decisions in the heat of the moment on the field by players are either brilliant, or idiotic depending on the end result.
If two decisions in two weeks of rugby came off Keegs would have been a hero today with the Sharks bagging 10 log points.
Margins are very, very small folks – look at the Reds/Force game today – the shittest team in the comp running their best team for the last 3 years not just close, but beating them once and drawing today.
Ease up, relax.
@Morné (Comment 65) : Thanks Mornè, I agree. More spirit shown in the last 2 games and I actually enjoyed them more. The Sharks did well DESPITE the coach, the captain and selections.
@Pokkel (Comment 66) :
My feelings on Plum is known, Keegs has not been great for me this year but he always goes at 100km and hour every game for the jersey (reminds me of Habs 2 years back trying too hard) and let’s not even get into the ref… But I hate blaming him for shit.
You know what I felt better about the last 2 games than the rest of the season.I suppose, it just looks better. Guys showing some spirit despite the captain and coach.I think the SW bloggers are being too rough on the team. Emotions getting the better of them.I didn’t read SW during the games so wasn’t caught up in the emotion.
@Pokkel (Comment 68) : If we won we would have lauded the team’s fighting spirit.
@Pokkel (Comment 69) :
Like I said, at this level, margins are very, very small.
Yeah I don`t even want to get into it.
Plum needs to go and that`s it.
Yes we have injuries, but we still have some talent left, if you don`t select them you`ve got to take the knocks . . .
Relax people. It is always better to watch the Sharks with no expectation. The moment you expect something from them you will be disappointed. I doubt we will even be able to sneak into the playoffs now, and to be honest I would prefer if we don’t. Success in the S15 requires a top 2 finish anyway. Time for the management to figure out what is wrong in the team setup and fix it.
There were periods of real good play today. Unfortunately we lost this game in the period after half time.
@klempie (Comment 44) : Hey neighbour! 😆
I gave it some time to sink in, get over the emotions of the loss…. and I still cannot believe we lost to the HL…. 👿
Dammit man…..
@Ice (Comment 50) : Ysie, chill girl! Jy was ook al so gatvol. Ek stem saam Marcell het sy hart uit gespeel en ook gepass nou en dan, maar hy is nie die Marcell van verlede jaar nie. Soos hulle in Duits sê “schade”. Dalk het Heyneke hom opgefok, ek weet nie.
@rhineshark (Comment 76) : Na sy skedule laasjaar plus daai vlieg om wereld in 2 weke kan mens nie anders verwag nie.
@Bokhoring (Comment 77) : Dis ongelukkig die realiteite van moderne rugby. Die ou het sy gat af gespeel, maar dit was een van daai dae vir die span. 😐
Dankie Bokhoring en Rhineshark – dis JULLE wat ‘n outjie soos Marcell weer laat gaan en moed kry!
Pokkel – nou hoe draai jy jou jou storie skielik?
You All wanna see Plum going. But u all bitch and moan. Perhaps the team is doing y’all a favour?
Well played Sharks! Great game and game plan. Sorry it did not go our way but it was sooo close!! Proud to B A SHARK!!
@Ice (Comment 79) : Om jou te laat beter voel het ek spesiaal vir jou ‘n happy birthday song geskryf. Moet net nog aan die tune werk. Het op die oomblik Lana del Rey op speed dial.
@Ice (Comment 79) : Ice…. check the URL babe. It’s called SHAKRSworld. Not MARCELLworld.
@robdylan (Comment 82) : Must those of us on SHARKSWORLD now re-register if we also want to post on SHAKRSworld? 😉
@rhineshark (Comment 83) : that’ll teach me to be clever
@robdylan (Comment 84) : I’m a mirror, bru!
Unfortunately it’s double-sided. 😉
@rhineshark (Comment 83) : @robdylan (Comment 84) : HAHAHAHA very funny. Looking at the log the Sharks really screwed themself today. Now that the Vodacom cup is over for the Sharks XV maybe Joubert could add all of his experiance to the super rugby team?! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 82) : ah no! Thought was LAMBIEworld 🙂
Well I am sitting with a tough question here. Should I just acknowledge that the Sharks really do not have a lot of super rugby level players to call on, and the few we have are / were injured (Whitehead, Alberts, Bismarck, Beast, Ludik). Or has the situation been made worse by a coaching team that is at best Currie Cup level standard?
@catfish (Comment 87) : Sharksworld by definition is LAMBIworld 😆
@Bokhoring (Comment 72) : We’ve now been reduced to having no expectation when watching our team. Something from the Lions fan handbook! That can never be right but unfortunately true. Can’t remember when last before a game I was confident that the Sharks were going win! Yes, against the Kings but got a rude awakening. The team is just too inconsistent. What worries me most is the bad patch at the start of each half of every game. Isn’t that the time you should be really pumped? You’ve just had a team talks a few seconds ago!! We just open the gates for other teams to score! That to me are signs of a badly coached, unhappy and disinterested team that has no belief – can’t blame the guys cause they have no structure (common vision) or base to launch from. Guys then go into panic mode, balls to the wall mentality and play to redeem them selves. If Plum didn’t have these players he would have been figured out years ago. It’s an injustice that these guys are coached by Plum. Get a coach that can really achieve a lot with these players. Plum must be limited to assist coach or CC coach. This level is too much for him and his arrogance never allowed him to ask for help, instead he surrounded himself with clowns – Bash and Reece-Edwards.
@Bokhoring (Comment 88) : The latter.
@Ice (Comment 79) : Ek het nie my storie verander nie. Gaan lees weer my comments.
@Morné (Comment 70) : margins are indeed very small. But taking into consideration the landers are having their shittest season in almost ever, we shouldnt have been in the situation of a very small marginal decision not going our way. We should have put them away. I think that is what is so dissapointing, well for me in any case.
I thought we were pretty decent for 65 minutes. horrible 15 mins after half time cost us. The guys tried as hard as they could but Mr Steve Walsh ensured Highlanders would claim their first win. LOL
I thought that Steve Walsh was so flipping inconsistent it was unbelievable:
– Derrick Minnie was guily of penalties at the breakdown!!!
How guily was Brad Thorn?? Nothing given.
– JP got sent to sin bin after 6 mins for negating a try
scoring opportunity and it was his first offence.
Brad Thorn negated us about 10 times and only got his
yellow card when the final hooter went.
Not to mention how many others shouldve been sent to the bin!!
Even the commentators (NZ), Terblanche and Ashwin in the
Supersport studio couldnt believe it.
So I have seen Steve Walsh and Jonathan White now screw
over the Sharks with some amazing calls that I have seen
for the first time ever!!!!!!
– The chiefs last try they scored it appeared as if one of the
forwards deliberately obstructed JP from making a tackle which
allowed the last bit of space for the Highanders to get over.
Nontheless, I still expected a bit more from the Sharks.
Looking at the positives, We scored 2 really good tries. Mvovo and Bosman’s second try was for me the try of the season.
But overall, I still think they played as hard as they could and
the Highlanders were slowing our ball countless times and hardly got penalised. Thus; the referee had a massive part. We went through almost double the amount of phases they went through and yet they got more penalties than us!!! Can’t and won’t buy that for one second.
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 80) : I like!!! Hope you not being sarcastic. LOL. But I thought it was just that 10 mins after half time that hurt us. Otherwise, I thought we had a decent enough game. Steve Walsh hurt us as well.
@Reynier Jacobs (Comment 17) : the day you come on site and make a positive comments about ANYONE OR ANYTHING, I will know Armageddon is at hand. Just hoping you’re more pleasant in real life. 🙄