Welcome to Nelspruit, for the opening game of the 2015 Currie Cup for these two sides.
Will Gary Gold’s new-look Sharks be able to see off the settled and in form home team? Or will there be a repeat of last year’s result, with the Pumas claiming another famous home win over big-name opposition?
Kick-off is at 6:00pm.
Pumas: 15 JW Bell, 14 Bernado Botha, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer (captain), 11 Rosco Spekman, 10 JC Roos, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Lambert Groenewald, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 4 Rudi Mathee, 3 De-Jay Terblanché, 2 Frank Herne, 1 Khwezi Mona.
Replacements: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Marius Coetzer, 19 Jason-Colin Fraser, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Justin van Staden, 22 Hoffmann Maritz.
Sharks: 15 Joe Pietersen , 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Wandile Mjekevu, 12 Heimar Williams, 11 Andre Esterhuizen, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Marco Wentzel (Captain), 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Monde Hadebe, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Dave McDuling , 19 Daniel du Preez , 20 Francois Kleinhans, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 SP Marais.
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Butterflies
Go Sharks!
Jaco van Heerden is the ref. Oh shit!
I hope we’re not going to be doing this box kick thing all fucking game! 🙄
Why is chadwick not starting? Is it strategy
Oosthuizen two touches two knocks.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 6) : Not good enough
Etienne Oosthuizen knocks the ball on. How many times have we seen that before? 🙄
Useless. Watermeyer scores.
Nice try by the Pumas after stealing our lineout. Old Sharks problem leads to a try for the opposition once again.
I sorely hope I’m speaking too soon here, but this Sharks team seems to have no balls.
Holes in our defensive line bigger than that famous hole in Kimberley.
@David12246 (Comment 11) : As in the team in general (my impression), not just the team playing right now.
Oosthuizen now 3/3 errors
Again!!!!! Take this idiot off he can’t hold a ball.
And Etienne loses the ball again. 🙄
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 14) : @Seth101 (Comment 15) : I’ve never been a fan of him.
Get Etienne a bloody Pumas jersey.
@Ben (Comment 18) : Swap for Giant.
@Ben (Comment 17) : Me neither.
Pumas 10 – Sharks 0 (15 min)
Pumas 10 – 0 Sharks
16 minutes.
Sharks don’t have a clue how to keep the ball.
Sharks definitely thought they just have to turn up today to collect the 5 points on offer.
Fucking clueless on attack!
Another lineout lost.
@Ben (Comment 24) : I doubt it. The Sharks would have known full well that the Pumas would put up a tough challenge after what happened last year. The Sharks still seem to lack attitude.
Pumas 13 – Sharks 0 (23 min)
@David12246 (Comment 27) : No hunger when playing against a “minnow” team. Old Sharks trait.
Pumas 13 – 0 Sharks
24 minutes.
Brilliant by Majola! Had to tell Cronje where to go and what to do.
Yesssss
Lionel Cronje try
Commentator just said that the Pumas are “stealing the Sharks’ balls”. I don’t think he realizes just how true that statement is
And no, the try we just scored doesn’t make me want to take that back at all.
I said Majola was the player I was most excited for, great from him.
Pumas 13 – 7 Sharks
25 minutes.
@Ben (Comment 29) : I know, but I really think it’s a bigger issue than just that.
Anyone got a good stream, mines lagging a bit?
Faf de Klerk is sharp.
Come on guys. Give the Pumas credit where it’s due. We can only get better unlike them who are much more settled already.
Too easy.
Pumas 20 – Sharks 7 (30 min)
Pumas 20 – 7 Sharks
30 minutes.
@RuckingFun (Comment 38) : I’m using cricfree
Ungerer getting schooled big time!
@JarsonX (Comment 40) : At this point we have to ask, how long is it going to take for us to ‘settle’. Saying that we can only get better just means that we are pretty $#[email protected]
Pumas r playing so well thatswhy the sharks r unsettled
@Ben (Comment 44) : yeah me too, guess my Internet isn’t to good today
Shouldn’t even be a penalty.
Wtf how was that a penalty?
@RuckingFun (Comment 48) : Happens to me too on occasions.
Pumas now fucking up these palookas.
Poor Sharks. Still think they don’t need a solid coaching team.
So a try for something that shouldn’t have been a penalty. Wow.
Pumas 27 – Sharks 7 (37 min)
Bunch of bitches in our forwards pack. Disgraceful.
This ref is way out of his league.
How the fuck do they penalise the Sharks player because the Puma player ran into him!!!!!!!
@Seth101 (Comment 54) : why shouldn’t it have been a penalty
@BR (Comment 59) : The player ran into him and jumped….
@JD (Comment 58) : the player of the sharks stepped into his space when he jumped
Ag for fucksakes can ONE dipshit please not lose the ball!!
But then the Sharks play with no aggression at all!! Same old same old….
Eish. Not the best start to the season. Forwards still have no idea how to defend a maul. Sharks cannot hold onto their own ball.
Let’s just be honest the Sharks is shit
Sorry to say, but it’s time for Gary Gold to pack his shit and go.
Am I the only 1 who thinks Faf is better than Ruan Pienaar?
Thank goodness the world cup is one of these days. This is just too painful to watch.
Everything is going the Pumas way, so much so that Marnus Schoeman got all cocky. Not content to go to the half time, no the ref must now see whether he was unfairly dealt. Losing the breakdown battle…very disappointing
What have these lads been doing all pre-season? Making commercials and tanning on the beach?
Only 40mins of the first game, ya we getting owned, but we gotta give them more opportunity than this before calling for heads to roll
@jonnow (Comment 66) : why must the coach leave if the players is dropping him I will not give any of the players anything above 2/10 while the Pumas is on fire
@RuckingFun (Comment 67) : Faf could be devastating in a Bok team with the running game plan – better at that than both Pienaar and Reinach.
@RuckingFun (Comment 67) : He was brilliant in the first half.
Also, I’ve never liked this referee when he officiates the Sharks. It looks a little like bias. The first scrum penalty was dodgy by van Heerden. And he’s only looking at the Sharks and their errors. That said, its time for some replacements already. Nobody really standing out
@RuckingFun (Comment 71) : Yeah but this is just more of the same as what we saw all SR season.
@SeanJeff (Comment 75) : And last year’s CC for that matter.
@Bokhoring (Comment 73) : I don’t think Reinach can be good in a Bok team regardless of the gameplan.
So the same poephol in charge of a whole lot of new faces and we still play like shit …. yeah, deffo not Gold the cause for our shit team huh 🙄
How much more “we’ll get better” bs do we stand for …. stop being an ostrich
@RuckingFun (Comment 67) : He’s better than Pienaar and Reinach put together.
@BR (Comment 72) : Because the Coach is held responsible when the team plays like they haven’t seen a practice session in the last 3 months.
I see absolutely nothing from this side tonight, no skills, no ball retention and no fire.
“Or will there be a repeat of last year’s result, with the Pumas claiming another famous home win over big-name opposition?” For how much longer will the Sharks be big-name opposition?
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 80) : For sure. 2015 Reinach is a palooka.
Now we’ll see if they at least can show some fighting character.
Wow, soft try for us!
Still no respect for the breakdown. Technical know how needs a lot of work.
This is not the team who played in pmb that’s for sure. Is a little consistency too much to ask.
Pumas 27 – 14 Sharks (42 min)
Great defense Cronje!
@jonnow (Comment 81) : If you can tell me the gameplan I will say he must go but there is no definite gameplan because the players is playing that [email protected] and I had to hear al preseason how good these guys are I will not lay this before the coaching not at all, you can coach all you want but if the players don’t pitch there is absolutely nothing they can do
Pumas 30 – Sharks 14 (46 min)
@jonnow (Comment 81) : you cannot tell me knocks is a coach fault and defence structures that is in place but tackles being missed is not coach’s fault
Difference here is Faf. He is killing our guys.
Massive overlap and the ball goes to the forward pod FFS!!!
Ungerer is way too slow to the rucks.
I know one guy cannot be blamed for everything but ettas sure tried his best to disprove that. Attack way too flat. Hope Claasens can give them some direction.
Neiher of the moron commentators can pronounce Mjekevu 😯
@GreatSharksays (Comment 93) : And yet this sparkplug is not in the bok team. Facepalm. ..
No no no really, what have the Sharks been doing the past month??? 🙄
Are we agreed su preez should start from now on?
This ref is uselesss!!!
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 101) : what wrong call did he make now
@BR (Comment 102) : Nah can’t fault the ref for our crap. .
Who is this Wim Visser clown?
Faf is owning this. And pure size ain’t everything this du preez kid is something special he must get the berth he is the real deal.
Oh come on that is just dirty that late tackle unforgivable.
Pumas 30 – 21 Sharks
64 minutes.
Cronje doing his job but I feel he must take control of this backline other than that he is exciting
Soooo many obstructions from the pumas
Pretty stadium though…
@coolfusion (Comment 103) : made his first mistake by no penalising the guy that tackled van der Walt when the quick tap was not yet taken
@BR (Comment 111) : That’s why I said dirty. I agree with you. Play should have stopped there.
Flat backline crash ..repeat. uninspired attack. This game is a swamp donkey.
Come on Sharks. You can do this……
Pumas 30 – 24 Sharks
72 minutes.
Well at least this is separating the wheat from the chaff. Hope Gary is taking notes.
Lionel earning his pay
@JarsonX (Comment 114) : don’t think this lot has the character
Some hunger there? The bench certainly picking it up for us.
@BR (Comment 118) : Nail..head…bullseye. ..
I’m still hoping…..
Time remaining?
Next time start with Claasens and Joe at 10
SP on…please please my boy. Let this be the season you turn it around.
3min
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 123) : Start with du preez not ettienne ,Lionel did his part.
If Roos kicks this it’s game over
Well played Pumas. Outplayed the ref and our coaching staff. Congratulations
Game Over!
This Roos kicks well
Pumas 33 – 24 Sharks
79 minutes.
Game over.
Over. Thanks for coming. Backline got nothing good from our forward can’t really blame them.
How we let Faf slip and we keep guys like Ungerer is beyond me
Oh well…..
Sharks must prepare for cc qualifying if they continue like this
Heyneke is a fucking cretin for not having Faf as his Bok 9.
Better luck next week…..
FULL TIME
PUMAS 33 – 24 SHARKS
Embarrassing really. We never once looked the part.
heads back in sand and mutter some more getting betters next time we play the same ugly shyte ….. not me anymore
@JarsonX (Comment 137) : At least they showed character. 🙄 Expect the match report headline “Brave Sharks go down in Nelspruit” or some such…
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 140) : Let’s use the bok mantra. We learned or we had some positives or some crap….
At least the Pumas did not get a bonus point, but neither did the Sharks. Claasens needs to start the next game – Ungerer needs to pull finger. Also we have a serious problem at hooker. With Marco running the lineout, we should not loose so many lineouts.
@coolfusion (Comment 142) : eek, I’ll definitely burn my Sharks clothing then 😆
@Bokhoring (Comment 143) : Yes how long before we have another bissie. Buy craig burden.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 136) : I know it was just against a lacklustre Sharks team, but Faf dominated the game.
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 144) : Haha yup. ..
@Bokhoring (Comment 146) : No lies there.
I’m speechless…
At least we have no illusions about the season. No expectations what so ever.
Not long now Gary, few more games like this and it is time to book your ticket to the next team unfortunate enough to be shacked up with you.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 149) : Just a clever reshuffle needed. But as with griekwas maybe this is how we need to start a season lose against the poodles so we can be better against the big dogs?
I luv Faf but because of obstructions on our defenders when he runs lateral really bought him time and space
@FireTheLooser (Comment 150) : I am not Gary glitter ‘ s biggest fan but this was on the players.
@coolfusion (Comment 151) : If we win the thing, by all means. Still doesn’t take this taste out of my mouth though…
Geez Tdt was good tonight… now if we can just get 3 or 4 other players to stepup
Van Heerden is soooooo quick to call penalty advantage for the Pumas and conversely really slow to call penalty advantage for the Sharks. And those sideline referees were really not good enough. However our line outs were 50/50.maybe a few kicks at goal would have helped the cause. Hadebe and Joe P were off tonight. Lionel was okay, Sithole barely saw the ball. Our tactical kicking wasn’t good enough. The Pumas got away with murder at the breakdown but if you can’t depend on the ref you should sort it out yourself.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 154) : Ja you and me both. Poor by all accounts.
@SeanJeff (Comment 156) : What did Joe P do wrong? I thought he was pretty solid.
@Ben (Comment 158) : Me too could have used his experience to direct the backline but the again they had utter crap to work with from forwards especially first half. So I can’t fault any of the backs.
@coolfusion (Comment 153) : we saw this same lacklustre display during SR…I’m starting to connect the dots, and Gary is the common denominator.
I’m not calling for his head yet, but two more games like this and I’ll be over this Gary experiment.
For me it will start with replacing oosthuizen with du preez get hooker sorted. Amateur hour that first half starting positions need serious look.
We were pretty unlucky i thought in the first half. A different ref abd it may very well have been a different result. Thought the offside line was very poorly reffed, their try from the maul should have been penalised for truck and trailer and if the ‘foul play’ penalty was a penalty then rugby has become a game for woesies
@FireTheLooser (Comment 160) : Ja look, at the end of the day. .as Naas puts things..it does start and end with the coach’s selection so I hope, hope he took some learnings here.
@ Ben; Joe’s kicks into touch were anaemic. And the sideline ref looked a little partial to the home team
@coolfusion (Comment 161) : Only problem with that is du Preez is a flank and Oosthuizen is a lock. 🙄
@Ben (Comment 165) : The other du preez. Like the other white meat.
@byron (Comment 162) : “A different ref abd it may very well have been a different result.”
You’re dillusional, in my opinion. 😉
@coolfusion (Comment 166) : They are both flanks.
@Ben (Comment 167) : Ja not so much the ref as the players.
Hmm…not a great start to the season…ai!
@Ben (Comment 168) : Nah boet. Dan can cover lock too.
But back to my comment I can’t blame ref or negative play for this. When we had the chance we just couldn’t show anything. Early days I suppose.
@coolfusion (Comment 171) : I’ve never seen him play lock.
@Ben (Comment 173) : If I’m not mistaken he paired with shickerlin at lock for junior boks. Not a great expert on him though. Just tonight I would have picked him over oosthuizen given the game ettienne plays. I suspect he is not frequently picked there but ettas could have been replaced by a prop at lock tonight, the kind of game he played.
@coolfusion (Comment 174) : That being said I will be paying a lot more attention to him in future.
@coolfusion (Comment 87) : someone please post the team that actaully started, Im uncertain about the front row reshuffle
He did play lock for the Juniors but I’m not sure he’s big enough to play senior rugby there. So why play him out of the position he has a future in? Any the criticism of Ungerer after one bad game? Losing sucks but either the guys with potential we just need to stick with – they’ll come through.
@JR (Comment 177) : I don’t think Ungerer had a bad game. At the risk of repeating myself the ball from the forwards in the first half was terrible and the backline were constantly forced onto the back foot.
@JR (Comment 177) : Ja but but given what we had on bench I would say an undersized guy who can play trumps a big guy who can’t
I didn’t watch the whole game this evening…but from what I did see:
– our lineouts were shocking!
– Thomas’ injury didn’t look great!
– and who was the poephol who decided it was a great idea to kick out a ball after our scrum ball with 3 minutes left and needing to score a try to win! What’s up with that?!
@pastorshark (Comment 180) : Ja I hope Tommy is ok, to me he has the most heart and affinity for this team you can see the commitment on his face. Some bad call kicking but we lack a general in the back I thought Joe or Michael would rally but they’ve still new I suppose.
I am impressed with the grunt shown in the 2nd half by our boys. Some of those tackles were bone crunching!
Whoever on that coaching staff or even on this website who never saw the shit coming when Andre Esterhuizen was selected at wing….’nuff said!!!!
I heard Thomas is fine