The Sharks put in a gutsy and passionate display at the Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth, but were ultimately defeated by the high-flying Chiefs by just two points in this morning’s Super Rugby clash. The Sharks won the try-scoring contest 3-2, but ended on the wrong side of a 24-22 final scoreline.
A nightmare start saw Chiefs centre Seta Tamanivalu score off the first play of the game; a well-won lineout and a decent pass from flyhalf Aaron Cruden found the young 13 on the angle. Some chocking defensive work from the Sharks centres saw him through under the posts and it was 7-0 before you could blink. Those would be the last easy points the hosts enjoyed, though as the Sharks fought back hard. Despite numerous unforced errors and some poor discipline, they managed to keep the Chiefs pegged back through a well-executed kicking game. Garth April narrowed the gap with a penalty, but Cruden returned the favour shortly afterwards, before Michael Leitch scored the second (and last) try for the hosts just 24 minutes in.
Staring down the barrel at 3-15 behind, the Sharks clicked into gear and scored a cracking try on the half-hour mark, with Kyle Cooper the beneficiary after a clinical lineout drive. April converted to narrow the gap to just five and then upset the apple-cart further with a stunning solo try just before half time. Alas, as his dart and jink had taken him wide of the posts, he missed the conversion and the Sharks were forced to settle for a 15-all stalemate at half time.
With the Chiefs failing to beat the Sharks in the territorial kicking game, their approach changed in the second period and while their up-tempo ball-in-hand game didn’t result in any further tries, they were able to milk three kickable penalties over the next half hour, eventually moving out to a comfortable-seeming 24-15 advantage. The Sharks were not done, though and scored again in the final minutes, with Chiliboy Ralepelle picking up his first five-pointer in a carbon copy of Cooper’s earlier score. April’s conversion made it a two-point game, but the Sharks were unfortunately not able to get back into the Chiefs half in the five minutes that remained and instead defended their line (and their losing bonus point) bravely as the clock wore down.
Chiefs (24): Tries Seta Tamanivalu, Michael Leitch. Conversion Aaron Cruden. Penalties Cruden (4).
Sharks (22): Tries Kyle Cooper, Garth April, Chiliboy Ralepelle. Conversions April (2). Penalty April
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We lost today, but if you look at it this way, we picked up 6 out of a possible 12 points on a tour of hell, I’m damned chuffed with the boys and our game is improving week in and week out
Still a lot of silly errors that deny us momentum, but man, SO much to be enthused about! And it has to be said, so much character on display 👿
A 50% tour return. I am very happy with that. Bit down that we couldn’t bag another upset though
@Die Kriek (Comment 3) : for sure a bit sad after coming so close but think they did much better in this game than I even could hope for!
As i said this morning, I am very happy with a bonus point loss against a team that put 40 odd past the Brumbies in Canberra. If we continue improving as we have since the Lions game we will be so tough to beat in the coming weeks. Discipline and handling errors aside, it was a fantastic game by our boys.
Sharks can definitely take a lot of positives from this tour. The main ones i believe is that they should know that if they reduce their high error count and silly penalties they will be very tough to beat.
I will definitely enjoy the rest of the weekend’s rugby knowing the guys can play a great, balanced game. Well done boys!
Proud of the boys.
Great effort. Well done boys!
@Henkb (Comment 1) : actually a possible 15 🙁
I haven’t watched either of the last games and missed the French game April started in but it seems the Sharks have been making the mistake of not backing him from the start. I hope to see him start next week and lets see what a home game does for him.
@Hulk (Comment 11) : Yeh they did err on the side of caution. But credit for realising he needs to play..and hopefully he does now till Lambie is back
Im bummed, I would have loved them to have won even if it was only to serve a good portion of STFU to those lard arses in the Supersport rugby shows,
So very close and much to be positive about. Well done Sharks!
@robdylan (Comment 10) : True, if you take into consideration the BP also
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Although BP’s is not all given a given to the wining team with the new points system in place, but still chuffed with the guys, we ran the Chiefs and the blues close, although at the start of the tour I would have banked on is winning the blues game, but we handled our own in all 3 games
Lol @Salmanoide
Well I should probably be about losing so close. But I am happy both unknown quantity hookers did well. Some shoddy defense still and some discipline issues but I think the veterans are making a big impact on sharks game. And we are fortunate to have this caliber players in our fold. Good result for me happy with the boys and their efforts. : )
@coolfusion (Comment 18) : Oh and lastly what took us so long to start playing April? The guy is getting better each game. Now maybe Willie can take a breather while Joe covers fullback. Nice to have the options again.
Just think what could have been if April and Claasens started the season instead of Joe P and Reinach?
Also, if there was a better 12 option in KZN and if the twins could catch and hold onto the ball.
SP just created one of the tries of the competition in Perth!
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 21) : Very happy for him, seems he is a very happy chap at the bulls
Hey rob how do people on the site get hold of each other? Ben asked me to do some mock ups of the new sharks jersey in different colors. I want to send it to him.
I’m glad the team pulled together on tour. Regretfully those 2 lost home games before the tour are like an itch I can’t scratch. Having won those would have made this tour sweeter.
@Henkb (Comment 22) : Likewise. I’m a fan of SP. Don’t know what went wrong with him in Durban.
Well done to boys, sounds like it was a spirited effort against a strong team.
Now to get rid of all those unnecessary errors!
@stevovo (Comment 26) : Eish those errors…no wonder gold is almost bald…wouldnt be surprised to see Rob DuPreez losing hair too
Watching the game now….wow the team looks more fluid with Cobus at 9. April at 10 should have been used a while ago. Had Gold trusted him from the get go the backline would be gelling by now. Cobus has not delivered on that has been invested in him. Time to give other 9’s a chance. Cobus is not the solution at 9. He brings our attack game to a stand still.
@coolfusion (Comment 19) : I did suggest that move 3 weeks ago but go my head bitten off. We need to get Rob du Preez back to sort out our distribution and handling problems at 12.
I am flippen impressed…our game is flowing. Why did we not start Claasens and April sooner. My Gosh…opportunity cost.
What about Sithole Gary Gold….????
The team definitely has a more attacking flair with April at 10 opposed to Joe. No offense to Joe but he is more suited to 15 in the Montgomery mould of being cool under pressure and rock solid.
@Hulk (Comment 32) : no mate…attack is better with Claasens and April. Claasens gives us momentum and April has the pass and timing to make good use of the quick ball. Just watch how quickly Faf speeds up the game. You need that combo.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 33) : Look no doubt Claasens delivers better service but I feel April will still give us a better attacking edge than Joe would ever.
On a different note I think some are so overly harsh on Reinarch even when he’s good some find fault.
There is quite a lot to be enthusiastic about. It is just a pity – as much as it is frustrating – that our error rate is quite so high and that we have such lapses in discipline. At the end of the day, if you had offered me a win and two losing bonus points at the start of the tour I would have taken it. With a few less errors it could just actually have been 3 out of 3. Still, well done, men. Much coming right. Keep it up. I’m loving much of what I see and I hope it helps our confidence levels to increase as we go. This could become special…
When the Sharks lose on a Friday….that’s my rugby weekend gone. Have no interests. Let’s hope by the time the Lions play I’ll be over that.
Bad decision making cost us the game. Better coaching will help with that. It’s like we are trying all these high level stuff but we are losing because of basics
And Coenie OMW. He just is not good enough.
@pastorshark (Comment 35) :
I think a lot of folks are just missing the big pieces falling into place – and hence don’t share your enthusiasm. Because I agree – the team is shaping up nicely and even the style we want to play is crystallising.
Rob saud at the start of the season that we needed to recognise that this was a building year for us, and people were just too dismissive of that. We haven’t really changed anything or turned the corner now – we have just hit an inflection point.
And we finally have a decent 10 and 2 as well.
@pastorshark (Comment 35) : I’m 2 games behind in watching the Sharks games, the Blues was the last one that I watched and I just could not dovetail what I saw on TV and a lot of the comments I read about the game. I was expecting a shocker – it was far from that.
@Honey Badger (Comment 37) : We definitely bought the wrong Cheetahs prop, that’s for sure!
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 40) : We could negate that by using him on impact instead of starting him?
@coolfusion (Comment 41) : How’s the photoshop project coming along? 😉
@Big Fish (Comment 38) : you can’t argue that the 9/10 channel was a massive mistake up until now.
Should have trusted April from the start or at least given him much more game time. And Claasens is and always was miles ahead of Reinach.
The only reason Claasens is playing is because of Reinach injury – I don’t think Gold would have dropped him.
And Coenie at 3….that is a laugh.
These glaring mistakes can’t be seen as ‘building the team’…
There is some talent to work with…now just keep using them and using them properly!
And in other news the Lions are in a canned hunt at Emirates Park
@Ben (Comment 42) : I need your details i did the yellow on red one but I need to know which panels you want which colour?
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 44) : Elaborate?
@coolfusion (Comment 46) : Hurricanes 36 – Lions 5 (37 min)
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 47) : Not much of hunt eh?
@coolfusion (Comment 45) : Please email me, [email protected]
@coolfusion (Comment 48) : That’s why I said “canned”.
@Ben (Comment 49) : I’ll send the first one then you can let me know if you want more or less vibrant yellow and also which panel of the shirt to do in which colour?
@Ben (Comment 49) : Check your mail
@Ben (Comment 49) : The yellow in the Chiefs jersey? You give me the specs I’ll adjust.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 50) : How about some running commentary? I’m nowhere near a proper connection currently?
@coolfusion (Comment 54) : Can’ t do running commentary, but score is Hur 36 – 12 Lions (55 min)
Hur 36 – 17 Lions (60 min)
17 -41
17 – 43
Hur 43 – 17 Lions (67)
How is it that teams from New Zealand can make offloading seem so easy? Tight forwards in South Africa can barely pass a ball properly, not to mention offloading. 🙄
17 – 48
50 up… 17 – 50.
For everyone that wished their teams played like the Lions. 😉
@FireTheLooser (Comment 63) : And we couldn’t score one try against them. At home! 😯
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 64) : Pfft…we beat the same Landers team that put 40 odd on the Lions …this Lions team is the finished product, Sharks are building.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 64) : Thanks for the updates bud.
@Ben (Comment 60) : The detail is in the small things. Take the tackle but buy the time. Turn the body at the right time don’t try to barge through a lost cause m Pump the legs through the tackle etc. Refinement is what sets them apart.
My sympathies are with lions supporters. I know how it felt when the crusaders did this to us.
@coolfusion (Comment 68) : match day 15 for next week and why?
@Poisy (Comment 69) : If I could I would have 15 Joe Pietersen 14 JP 13 Jordaan 12 Willie le roux 11 Lwazi 10 April 9 Claasens 8 Engelbrecht or daniel 7 Deysel or dupreez 6 daniel 4 oosie 5Lewies 3 Adriaanse 2 Chilli or Marais 1 beast or Thomas the tank or Coenie Oosthuizen. Adventurous I know but I believe Willie is the playmaker we need at inside center and Esterhuizen needs break, he can play impact and Willie is a strong defender. Odwa on bench Cooper on bench Hyron on bench du preez on bench Ungerer on bench Chadwick on bench.
@Poisy (Comment 69) : Wait when are lambie and botha and kleinhans back that would change things also uanivi and giant?
He who should not be mentioned just scored for the streamers. Tough game so far, they are getting the luck of the bounce constantly
@coolfusion (Comment 71) : I am also quite partial to having April at 10 lambie at 12 Willie moves back to 15.
@jdolivier (Comment 72) : I’ll mention him since is still quite the talent regardless. Pieter Steph on form is still an awesome sight.
@coolfusion (Comment 70) : I like your team. Just one question, who is Engelbrecht? 😳
Stormers 14 – 5 Waratahs
34 minutes.
@Ben (Comment 75) : Er vd Walt. Sorry you can smack me on the head for that. Where did engelbrecht come from?
@coolfusion (Comment 77) : 😆 No idea.
I would select Marcell Coetzee at 6.
@Ben (Comment 78) : If he was able. Of course.
@coolfusion (Comment 79) : I know he’s injured, but I would select him anyway. He’s tough as nails. He can play through it! 🙂
@Ben (Comment 80) : Ja. I know. Half a Marcell os still worth two in the bush.
Stormers 14 – 12 Waratahs
39 minutes.
@coolfusion (Comment 81) : Exactly.
Half Time
Stormers 14 – 12 Waratahs
Wow guys lions just got a reality check…….big time.
@coolfusion (Comment 70) : nice team but I’m dead scared of willie at 12 I do not think he is a very good defender with big guys running in his channel. Either than that pretty good team
@Poisy (Comment 86) : I think his cover work (sometimes self induced) has been good. But my main reason is that esterhuizen needs a break desperately.
@Ben (Comment 78) :your turn and lambie is not back you have to use current squad including the guys playing currie cup qualifiers
@coolfusion (Comment 87) :than why not jordan move up to 12 and sithole at 13 or jp and sithole on wing
@Poisy (Comment 88) : Okay, but I’m not 100% sure who is currently injured.
@Poisy (Comment 88) : 15. le Roux 14. JPP 13. Jordaan 12. Williams 11. Sithole 10. April 9. Claassens 8. van der Walt 7. Deysel 6. Daniel 5. Lewies 4. Giant 3. Adriaanse 2. Chiliboy 1. du Toit
16. Marais 17. Beast 18. Coenie 19. Andrews 20. JL du Preez 21. Ungerer 22. Joe P 23. Ndungane
Stormers 20 – 15 Waratahs
51 minutes.
Stormers 20 – 18 Waratahs
54 minutes.
@Ben (Comment 91) :no mvovo at all?
Zas red carded.
@Poisy (Comment 94) : Rest
@Ben (Comment 95) : Similar incident to the one where the Highlanders player got a red card against the Sharks. A bit more controversial because Zas slipped just before impact.
That was a poor ref call … he would have been in a position to compete if he didnt slip. A yellow yes … red no
@Poisy (Comment 94) : @Ben (Comment 96) : I would rest Mvovo or JPP and play Sithole.
The highlanders player put himself in the position to cause willue to get hurt … zas got there accidentially
@byron (Comment 100) : Isn’t that what I said? 😉
Stormers 23 – 18 Waratahs
62 minutes.
@byron (Comment 100) : I’m just glad that Skindstadt isn’t commentating. We wouldn’t have heard the end of it. 🙄
Hey ben … dont think were out of the woods … theres still 7 or 8 more games for him to bring it up
Stormers 23 – 25 Waratahs
68 minutes.
@byron (Comment 104) :
PSdT scores another try for his dream-team. 🙄
Stormers 30 – 25 Waratahs
74 minutes.
Hooper scores under the sticks!
Geez this is a weak stormers team. No 12 just watches him score!
Stormers 30 – 32 Waratahs
79 minutes.
FULL TIME
STORMERS 30 – 32 WARATAHS
Oops! 😆
Lost their own ball in the scrum and gave away the game …
@byron (Comment 110) : That’s “Domeen Die Ellende” according to all streamers supporters the new saviour of Springbok rugby
@byron (Comment 114) : …and that after Schreuder put the ball in under the lock’s feet.
To be fair i think psdt hurt himself before the scrum but poor poor defense
At flyhalf duplessis had a very poor game. Youd think dan carter was playing based on the commentary
Im happy about the stormers result which also means im still 100% on superbru.
But in the broader context we’re still behind the lions in terms of team ability, id say we are on par with stormers and bulls but they didnt have to play all five nz teams.
Also noticed the of all the franchises, the lions currie cup team looks the best, Although you have to take injuries into account.
Maybe its cause i played lock that it seems to me the lions have amazing lock depth, compared to us who play the same three guys over and over
they have ferreria and mostert starting with akermann and brink on the bench covering both lock and flank
with guy like martin muller, MB luseseni and lourens erasmus only in the cc team
Theyve lost mostert to europe
@FireTheLooser (Comment 63) :
I had similar thoughts watching the game. How not to play against the Kiwis.
Running rugby is essentially a series of one-on-one athletic contests. The team with better athletes have a huge advantage.
The best odds for SA teams against the Kiwis are to rather play with brains. Attrition, territory and set pieces. Minimize open field one-on-one situations. The odds of beating them, still won’t be very good, but it will be better.
@Poisy (Comment 89) : To me Jordaan is an outside center he can exploit an opportunity already created but to constantly create opportunities is more Willies speed.
As much as the lions have been hailed for a running gameplan its been based on a dominant forwards pack and an almost supernatural injury free period of around 3 years which has allowed for great continuety. What we saw yesterday was a pack that have injuries and as such their backline got slow ball.
They got trapped behind the goal line and exposed what ive been saying for a season or two… they have a very weak kicking game and jantjies when he doesnt have fast ball and huge runners to draw defenders makes poor desisions. His outside backs when they are forced to defend without a kriel to stop momentum cannot impose themselves abd yhe team comes unstuck quickly. We saw it yesterday. We saw it against the highlanders and i daresay we will see it again.
The sharks gameplan is much more balanced. If we can build more depth at tighthead hooker and no4 lock over the next seasin or so we will be real contenders
@revolverocelot (Comment 119) : the Stormers cost me as it the only one I got wrong!!!
@coolfusion (Comment 70) : @Poisy (Comment 89) : no need for moving Jordaan or Willie to 12 just pick Heimar as he has all the abilities needed!
@JD (Comment 126) : Heimar has the stepping game and speed to make an impact, and has had exposure to SR.