It’s time for our first game under head coach Robert du Preez.
Kick-off at Mbombela Stadium is at 19h20. Good luck Sharks!
Pumas – 15 Justin van Staden, 14 JP Lewis, 13 Hennie Skorbinski, 12 Marlou van Niekerk, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Reynier van Rooyen, 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Lambert Groenewald, 6 Brian Shabangu/Marnus Schoeman, 5 Hugo Kloppers (c), 4 Stephan Greeff, 3 Dee-Jay Terblanche, 2 Frankie Herne, 1 Kwezi Mona.
Subs: 16 Swys du Toit, 17 Yskas Kotzé, 18 Wiehan Hay,19 Brian Shabangu/Marnus Schoeman, 20 Emile Temperman, 21 Devon Williams, 22 Deon Helberg.
Sharks – 15 Odwa Ndungane, 14 Neil Maritz, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 S’bura Sithole, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel (c), 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Ruan Botha, 19 Tera Mtembu, 20 Stefan Ungerer, 21 Inny Radebe, 22 Heimar Williams.
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Go Sharks!
Go Sharks!!
Excited to see what is on offer tonight…
All this pre-match talking and interviews from the SS team – cringe.
Let’s get the game going…bring it boys.
How do we always end up with Pro as backup cover for these games?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 4) : Haha…yes! Well, here we go…
This is definitely the B-grade Supersport Commentary team…Bros as lead commentator… 😯
Pumas have an early shot at points with a penalty…
Pumas lead 3-0 after 4min.
Brummer nails it and it is 3-0 after 3 mins…
Pro was about to reap my ire…but then blew…very late…
Sharks lose the ball way to easily…Esterhuizen can’t hang onto the,offload…
Huge scrum by the Sharks crunches the Pumas…tighthead and then penalty! Good stuff…
Wow what a huge scrum by the Sharks!!! Penalty Sharks!!!
@JD (Comment 14) : Beautiful…
Bosch shanks the kick…that’s not a good start!
3-0 for Pumas after 9min as Bosch miss.
Try for Franco!!! Now that’s how a Sharks pack must perform!!!
7-3 Sharks lead after 14min.
First a Super scrum then a power run by the Ginger ninja for Odwa to score!!!
Dare I say that was a bit of pace by Oddoneinthegarden
Sharks leads 14-3 after 19min.
@jdolivier (Comment 21) : not sure but loads of vision in the run!
Solid from the Sharks so far
@JD (Comment 20) : Seems we have taken a page out of the lions playbook thus far. It’s prettier rugby than we have seen from the sharks in ages
I like what I’m seeing from the Sharks so far…
@pastorshark (Comment 26) : Where was this in the superrugby campaign? The pumas are a physical team and not a bad team either. The boys are manhandling them with ease and the backline play…….oh my word.
Maul try for the Pumas.
Sharks lead 14-10 after 28min.
If we had this intensity in SR, we would have fucked shit up. The tempo is much better. Bosch is a good defender.
Sharks needs to keep playing as the Pumas will not make it easy for them.
The tackling is fucking awesome. Hitting these okes to remind them who we are, much more physical.
Halftime Sharks lead 14-10.
@Quintin (Comment 30) : He does stand too deep though. He has done well first half. Would like to see April agaimst these guys
Four ahead of the Pumas …….. uhm yeah. The errors are ridiculous for what is basically a SR side.
@JD (Comment 33) : thanx for the updates
@jdolivier (Comment 34) : *against……well maybe Inny can get a run seeing that April not there
Sharks needs to be more clinical!!! They’re looking good but need to score points to ensure the Pumas do not build any confidence!!!
@jdolivier (Comment 37) : Where is April?
@Ben (Comment 39) : Left out for this game
@Ben (Comment 39) : suspended for not meeting team protocol
Bosch now at 15 and Inny at 10.
Odwa is off.
Sharks just lacking a bit of sting on attack!!!
Very glad to see our defense hitting the living fuck out of our opponents. Bosch is better suited at 15.
Forward pass so no try for Sharks. Yes another scrum.
Another gr3at scrum by the Sharks and the backs knock it. Yes another scrum for the Pumas!!!
Wonderful try by the Sharks…
Great great handling by the Sharks and Sithole scores!!!
We have been dominant but I hasn’t shown on the scoreboard…
Sharks leads 21-10 after 50min.
Inny at flyhalf and Bosch at fullback is working well…
…and after his first shank Bosch has kicked beautifully…
@Ben (Comment 39) : Rumoured to have been under the influence at a meeting. I repear rumoured
Lovely play again by Inny and great play until Adriaanse knocks on…
And after some nice running by the Sharks the ball gets knocked again and you guessed it Yes another scrum!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 54) : When is the last time any SA team has offloaded like that not to even mention 3 forwards. That was almost poetry in motion
Jeepers…that is an absolute shocker by Pro…
@jdolivier (Comment 53) : think he was late to a team meeting.
@jdolivier (Comment 56) : Great stuff…
@pastorshark (Comment 57) : It wouldn’t be a Sharks game without an absolute howler by a ref 🙂
Good defense of the maul there…
@JD (Comment 58) : That does sound better than the rumours
@jdolivier (Comment 60) : He just demonstrated that he actually doesn’t know the rules! Ai…
After some attacking play by the Pumas they get a scrum 5m from the Sharks tryline.
Keegan has been good on defense as well.
@pastorshark (Comment 63) : Must say that watching this game is a bucket load more enjoyable than what we have had to endure the last 18 months
Botha and Chilli is on as is Ungerer.
Bosch’s defence has been just fine…
Sharks clear their line as the Pumas mess up their lineout.
@pastorshark (Comment 68) : for sure he even stopped the big no8 of the Pumas.
Any other day these 50/50’s can go our way and then we will be unstoppable. Getting prematurely excited about an amazing season to come. But there is passion on the field again
Haha…how was that step by Adriaanse!!
How are the Pumas not being penalised for standing up in every second scrum?
@pastorshark (Comment 73) : Pro loves the underdog.
Botha scores after a great maul by the Sharks.
@pastorshark (Comment 72) : great step!
Botha scores. I liked that…turned down the kick at goal, drove dominantly, pick and go…try…bonus point! Lovely…
Sharks lead 26-10 after 67min.
@JD (Comment 76) : Flipping genius step for a prop!!
Terra on.
Inny has been good at 10…
Brilliant try Esterhuizen!! Chalk that one down to the forwards…
First game of the season and a bonus point win away from home. This weekend is starting out great.
And another Sharks scrum results in a tight head and a try for big Andre!
Sharks lead 33-10 after 72min.
Frustrating to not be able to find a live stream feed of this match. Thanks Pastor and JD for the updates. Sounds like the SuperRugby level pack is dominating as they should and the general gameplan is exhibiting the influence of Rob DuPreez.
Look, though Omar is gone, our defence is still working just fine…
@Dancing Bear (Comment 86) : Try vipbox.tv just get past all the adds. Don’t use an add blocker
@Dancing Bear (Comment 86) : That’s just about spot on… 😆
For me Adriaanse needs to man of the match just for that step!!! And his scrum dominance made atleast two Shwrks tries!!!
@JD (Comment 90) : Between him and big Andre
If I was playing a drinking game where I had to down a beer everytime Bros names the wrong Shark, my case would be empty by now…my word!
@jdolivier (Comment 91) : But that step…
@Dancing Bear (Comment 86) : yes by no means was it perfect but has been the best Sharks performance that I’ve seen for a while!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 92) : Almost like taking a shot every time bobby says on the paddock
Ai, Andre’s hands…he really needs to sort that out…
@pastorshark (Comment 93) : Okay okay…..it was a thing of beauty
That’s it…Sharks win 33-10…
And the Sharks win 33-10!!! Great performance by all the Sharks players.
FULL TIME
PUMAS 10 – 33 SHARKS
@jdolivier (Comment 88) : VIPBOX didn’t have a feed for this match, not sure why, but yes I use them all the time.
Did Bros pass out towards the end there? He disappeared with 10 minutes to go…or is our lead commentator also doing the post-match presentation? I prefer thinking he also played my drinking game and it just got too much for him… 😀
@JD (Comment 99) : Rob du Preez seems to have brought the running spirit of the sharks back to life. Early days, but the signs are encouraging
@jdolivier (Comment 97) :
@jdolivier (Comment 97) : Us tight forwards get excited by props stepping like that…
@pastorshark (Comment 104) : And the ginger ninja stealthy steals is from the dancing hippo
Ginger is MOTM
Super green still but I love the crap out of Bosch and Inny …… think they have real promise.
Travesty as Ariaanse does not get man of the match 😉 Ginger Ninja for ever as he gets man of the match. Must say he had a good game!!!
@jdolivier (Comment 106) : Great description…
@pastorshark (Comment 105) : Used to be in the back three and trust me we love it even more……remember deon carstens in 2006 throw a dummy, give a step and race 30m to score under the posts. Our whole party watching were screaming at him to have the pace
@JD (Comment 109) : Props hardly ever get man of the match… 😉
Classy Keegan wishing the Lions well…
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 108) : Yeah, same here…
@pastorshark (Comment 92) : “Claassen and Daniels”. He took the ‘s’ from Claassens and gave it to Daniel. All game long… 🙄
Well done, Sharks.
@jdolivier (Comment 111) : I remember that!!
@pastorshark (Comment 107) : Well deserved. 😎
@Ben (Comment 115) : Aaaall game long…and of course Ungerer was Esterhuizen and Am was Inny and…well, my drinking game would have been a roaring success!!
@Ben (Comment 118) : He just keeps producing…
@pastorshark (Comment 119) : I won’t complain too much. They were far better than the Bladen-Stransky combo in the previous game.
@pastorshark (Comment 119) : Gentlemen may this be a taste of what Sharks rugby will be this season (tiny improvements here and there) thanks for the comments and banter. Go Sharks, good night and God bless
@pastorshark (Comment 120) : Wears his heart on his sleeve. Sharks need to keep hold of him.
@Ben (Comment 123) : Absolutely…
@pastorshark (Comment 113) : Agreed.
@Ben (Comment 121) : Bros needs YEARS more experience before he can get CLOSE to Blades when it comes to getting names and sentences and words and even vowels wrong… 😀
@jdolivier (Comment 122) : It was fun…go well…
@pastorshark (Comment 126) : 😆
Could we already be witnessing the fruits of Ricardo’s labour?
This was good rugby, and between the bulls and Sharks, this CC have already delivered more entertainment than I expected for the entire season.
Ricardo has certainly brought an edge I haven’t seen all year. Going to love the Rob and Ricardo combination. Seemed to be getting along nicely from the glimpse I saw.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 129) : @GreatSharksays (Comment 130) : I wonder whether Rob’s promotion hasn’t brought that edge. The boys definitely also worked on their scrumming between Super Rugby and now. They killed the Pumas. It was Strudwick’s birthday on Wednesday…maybe they played to give him a birthday present?
@pastorshark (Comment 131) : The fluidity on attack, and ability to keep the ball alive whilst handing-off the opposition….seems to boil down to skills coaching.
Either way, this coaching team really clicked for their first game in charge….our team also played clever rugby, no headless-run-from-anywhere rugby.
Lots of similarities between Sharks and bulls tactics, ‘cept for our boys demolition work at scrum time.
I am genuinely surprised by what this CC has delivered on day 1.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 132) : Hadn’t read your earlier comment. Agree 100%, there was definitely an improvement in the skills, awareness and option taking last from what we’ve been seeing. The two R’s definitely combined well as they compliment each other very well. Rob’s attacking game won’t get off the ground without the skills and vice versa. Also remember that Ricardo is first a backline coach and I saw some moves I hadn’t seen before. Pity Omar left but seems to have left his play book behind. The 4 guys including the forwards coach would have made a kickass team. Maybe it’s time for Everitt to focus on defence and build on the foundation of Omar.
Congrats on the win guys. Sharks seem to be playing Sharks rugby again. Look forward to our clash soon. Go Cheetahs!!
Glad to see vd Walt playing to his potential again. IMHO he was the standout 8 in the competition in 2013.
And finally the Hurricanes come of age, under the ex Sharks coaching pair of Chris Boyd and John Plumtree. Very, very chuffed for Plum especially.He deserves it over and over. I will have a Millers on him tonight.
Gutted for the Lions and the rest of the ex Sharks contingent with them and especially for their supporters.
Great final,better team won,butLions played with heart.Difference to me was Barrit over Jaantjies.
One is a model of confidence and the other is a model of inconsitency,Faf is the best 9 we have produced in a long time.
@The hound (Comment 136) : Elton did an April impression over there.
Games like this, has me questioning his ability at international level – every so often, he’ll be expected to perform away from the comfort of Ellis Park.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 135) : Ex Sharks achieving what a lot of former and current Sharks achieved – losing away final.
Plum finally breaks his duck, so good for him….but it certainly wouldn’t have happened for him with the Sharks.
Well done to the Canes for breaking their duck….they were monstrous on defense.
Question for the Lions: what’s the use of throwing a home final away, when they merely end up losing the away final in any case?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 138) : Nyaba, nyaba, nyaba…hot air
@FireTheLooser (Comment 138) : And yes the Lions stuffed up big time by gifting final home ground advantage to another team, in the cold light of day it was a monstrous own goal of note.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 139) : Too soon? 😉
And Ashwin reckons that the Highlanders won the trophy but the ultimate winners were the Lions..go figure, and we have top pay top dollar for these snippets of wisdom.
Im off to buy the Millers…. Cheers Plum.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 143) : Millers? Why? I thought you actually liked Plum…?
😆 Plum used to drink Millers, maybe he still does but I reckon he will be drinking, swimming, bathing etc in Tui for the foreseeable future.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 145) :
Dont forget to keep a bottle for Man Crush Monday.
@Big Fish (Comment 146) : I’m certain Salmo is dangerously close to stalker status when Plum’s involved – ever wondered why Plum had the need to flee SA 😈
@Big Fish (Comment 146) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 147) : Suck it up kiddies. I have a crush, but its on Karma…..
@FireTheLooser (Comment 137) : must agree his performance today was not very good. Lets hope he can do better in the Bok team.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 138) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 140) : just remember they would have faced the Sharks so they would have done all the travelling whereas they faced NZ teams flying in to face them. Also remember nobody expected the Chief would lose their last game so although in the end it was the wrong call it had some merit when Ackers made the decision.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 148) :
😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 147) :
Geez, have you no heart? You must admit that it’s actually quite sweet.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 148) : Plum proving what we already knew – he’s a brilliant assistant coach….but a head coach he is not. 😉
@Big Fish (Comment 152) : The standard 6 girl crushing on the physical education teacher….young love. 🙂
@JD (Comment 149) : Every time he’s under pressure, he turns into a bumbling club level Fh (no offence April).
That is worrying, as at Bok level, the opposition will know his every weakness.
@pastorshark (Comment 131) : I too suspect that Gary made all the decisions in SR and Rob didn’t have too much authority. We should see a difference if he is allowed to call the shots without interference. We can then get a real indication of what he is capable of and if he can step up to head coach next year.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 154) : The standard 4 comments on the topic…..young, just young 😈
Saw this headline on Netwerk24 “’Canes kan John Smit vir sege bedank” with a picture of a very happy Plumtree. I didnt read the article but hope they remembered to include you, KSA, Fish and the other 11 souls that signed the FB petition.
@JD (Comment 150) : Yes but to gamble, and thats what it was, with the home ground advantage for a final was not clever at all. I think if they had put that win against the Pumas as the first step to winning the competition then they would be the Champions today.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 157) : Between John Smit and Ackerman, the Canes PR team will have their hands full sending “thank you” notes, and biltong bouquets …
I guess we could add, Plumtree can thank John Smit for SR trophy – had Smittie not fired him, he would still be trying to win the trophy as a head coach…Smittie ultimately convinced Plum that he’s just not head coach material. 😈
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 157) :
Didn’t sign that petition. I leave the keyboard activism to those without real lives to occupy them. You of all people know the misplaced devotion that one needs muster up for such pursuits.
@Big Fish (Comment 160) : Didnt think you would have, probably posted that as a form of you 2 being associated with each other, you know the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum effect. As for keyboard activism, I know squat about it.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 159) : Yep agree here, Plum being dumped by the Sharks was ultimately a good thing for him, Irish and New Zealand rugby…..as opposed to Sharks rugby that has lurched from crisis to crisis in the same period.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 162) : The South will rise again 😉
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 161) :
It’s heartwarming how you haven’t let that unfamiliarity stilt your efforts.
I’ll keep an eye for the Disney movie.