Today’s big game is at Kings Park, kicking off at 18h10.
Go Sharks!
In a late change, Dale Chadwick has been withdrawn due to a hamstring injury. Juan Schoeman starts at loosehead.
Sharks – 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Inny Radebe, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 John-Hubert Meyer, 18 JC Astle, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Hanco Venter, 21 S’bura Sithole, 22 Rhyno Smith.
Blue Bulls – 15 Duncan Matthews, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Arno Botha (c), 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Martin Dreyer, 18 Nic de Jager, 19 Hanro Liebenberg, 20 André Warner, 21 Joshua Stander, 22 Ulrich Beyers.
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Compared to other stadia, not a bad crowd
Nooit, that was too easy from the bulls
Back to super rugby levels of idiocracy. Why on earth are we kicking everything again
I know I got many comments about my not being an Ungerer fan….I hope he does something to change my mind
@Sharkfinn (Comment 4) : Forget Ungerer, not a single Sharks player deserves any praise in the first quarter
That was a yellow card ffs!
Never seen so much kicking in a game…and such bad kicking…
My view ranked from worst to less bad kickers so far:
Kerwin Bosch
Dries Swanepoel
Ulengu
Radebe
Ungerer
Van Zyl
Schoeman
(Bulls fullback hasn’t kicked much so only reason not on the list)
Am the only player not absolute rubbish
Ha ha sorry bru
@jdolivier (Comment 8) :
True true
@Hmmm (Comment 10) : Hopefully they are just teasing the bulls and second half they score 7 tries
Could have been a red. If the laws were actually understood
How does Mvovo make the side ahead of S’bura….S’bura should just leave the Sharks…
Good job Ruan…he is coming out of his shell
That was lucky…there is no way there was a grounding there…
Half Time
Sharks 16 – 10 Bulls
@Hmmm (Comment 13) : Arguments from earlier this week aside, Sithole is an amazing form player. If his confidence is crap, he is crap and vice versa. He has been thrown around between wing and center too much. Let him play this campaign, seeing that odders should be considering retirement not too long from now
@jdolivier (Comment 17) : He is much better than Mvovo…I shudder to think he was with the Bokke yet again…
Give S’bura the well deserved game time and he will show his worth…
I mean when he got regular game time at 13 few years ago he did very well…
@Hmmm (Comment 18) : I really thought he was about to be the next bok outside center
How did we reach this level of shit…………..
We get a turnover in the bulls half…and we …kick it away
Great try Bosch!
@Sharkfinn (Comment 21) : Lucky try, I’ll take it. There is a bit more urgency all of a sudden
Am = Mvp
Last few minutes are much better!
CC rugby this weekend has been very disappointing…worst of the season from most games.
FULL TIME
SHARKS 26 – 19 BULLS
@FireTheLooser (Comment 26) : Ugly wins count too
I’ll take the win….but a few players are needing big games to show their colours
Imo Stefan ungerer is a shit scrumhalf .He probaby has one of the slowest passes ive seen and in every match ive seen him play he has alteast 3 diabolically kak passes.FFS !!!! Thomas du toit probably has a cleaner service than ungerer.
On the positive side I like the spark in Am. Made a few mistakes but the guts is there.
And Bosch is how in some great attributes. I like this kid.
A few players put their hands up tonight Etteine was really good tonight, Am is going to get better and better. This is a very young team and it was clear they were nervous, and to grind out a victory in my opinion bodes well for us in the future!
@jdolivier (Comment 28) : Just looking at all CC games this weekend, seemed to be low on quality moments.
@Sharkfinn (Comment 4) : @schrodingers cat (Comment 30) : Useless …. slow, can not pass etc. the replacement was not much better.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 34) : No arguments
@SeanJeff (Comment 1) : nooit mate,really, half the stadium coveted in banners,every second box empty or closed,handfull of kids in kid zone,less supporters than last game and this for a Bulls game, eish
Not a pretty win but a good result. Bulls played well. Etienne Oosthuizen was my man of the match. Ungerer had a shocker…tried to do too much.
@SheldonK (Comment 38) : Were you at the game,and if so explain to me the logic behind Inny’s position on the wing for every defensive set piece movement,scrums,line outs seems like Robert has zero confidence in his defensive abilities.
At certain times in the game I counted 5 or 6 different players in the flyhallf position. No wonder Ungerer who I also thought was bad, was confused,we need a 10 to play on attack and defence.
@SheldonK (Comment 38) : @The hound (Comment 39) : yes I agree,to beat Bulls with no proper 9 and a Casper for a 10 is astounding but then players like EO were monsters, not many like EI on this site but for me he is becoming seriously good
@The hound (Comment 39) : I couldnt make the game on Sat. I did notice his positioning and was the same when Bosch moved to 10. I dont think i have noticed that tactic before from the Sharks so think perhaps its something they tried against the Bulls assuming their big centres would target the 10 channel. Personally im not sure of the logic as it meant that our best tackler- Esterhuizen made a lot fewer tackles. Also when we did turn it over Ungerer was either caught up in the tackle or if he was free then Inny/Bosch were not there to be the receiver so it went to a forward and all momentum lost. Inny isnt a bad tackler in my opinion…he is also a fairly decent kicker but he is hidden from both…not sure why.
@SheldonK (Comment 41) : A “wet toilet paper” E was being monstered by the Bulls,they were lining up to nail him and as usual in games against proper opposition he becomes anothet Casper
@benji (Comment 42) : He didnt have a great game but he wasnt bad. He has played so much rugby this year and for the large majority he has been really good so the odd off game is expected.
@SheldonK (Comment 43) : no mate it depends on the quality of the opposition with him
@SheldonK (Comment 43) : I agree with you,Esterhuizen is a great player,harsh to judge the guy as he plays every week in a different backline,new 10 and centre partners who are so vastly different,,Jordan,Heimar,Am ,Sithole,no continuity.He is all heart.
@benji (Comment 44) : I dont share your sentiment that he is a bad player. Also which other Sharks 12 would be consistently better?
@The hound (Comment 39) : @SheldonK (Comment 41) : think it started with OZ moving Giteau to wing for defending set pieces. Using bigger and better tackling players to stop opposition targeting his channel. Problem with this is should the ball be turned over he’s out of position and of little use out on the wing.
Much as I hate to agree. Excluding the flyhalf from his basic tasks can’t be good for his confidence or for growing his all round game. You can’t tell your tighthead to take all the lineout throws and then wonder why your hooker sucks at them. If radebe was hopeless at goal kicking it would be another matter. Just a curious strategy this one.