Kick-off in Durban is at 19h30 this evening. Let’s see if the Sharks can pick up a bonus point.
Sharks: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Philip van der Walt, 6 Tera Mtembu (captain), 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Ruan Botha, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Jeremy Ward.
Melbourne Rebels: 15 Reece Hodge, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Tom English, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Nic Stirzaker (captain), 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Will Miller, 6 Jake Schatz, 5 Steve Cummins, 4 Culum Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Siliva Siliva, 1 Fereti Sa’aga.
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Laurie Weeks, 18 Tom Moloney, 19 Esei Haangana, 20 Hugh Sinclair, 21 Mick Snowden, 22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23 Ben Volavola.

Go Sharks! Like Rhyno on 15!
By the way, Andre Snyman is in Denver, you should try having a beer with him
Anyone know how the SharksXV game went?
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Half time in the @SuperSportTV Challenge Cup match against @GriquasRugby! #oursharks Trail 7-14
Come on boys….let’s start making our home games count. We can’t just perform on away games and drop the ball at home. We as fans deserve a special effort from the boys that says we are serious about being alive in the final games of this competition.
Another easy 5 points for the Sharks.
I fear the sharks don’t know what a bonus point is. Or its common uses. ..We’ll win and leave it at that.
So Am is playing 14, Ward 13 and Odwa on the bench. Van Wyk was injured during warmup.
@sharks_lover (Comment 3) : Sharks XV lost.
@JD (Comment 8) : Thanks JD
@JD (Comment 9) : Eish. thanks for the yucky news
😆 😆 😆
@JD (Comment 8) : Damn…
Not a particularly good start by the Sharks so far…
These Sharks upset me. Back to their usual shit. Wake the flip up boys. Wake up.
We always tend to be a little rubbish against 14 men…Rebels on a yellow card…
0-3…after 8 mins…
Reinach gives away a turnover easy as you like… 😡
Sharks give it away again…
I know it is still early but the Sharks look lethargic.
Great scrum Sharks…but we turn it over AGAIN! My gosh…
We have given away 7 turn overs. 😕
@sharks_lover (Comment 19) : Soooo many soft turnovers…
@sharks_lover (Comment 21) : And all this while we’re a man up…
They are way faster than us and more aggressive than us in rucks etc.
@McLovin (Comment 6) : ????? Do you know what you are talking about?
Huge kick by Bosch…60m gain and our ball…well done…
@pastorshark (Comment 23) : Exactly.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 25) :
Do not take the bait.
Sharks choose to kick to the corner from that penalty…great kick…
@GreatSharksays (Comment 25) : Wait and see.
Beast Try
Beast is oveeer…TMO to check…
Ref not convinced.
Sharks will no doubt score now.
No try…penalty Sharks…go for the corner…another penalty Sharks…
Esterhuizen will get a card here…
That’s actually a red
Big trouble for Sharks No.12.
Red card Esterhuzien…scheiße!
Oh no
I have seen enough. These guys are as usual not serious at home. Taking us for granted.
We’ve been rubbish…and we’re in trouble now…63 mins with 14 men…
Still reckon a bonus point is on the cards. 😈
Bosch misses the penalty…
We have been soooooo poor!
@pastorshark (Comment 45) : Bit rusty it seems….We’ll come right
3-3…
Can Reinach not hold onto the ball? My WORD!!
Im done with this team, they will never live up to the hype and expectations that we as supporters put on them, as they just dont have enough pride for the team anymore, and that starts with the coaching, acquired my crusaders jersey this morning, and initially though it will only be for memorabilia, but now think that i might rather take it as my team jersey
@HB (Comment 49) : 😯 wow…
3-6 Rebels after 31 minutes…
@HB (Comment 49) : Ciao HB nice knowing you
@sharks_lover (Comment 52) : You guys can say that you happy with what you seeing and what this has been dishing up so far this year, if you are you must cleary go and have your eye check redone again
@HB (Comment 49) : Don’t forget to update your avatar
Ohhhh my woooooord! Reinach was slow, then like 3 knocks by the Sharks within 2 seconds in the same move… 😯
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 54) : 😀
Good grief but the Rebels are kak.
Someone should check the water bottles for valium. 🙄
@HB (Comment 49) : Can you read? none of us are happy but we are also not fair weather supporters, like i said Bye BYe…….
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 54) : 😆 😆 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 54) : Done, just for you
Wonder if Rob is into kicking the cooler box in the dressing room at half time? Did the trick for some or other NH team.
This is worse than the kakkest game of live rugby I ever watched, which was the 6-5 game against the Reds
@HB (Comment 61) : Respect for walking the talk
Wonder when Rob will try to start Reinach on the bench?
That’s the end of a very disappointing half…
@sharks_lover (Comment 59) : Im not a fair weather supporter, supporting these surely longer than you, but maybe my eyesight is just a bit better than yours currently
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 63) : And the Sharks were involved in both 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 63) : Oh hell, THAT game! I was there that day…my word!
@HB (Comment 67) : You know me to make that assumption? I have supported Natal Sport for 57 years dude. I am born and raised in PMB.
Reinach leave now, don’t wait until the end of the season, pack your shit and go
@HB (Comment 67) : Also why bother being here if you now support the Saders?? they do not have a supporters page? 😉
@sharks_lover (Comment 70) : You know me to make the assumptions that you make?
@coolfusion (Comment 65) : According to du Preez Reinach is SA’s best scrummie, so why not start him?
Oh boy, the SS half-time panel.
@sharks_lover (Comment 72) : Maybe cause im venting, and not trying to be iffy about it, and since im a sharks supporter can vent towards my team in any way i want, if you cant handle it get out of the kitchen, it is hot in there
@HB (Comment 73) : I do not need to know you, you say you are a Sharks supporter and when they play crap you tell us how you are now a Sader supporter, Any how enough attention….
So I agree with Nick Mallet (yes, it’s true)…that was just a very poor 40 minutes, he says…
@FireTheLooser (Comment 75) : 😆
@sharks_lover (Comment 68) : @pastorshark (Comment 69) : It’s second only to the final, which shall not be mentioned.
@sharks_lover (Comment 77) : So please dont make assumptions about me, when im venting just like you, assume make a bigger ass of u than me 🙂
@pastorshark (Comment 78) : Pastor if we win this one it will be a little miracle, this team will have to make a huge turn around in performance.
@pastorshark (Comment 78) : Mallet knows his rugby!
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 80) : 😆 😆 😆 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 80) : The day that rugby died…I was there that day too…damn, we need to stop talking! 😀
@sharks_lover (Comment 82) : Definitely. Let’s make it happen…
@pastorshark (Comment 85) : So YOU’RE the common denominator!
Another knock on is not the way to start the miracle, though…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 87) : mea culpa…I’ll never go to the rugby again!
That was close to a Sharks try. Well played Rhyno. Come on, men!
Our only hope is the Rebels remaining much kakker than us. If they improve 1% we’re screwed.
@pastorshark (Comment 90) : I see a Miracle AAA—Cummin

Bosch misses a simple kick…my word, we can’t afford that!!!
@sharks_lover (Comment 92) :
Smith has played well so far.
Good Gaia this is shocking. 😯
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 87) : I was at 4 losing finals, 3 losing semi-finals and 7 losing test matches – my lean run – before we turned it around by allowing me to witness the final win in the 2008 Currie Cup final…
@McLovin (Comment 96) : Shoooo-cking…
Good build up Sharks and then two such poor options…nothing…
@pastorshark (Comment 97) : I thought we were going to stop talking
Looks like both teams put money on the other side to win.
Have these guys EVER played rugby?
Sharks go for the corner…must score here!
@McLovin (Comment 101) :
Hey, that’s not funny…
Thank Jah we’re not the poor bastards in Christchurch
Here’s a yellow card to the Rebels…even for 10 minutes…must make this count!
Sharks over, but TMO will have to check…
Onfield decision is try…but have to check for foul play against black! *&#@%!!!!!!!!
Dirty Sharks grabbing people around the neck again. 🙄
Don’t these dickheads learn?
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 110) :
No
Scheeeeeiiiiiiissssssseeeeee! Try disallowed…penalty Rebels!! This is just unbelievable…I’m actually just…empty!
Just when I thought the march towards the bonus point had started. 😐
BRAINDEAD
Wake UUUUUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!
@McLovin (Comment 113) : 😆
And now we miss touch with the penalty…my word!
Kick some more….
OMG 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
Sharks have numbers…go…knock on… 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
@sharks_lover (Comment 119) : Haha…great minds with the 😯
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 118) : Hey, good idea…
We don’t deserve to play in the quarters….guys have not won shit in Super Rugby yet they approach games like they are favourites. Jake White was right. The attitude at the Sharks is shit.
@pastorshark (Comment 120) : Even without the knock they would have ran into touch
We’ve actually had more of the play than the Rebels in the second half, but keep shooting ourselves in the foot…
Claasens on thank goodness
Come…on…men…
@pastorshark (Comment 125) : That statement assumes firepower, of which there is no evidence …
Put it into the corner and bloody score now!!!
Here we go. I smell a try.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 128) : 😆 😆 😆
O wait, going for posts. 😯 🙄
@pastorshark (Comment 129) : @McLovin (Comment 130) : Or not…take the kick…sigh… 🙁
@pastorshark (Comment 121) :
😆
Crusaders scored about 16 tries in 12 minutes this morning. Reckon Sharks can at least score 3 in the next 15min.
Go boys! Play for the draw!!!
@McLovin (Comment 135) : Holy crap bru – the wounds must be raw still
We have them in the scrums…now please…please, please, pretty please…do something good…
9 Rebels gets a red…second yellow…should call that a penalty try!!
TMO checking for penalty try…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 137) : I’m all zen about it.
No, there is another defender…no penalty try…right call…
@McLovin (Comment 141) : 😆
Now for the win!!
Pathetic ball retention all game
Pass inside FFS!!!!!!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁
Soooooo many turnovers! And Am…..PAAAAAASSS INSIIIIIIIDE!!
How did Ward ever play SA age group rugby?????
F#&%!!!!! Our passing…!!!!!!!! We had a penalty in front of the posts…advantage over…4 man overlap…kak pass…NOTHING!!!
Dumb dumb dumb again just take the 3
Bosch did well…saved a try and saved the bloody match…
Great defence Curwin…
Penalty…now you take the three…
Reckon you could hear sphincters tightening around the stadium there.
OK we might win but by far the worst game of 2017
9-6…two minutes to go…
So looks like no bonus point then.
@McLovin (Comment 154) : I tore my couch pillow
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 158) : 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 155) : What a dog’s breakfast of a game…
@McLovin (Comment 157) : We might still get a losing one
A draw. 😯 😯 👿 👿 😥 😥
Rebels will draw even with a penalty on the hooter…how f%%%#%#%# stupid can you get!! I had just told my mate DON’T do that…and the penalty came…my word…
Pathetic…
There goes our season, what utter rubbish, and we did not deserve to win.
Right now I hate the sharks so much, so pathetic, and such stupid stupid stupid play
Definitely a fair reflection because nobody deserved to be winners
What a dog’s breakfast of a game…I feel…ag kak…
Fucken pathetic…
@sharks_lover (Comment 165) : Oh well there is always next season
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 167) : So sad but so true…
I don’t know why they say a draw is like kissing your sister. Surely, kissing your sister can”t feel this kak!!! 😥
Not sure. Was this the worst rugby game in SR history or the worst game in the history of sport?
You don’t bloody do that in the last minute in front of the posts on your 22…you bloody kick it bloody far and play over there…
That might be the worst game of rugby ever played, absolutely abysmal
Bring Back Gary Gold!!!
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 172) : Again…so sad but so true…
Bunch of Also Rans….Loosers of the year. First the Reds now this shit. Thought this was meant to be the easier year with the better draw. Haha. Maybe the coach is too buddy buddy with these clowns.
Classen needs his contract torn up for taking that quick tap when we had a penalty in front of the posts
Terrible…
Here is my ratings
😆 😆 😆
15 Smith 6
14 Am 5
13 Ward 3
12 AE 2
11 Mvovo 5
10 Curwin 5
09 Reinach 3
08 DdP 5
07 Mtembu 4
06 PvdWatt 5
05 Lewies 5
04 E Oosthuizen 2
03 Coenie 4
02 Marais 2
01 Beast 4
16 chillipip 5
17 Tank 3
18 Adriaanse 4
19 A Botha 3
20 Vermeulen 5
21 Claasens 5
22 DNP
23 DNP
Mtembu is not a captain and hasn’t been for ages. How stupid can you get to turn down all those kicks at goal with one man down, come the hell on 👿
Ward and Reinach, just gtfo ….. coach made stupid changes at stupid times too, he’s just as bloody culpable 👿
This must be the most turnovers conceded in a game by any side
@RuckingFun (Comment 179) : Of course we should have scored from that…he broke we got a four man overlap and under no pressure Ward passed it forward on the floor…ai…
Terrible…terrible…terrible…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 183) : now we know which Dupreez brother is the better of the 2, JL DuPreez by far better
Sigh…
@pastorshark (Comment 187) : 😆
We absolutely have to beat the Jaguars next week…
How the fuck did we nearly beat the lions???
@pastorshark (Comment 189) : You will. With a bonus point. 😉
@pastorshark (Comment 189) : do we have to….? Just to maybe get a wildcard into the quarters and then thumped
@McLovin (Comment 191) : 😀 ! LOL
We miss the likes of Lambie and KD and JL dP big time.
@sharks_lover (Comment 186) : was that even a debate. When is Keegan back? Mthembu is no captain. Sorry, his time is up. Move Ginger back to 6, Jean Luc at 7 and Keegan at 8.
@McLovin (Comment 191) : 👿 Never tempt fate 😆 😆 😆 😆
@sharks_lover (Comment 181) : That looks a bit kind…
@GreatSharksays (Comment 195) : Not sure, I think JL is back next week and so too Van Wyk, Lambie in 3 weeks, KD? who knows 😥
@pastorshark (Comment 197) : I am kind by nature 😆 😆
Wow… You just can’t trust these guys at all. Not trustworthy at all. Blow hot and cold. They talk about standards and values…gosh. Just lip service.
@SharksRTB (Comment 192) : But I want us to get to the knock outs…and then I want us to play like we did against the Lions… 😀
Fun fact: The bottom side in the NZ conference has the same amount of points as the top side in the Aus conference. 17.
@pastorshark (Comment 201) : That was our miracle game for the season 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
This team will lose to the Jags next week, and sorry to say we wont have a WC entry, and sad as it is, it might be better that way, the sooner we stop the humiliation the beter for them, games they have left are not easy and cant see us score any BP which is really needed, o well there is always next season again
@pastorshark (Comment 201) : a bit lost for words. Not even worth critisizing the team… they now they were kak, and there will be lot of talk during the week of turning it around, bit I’m willing to bet (a lot) that we will see the same crap from them next week.
@pastorshark (Comment 201) : on a serious note, this is exactly the problem the Sharks have had for years and years, they do not get mentally prepared for games, in fact only against the Lions did we have the right attitude.
@sharks_lover (Comment 206) : a known problem. For years. Yet fuckol being done about it
@sharks_lover (Comment 206) : Hence I reckon they are a dishonest. Telling us of values and standards the entire season. Those values are clearly against teams they respect…when it comes to teams such as the Reds, Kings, Rebels… Nada. They are dishonest or the coach is too buddy buddy with them. There are no values in this team. Talk about doing it for their fans is just talk.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 208) : Did you see the disgust in Teichmans face?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 208) : they are such a dissapointment…. you just dont see other teams doing this.
The lions were kak, but never really looked like loosing last night.
@sharks_lover (Comment 209) : he also didnt try hiding it. .. clear for all to see
@sharks_lover (Comment 206) : Yup…our age old issue of not pitching for the games we should win easily and only pitching when we’re underdogs. So frustrating! We are so much better than this. My mantra of flipping getting a head doctor can be repeated here…
@SharksRTB (Comment 211) : but we all know there will be a lot of talk, but no action next week saturday.
@HB (Comment 204) : Back to “we” and “us” now are we? Not so easy to let go hey?
@pastorshark (Comment 212) : lol I been saying it for years.
@sharks_lover (Comment 209) : He was not happy…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 214) :
😆 😆 😆 😆
@pastorshark (Comment 216) : Nope
@SharksRTB (Comment 211) : Yup
At least the sharks only spoil about two and a half hours of my weekend, Im over it already. Looking forward to a nice relaxing day on the golf course with family.
Outa here, until next weeks frustration of 2.5 hours again
so disappointed
really now
why did we go for the corner with twenty minutes left, if bosch was struggling to kick close to the polls why not ask ryno smith to kick the short ones or bring ben on for ryno and have him kick
this is the most frustrating game I have watched for years
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 214) : Nope, i wad just venting as I told sharks lover, will never let the team go, althought they driving me nuts and up the wall, feel like kiking all their asses tonight, one by one
@HB (Comment 222) : Welcome back to Painville
😆 😆 😆
@HB (Comment 222) : I know the feeling bud!!!! : 😥 😥 😥
@sharks_lover (Comment 223) : Painville o think is an under statement, these guys i do not know why, but they never pitch after a bey week, and i think if we play like this next week, we will get hammered
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 224) : The sad thing is that we expect thid from them, look on the weekend predictions link, Rob also said which team will pitch today, that is more frustrating than angry
@HB (Comment 226) : Sharks Culture 🙄
The more I think about it the more I am convinced that these guys don’t have a plan on how they are going to make it to the knock out stages. They are operating on auto pilot. Unfortunately this attitude comes or is driven by the coaching staff. If the coaching staff only put in the effort the week before the Lions and are relaxed before a game against the Kings, Rebels etc.., what do you expect?
I see at the press conference Robert dupreez said this was the worst Sharks performance he has seen. Said he thinks the team should collectively refund the spectators the cost of their tickets.
@jonnow (Comment 229) : Let’s not hold our collective breaths…
My 2 cents…
My son played his first Bulletjie rugby game this morning. That was FAR better than what the Sharks dished up tonight. The 6 year-olds had less turn-overs and knock-ons!
Tera must go, KD is probably back next week – make him captain. Simple.
Rhyno by far the best player tonight, but 1 man can’t win a war.
Great scrumming from the guys 7 vs 8 most of the game, the red card really cost us, we would have murdered them if we could’ve kept 8 in the scrum.
How many tries have we had disallowed due to ill discipline this year? Must be a record.
Okay, that was more than 2c, and I could add more, but will just say that I don’t think they can get any worse than what we saw tonight…
@T-Shark (Comment 231) :
WTF you talking about re 7 vs 8 in the scrums?
Just back from a seriously disappointing game.
Firstly want to say how well the Rebels played,
secondly Andre Esterhuizen rush of blood to the head just dinged our season.
When he was ejected we had nobody to step into the huge role he plays not only on attack but in defense.
Reinarch must just please fuck off to anywhere as long as its not here.enough said about him, he never gets any better. and we still play him
Bosch is going to get destroyed at 10,he is nowhere mature enough, watched two 10’s this weekend who were written off years ago,Steven Donald and Lionel Cronje,both were outstanding for the simple reason, experience under pressure, who was the Dick head who got rid of Lionel,probably that shit bag Gold.
Finally Mthembu not a captain,
So we need a real 9 an experienced 10 and a captain.
@jonnow (Comment 232) : because we had a inside centre sent off for a complete brain malfuction. when the rebels had a put in at the scrum we would choose to have on loose forward move to the backline to make up the numbers
and yet when we did that the rebels still couldnt run us off the ball at the scrum and when a penalty for moving backwards. thats what he meant.
@jonnow (Comment 229) : They can refund me a months Dstv subscription as well. That was hondkak.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 235) : Bwhahahahah, when last did i read that term, hondkak, at leats you made my mood a bit lighter there now
This game was certainly up there with that infamous Reds game. We are going to get slaughtered in Argentina next week.
Sharks working real hard at keeping us fans humble. Supporting the Sharks is not for sissies.
So who will be playing 12 for at least the next four weeks?
@Bokhoring (Comment 239) : Who cares, season is over. Thanks to those dishonest individuals who have no shame or pride. Teams come to Durban and handle the ball much better then we do…. But we actually live and train in those conditions.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 240) : Looking at Teichman’s expression during the game, I think these guys from top to bottom is in for a very tough week.
If I was head coach, and the CEO decides to chew me out for the performance of my players (and I can’t see Teichman not summoning RdP to his office), I’d be raining hell on them.
Brain Fart AE……what a joke
Ward will play 12……might as well put Jeremy Thompson in at 12 for entertainment value
@FireTheLooser (Comment 241) : I am actually seeing the irony in all this, and it is kinda amusing 😀
To think htat I wasted my hard earned money going to watch this 😡
Sharky and the Rhino were the most entertaining things at the stadium.
That performance was pathetic and every player other than Ryno Smith must feel ashamed of himself. That performance felt gutless. As for the “Bosch is the next big thing” fan club, let us let this guy do that first before we crown him the saviour of South African rugby. I’ve been defending Terra all season but to not take the points on offer when we’re playing with 14 men and they’re shutting down our maul smacks of idiocy and over confidence. If he wants to continue with his captaincy he best learn very quickly when to take the points and start to respect our opponents whoever they are.
@KingCheetah (Comment 243) : Now you know why we’re the humble supporters.
@KingCheetah (Comment 243) : Clearly you are favoured by the rugby gods…

@Culling Song (Comment 247) : Yeah, I mean his team only lost narrowly this time – at least they have another first-half win under their belts. 😉
@Culling Song (Comment 247) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 248) : I am reminded of the benefits of being in the bush, so I am not often tempted to go and watch the drivel, that used to be Rugby 😛
All banter aside, the rugby is tedious, and in the case of the lady match for the Sharks a disgrace.
Something doesn’t ring true here van Wyk injured during the warm up???????
April mysterious injury???
Two guys who could have saved our arses,yesterday.
I watched Andre Esterhuizen take up the10 channel in the first two defensive set pieces,
Again to cover for the defensive frailties of Bosch,this was a good compromise until guess what, we lost AE.
What then transpired was that Reinarch lost his confidence in Bosch,and everything disintegrated from there.
We can’t pick a guy in the important 10 position who can only do half the job and hope to win.
How did we ever got ourselves this position where we went into a Super rugby season with no back up to a notoriously frail Pat Lambie.
And if we go back 2 seasons and look at just who we let go who could have covered that position, its criminal
Fred Zeilenger,Lionel Cronje,Jean Luc du Plessis,Robert du Preez,
@KingCheetah (Comment 249) : I guess the Sharks players need to decide if they want to play with the big boys ????
So, Esterhuizen has a hearing scheduled, and even taking into account his fairly benign disciplinary record, reckon we’re looking at a minimum of 3 weeks. The problem is Ward who is likely to start then at 12 had a shocker. So, call me a moegoe, but I’ve been happy with that Deysel lad at centre and frankly, Rob should also do some arse kicking and shuffling for the trip to Argentina. It’s no reflection on him as a regular bloke but Tera hasn’t had a decent innings as captain for a few weeks, certainly not when the heat has been on…obvious choices not taken and what not. And it may smack of desperation, but if Keegan is fit, then I say get him on the field and he can play 50 minutes and we let Philip take over. If April is over his niggle, perhaps he can make the decisions at 10 with quick service from Claassens, with Cobus Reinach coming on to speed the game up in the latter stages. I know consistency is good, but you can’t reward everybody for that performance…one or two switches have to be made.
With the exception of the game against the Waratahs, the Sharks have been dire at home, plodding past a desperate Kings who are playing like they mean it – and relying on a miss from Lionel Cronje to win – and being completely flat against the Rebels. They weren’t that great against the Jaguares either. Interesting how one bad result can change the complexion of the whole tournament for the Sharks. But, as a team, they earned that dog’s breakfast thoroughly. I reckon Rob du Preez is a lot more taciturn than me and he bombed on them from a dizzy height. Deservedly.
@SeanJeff (Comment 252) : 1. 2 tries over the tryline but not given, and rightly so.
2. 2 tries with overlaps, kak execution by players, Am and Ward.
3. Another 5 lineout drives came to zero, because our mauling technique is very primary school.
Just by coverting 50% of what was on offer and we should’ve won by 25 – 30 points.
Yes we were very flat, but even with that we shouldve taken it comfortably.
@SharksRTB (Comment 254) : this EP kings vs wp game on right now is interesting, ungerer looking decent for ep. so is Giant, I wonder if we loaned giant to them of genleft the sharks ?
game being played at wolfson stadium on a sunday and the stadium is pretty well attended
any one know if our game was filmed and broadcast later ?
@revolverocelot (Comment 255) : Seems to be somewhat of a trend nowadays, Sharks send player to Kings, player reaches full potential, Sharks reap the benefits….Thought that was the purpose of the Sharks XV.
Teichman still has a lot of work to do to get this union fixed.
@revolverocelot (Comment 255) : Sharks Griquas game will be shown at 18h45 on DSTV channel 210. Currently showing Bulls Pumas game.
@SeanJeff (Comment 252) : Am will shift to 12 and Ward to 13. Just remember Ward was on the bench until the warmup. Van Wyk was injured and Ward was thruster into the starting team. Think they should be OK if they can practice the week in the positions.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 241) : Ja that expressions said a lot! I’m very glad I’m not EA or any one of the Sharks players! Don’t think RdP snr looked very happy so even if Reich does not rain hell down on then think RdP snr will for sure do it!!!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 256) : Sharks clearly have a coaching problem. First assignment is to get rid of the deadwood coaching stuff. Likes of Everitt….who has killed the careers of many backline players at the Sharks. High time we start to run this Union as a professional Union. We let players go and they become a success elsewhere…alarm bells should be going off and some introspection done. Let us please follow the Stormers model and get a NZ ITM backline or skills coach. We’ll get the skills at a fraction of the price. We just can’t continue like this… So many handling errors… It has our trademark for years. Gary must please get outside help immediately. Another question, why is our mauling game from lineouts so pathetic. If we have scored more than 3 tries this season from a rolling lineout maul I will be very surprised. If this buddy buddy forwards coach can’t even get that right he must go coach the CC side. SR is no place to learn basics.
We have not won a SR due our laid back buddy buddy Durban is a nice jol attitude. We are only serious about a game if we think the opponent is going to be tough. The players clearly can’t manage themselves. Durban is too nice a place to be serious about our rugby.. We say we serious about it but it is just lip service which sounds good during an interview. It is therefore up to the coaching staff, just like Jake did, to set the standard very high for these pretend Shark warriors. If it means micro managing them, so be it. The Sharks can beat the Crusaders this week and lose against the worst placed SR team the following weekend. One week they play like champions the next like school boys. It is totally unacceptable. There is no consistency at all. Apologies, I am still pissed off from the kak I witnessed last night. If it means it is no longer fun at the camp and it’s all business… So be it. Drastic action needs to be taken by GT after last night. We could afford to be laid back in the past because we had players like Gary, James Small, Andre Joubert etc… That were able to self manage.
Well the score is an acurate reflection of the game. Low score for both since neither side did anything deserving of point. And a draw since they teams were both equally kak. Can someone write Rob a letter regarding Reinach?
@coolfusion (Comment 262) : Lol…and say what to him about Cobus? The issue for me is setting standards and maintaining those standards regardless. If a standard for example is set that as a scrumhalf has 3 seconds from the time the ball is made is available at a ruck to the time it is in the flyhalf’s hands..be it at training or during the match.that is his KPI..that is what as a coach you must track manage. Or from the time the ball carrier hits the ground, the ball needs to be cleared and properly packaged for the scrumhalf within 3 seconds. Set those standards, track and manage them. Just like reports are managed on a daily and weekly basis at work such that they become second nature and ensure performance is at a certain level. Hense when I say something is a miss here. It has been for 10 years. Let’s get some overseas help if need be or a performance manager from corporate to set this shit up for us.We can’t play like we did against against the Reds and the coach comes out and promises that this is not how we trained we play. Same with the Kings and Rebels. Question is are these KPI’s set? Are they being tracked at every practice and every match. What action is being taken against players that do not meet those KPI’s during training and match time. Practice can’t be all roses cause that translates directly to the field. If those KPI’s are not met during the week then you are taking a big chance if you think things will just fall in to place. The Lions for example, they were being outplayed but you could still see the standard was still high. Maybe 5% off unlike with us..something like 70% off. Something does not make sense with our systems.
Watched parts of the Cavaliers – Bulldogs game. How refreshing to see two scrummies taking the ball from the ruck and throwing accurate passes to their runners. No running 3 steps sideways and flinging hospital passes. How can these semi-professional players get this right which our highly paid professionals just can’t seem to do?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 256) : Thanks, eventually saw that but did not have time to watch the game cause of other commitments later in the evening, pissed I missed it. even if we lost, love watching games like that. hopefully I can find it online later this week
@The hound (Comment 250) : true, I like bosch and think he will be great eventually but thats why I was preaching caution, cause when the heat was found it though, but to be fair the senior players around him didnt help the situation, those are some stellar fh we let leave durban. we replaced most of them with teenagers
@GreatSharksays (Comment 263) : Problem is the mindset in training differs from mindset in a game. He may look good and expedient in training, but match day comes and he is slow because he thinks first to exploit possible oppertunities himself and secondly about setting his mates up for them. This I have seen is much of his hesitation. This hesitation is probably why his flyhalf is always so exposed and boxed in. Could look after the flyhalfs health a lot better with faster delivery. How many times do his loosies also have to fall back immediately to defense because he loses the critical time factor? I even saw a few times when big off the ball runners totally lost their momentum because of twice I saw it with vd Walt and once with Ward. He is not a team player more if a glory hound.
@coolfusion (Comment 267) : Then drop him. Have a fact based discussion with him. Cobus, your KPI is that 90% of your passes from the time the ball is made available to the time the receiver gets the ball is 3 seconds. You are averaging 5 seconds. This is how this negatively impacts our game. Please sort it out. My point is….have technical KPI’s with each and every player, KPI’s which are building blocks that drive your vision of how you want to play the game. Measure and track them relentlessly at every opportunity, especially at training cause that will create and shape the culture. Come match time, things become second nature. Jake tried to create that culture of professionalism because how you train and behave off the field determines how you consistency on the field and when you are off…it’s not more than 5% off not 60 to 70% off where nothing works. How come teams from NZ, national teams like NZ, England, Ireland,Wales are if they are having a bad day, are never more than 5% off and for us it becomes a melt down, total collapse???? Something is fundamentally wrong at the Sharks and needs a concrete sustainable solution.