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The Sharks forwards were just too good today. They won the the battle on the ground....and in the air where they gained massively from the high ball.

For the Sharks Ludik, JP, Freddie (how good was he) , the Beast, Bressler and Kankan were the pick. Great lineout calling by Kankoswki and a fine lineout plan that neutralized the twin towers.

For the Stormers a flat game. They really needed a bit more emotional energy, which seemed almost there with the Etzebeth  hit on Bismarck and later after the Aplon try. ....only to be wiped out shortly thereafter by not taking their kickoff.

Pietersen was pathetic and de Jongh had a poor game. I thought Aplon , de Villiers, Kitshoff, and Etzebeth were the pick of the Stormers.

Those calling for Elstadt and Kolisi in the Bok team must be a bit embarrassed.

The Stormers could have won this game.....de Villiers beat Whitehead every time. They needed more ball in hand rugby and more accurate kicking. But a great win for the admirable Sharks. When Schroeder came on, I knew all was lost!

The Sharks have got the best foward pack in the competition- without a doubt.

Daniels was exceptional at 6- stealing many of the Stormers balls at attacking movements

I thought Etzbeth was very average. He never really made it over the advantage line, and looks thin and puney when carrying the ball up.

Kolisi was way out of his depth against the Sharks loose trio. Elstadt did not do much that I recall during the game. 

The Sharks changed their backline- from the one announced? Not having Meyer Bosman was great, and keeping Whitehead at 12- he is to slow at 13. 

JP was great at 13- he cut the stormers backline to shreds with that try. 

The Sharks can beat the Chiefs- our fowards are better than theirs are- 

Maak Almal Sharks Bokke! 

Mozart

The weak links in the Stormers team showed up very badly today.   They do not have decent props and they do have a very weak backline.   Staring off with Pietersen - who had major problems in catching balls - he was bad.   Habana and Aplon tried but they never got decent balls,   I am beginning to agree with Dave - the center combination is pathetic - both on attack and today also on defence.   I would also take a serious look at the loosies.   I think that Elstadt madr the grade - but the other two was not really up to standard against tougher opposition.

If I have to pick a team for the Springboks on todays performance and also the play-off game - I would never dream of picking De Villiers - he tried but he could not really penetrate and providde good balls to his outside backs -  De Jongh did not even try.     I think my team would look like the following:-

15    Ludick

14    Habana

13    Anyone - but Jean De Villiers - my preference is for Jordaan

12   Steyn

11    Habana

10   Anyone - but Morne Steyn and Jantjies - preference Lambie

  9   Pienaar

  8   Alberts

  7  Elstadt

  6  Coetzee

  5  Bekker

  4  Etzebeth

  Props - Jannie and Beast

  2  Bismarck (c)

I am hoping against hope that Lambie, Du Toit and Jordaan can go with the Sharks to Hamilton.   In view of their travel schedule they would not be able to beat the Chiefs after another trip to Australasia.  

Sharkbok - do you need an eye test.   Did you see where Bismarck landed when he tried to take on Etzebeth?   They afterwards had to use two tacklers every time he had the ball.   Weak?  I could only say greart balls of fire.

Disagree on Jean....Mike. He stopped Mvovo who had all sorts of space, in a brilliant try saving tackle. Almost scored himself backing up a break, but was just held up by Alberts. He put Aplon away for his try with a perfect pass. He did miss Ludik but was completely wrong footed and surprised I'm sure by Joe's feeble attempt to take the high ball.

Jean beat the first tackle almost every time he ran....and went through Whitehead at least twice.

I'm afraid you missed a lot.

- Where Bismark landed when he tried to take on Etzbeth? I did see once incident-when someone tried to tackle Etzbeth but was bumpled off him. The camera angles on Skye were not that great.  It looked like  Etzbeth allmost fell over and the tackler bounced off him. However Etzbeth for the whole game did not seem to make much metres over the advantage line. Compare him to Deon Fourie who was exceptional- and gained metres on allmost every run. Fouries body position is perfect as he leans down when he charges.  

Agreed on Jean- the pass he did to Aplon was perfect. He drew three 3 players- and allowed Aplon to run on to the ball perfectly with the created space to score. That was great center play. Although both he and habana missed Ludik who scored under the poles. Joe Pieterson should have jumped for that ball, instead he gave the oppertunity to Ludik to jump up into higher space. Jean had some strong runs but did not get much support. I am now getting concered about Peter Grant- who seems to lose his head under pressure. He gave some shocking passes in the game- onto to Joe Pieterson that was kicked it was so poor, the other behind Jean for the worst hospital pass I have ever seen, and a few others that just seemed to roll over the floor. Peter Grant appears to have become Morne Steyn. 

I had been thinking the Stormers poor backline attacks were due to Jean- at inside center, instead of more suited outside center. Now I am thinking maybe Grant is the cause of the poor backline. The Stormers had ample oppertunities to score more tries in the game- but the backline had little cohesion- especially in the first half.

Robbie Fleck is the attacking backline coach- I think their has to be some changes

Just to say well done to the sharks. Very good first half. but stormers came back well in the second and all but stole it.

Joe probably cost us the game with that miss on Ludik. He was poor. Kolisiput in some nice tackles but where was the speed and runnung flair. De Jong was indeed quiet.Elstadt got througha lot of close quarter work.

Th sharks again faded. The scrum dominace in the first half faded markedly in the second. The Stormers got stronger as the half progressed. Oh for schalk and vermuele one has to ament.

That said Fourie had a solid game at 8 and looks a better bet than spies!

Good luck in nz sharkies!!

Great win for the Sharks...unfortunately it cost me.

All I can say is that if the Stormers locks are the pick of the SA teams we have got serious issues.

JP at #13,

Lambie at #10 and clevermike you have a winning combo.

Sharkbok

I think you missed the Etzebeth incident I referred to.  Bismareck tried to tackle Etzebeth and he landed on his backside and was lieing there while they treated him.   He was  treated on the field for about two minutes before he could get back to playing  De Villiers immediately ran to Bismarck - because he was worried about him being injured.   The local commentators said they have never seen anybody ever do that to Bismarck - since he is one of the strongest players in rugby at present.    Needless to say after that incident - every time Etzebeth got the ball they used two tacklers to bring him down. 

Sorry - I would not like to get into an argument with Etzebeth if he could do that to Bismarck.  

 Mike I probably did miss it. I do however remember Bismark lying down on the floor, and I think another Sharks player around the same time.

Watching in a pub on Sky Sports, sometimes it is possibale to miss the tight exchanges. I must admit if I watch a game for a 2nd time, sometimes I do see things I missed from the front five players.

I do hope Etzbeth will bulk up a bit, as he would then be a monster.

At the moment he still looks a bit gangly to me and his body position seems a bit high when going into contact.

I thought he had a good 2nd test against the English but the other tests were just ok. I have still to see him rampage over the advantage line- say like Alberts. 

Do you know who tackled Jean Diesel at the end of the game? He got pushed back and thrown to the floor like a rag doll. 

Sharkbok

If you say Etzebeth is too lean - wht do you say about Mattfield.   Both are 2 meters tall - but Etzebeth is 13 kilos heavier than Matt field was in his prime?

 Matfield was a lineout specialist and plays in the same position as Bekker.

Etzebeth plays in the same position as Bakkies as the enforcer. I want to seem him run onto the ball more at full speed to smash through tackles like Alberts. 

Matfield was the best lineout jumper in the game otherwise he would not have made the Springboks for many tests, let alone over 100.

Matfield standing in the backline enfuriated me- If I was the coach I would drop him if he continued to do this. 

 Disagree Moz, Elsatdt was very good. Kolisi had his first average game of the season and this was down to him fluffing a few balls - bad day at the office, all players have them. Based on his season to date, he would be in my Bok equation

lets be fair and honest...nothing wrong with the personal on the pitch. each as a player are brilliant but if you have a coach and playing pattern as rubbish as theres then no team will win it. lets be fair. the sharks game with a better game and i called for it that they play a hard first half and let the stormers chase the game and it worked. balance wins you a rugby game in the so called knockout games not defence only.

the chiefs are a different demon to conquer but if can be done. just need to rest up because come this weekend if will be a very tough encounter.

Carpetmuncher

Incidentally i was on the same plane as the Springboks coming back from Australia in 2008 - and each of the players was given a sleeping tablet on the flight.   There would be a high demand for such tablets on both the flight to Hamiton and for the next two nights at least.

those sleeping tablets are great really. i had one myself when i tralleved overseas. really really works. i heard from my sources that the sharks are in sydney already and are already in bed so lets hope they just restup and dont have to much to do for the next couple of days. the travelling will really start to hurt now but the sharks medical team will be there getting them through i am quite sure.