SARrugby.com

The Durban-based franchise have played in the final of the last three tournaments they've competed in but were the runners-up on each occasion.

This includes last year's Super Rugby final defeat to the Chiefs and their Currie Cup final losses in 2011 and 2012 to the Golden Lions and Western Province respectively. (Ou jalapipi will be a bright red when he reads this!)

"We’ve reached three finals in a row now and haven’t nailed any of them, and the guys are getting a bit annoyed about that," assistant coach Hugh Reece-Edwards told the Sharks website.

"We know what we have to do, we know where we've made mistakes and that's a good thing."

"It's often those little failures that direct you as to where you need to do better and we've identified that, the players know it. The mental preparation we need to put into this is massive."

The Sharks have also been Super Rugby runners up on five occasions - 1994 (in the old Super 10), 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2012] - a record which has led to opposition fans branding them as chokers.

Reece-Edwards highlighted what must be done if they want to be successful in 2013 and believes a good start is imperative if they want to realise their dream.

"We can’t start by losing the first few games and then playing catch-up, we have to start by playing positive, winning rugby," he explained.

"And we have to maintain that. We have to look after the players, we have to manage each player. We’re in a situation this year where we have a certain amount of depth and we can do that.

"The ball is in our court at the moment, we’ve got to use it, and use it well."

Well there can be no denying that the sharkies are the number one chokers in Super 15 rugby and over recent years especially.  Can they find some backbone is the question.

Glad to see they will be managing their players better - this has been a fault in SA franchises.

What is a "chocker"? Is it the name given to a team that gives a brutal lube-free rogering to a bunch of loud-mouthed Blowhards in their own back yard in the semifinals of a Super Rugby comp?

Beeno

At least Reece-Edwards is honest about it - but what aboutthe Stormers?  The choked before reaching the semi-s in 2011 and then lost in the semin 2012.   Is that not chking as well?   Then they won the CC - the first time in how many years?

I think that the Sharks problem was that they were no 6 on the log and have to circle the glbe in playing three matches after long range travel.   That in the final analysis was the final straw.   There losses early in the competition was what caused the problems later on - as Reece-Edwards said - they were playing catch-up.

Part of the problem was a disfunctional backline.    McLeod  went bad and made far roo many silloy mistakes throughout the season.   In the end they dropped him and used Reinach - a rookie that will be much better this year.   They had problems at center and moved Pietersen to 13.   From a star wing he became an ineffective center.  Once Plumtree realized that it did not work as foreseen -0 he brought in Jordaan and moved Pietersen back to wing.   Overnight the backline became the most effective one of all the SA Frnachises and the Sharks thereafter lost one ggame they should have won and that was the one against the Lions in Johannesbyrg.   If they won that one - they would have had to play the Crusaders at home and then the Chiefs away - with either the Reds or Crusaders travlling to Cape Town to play the Stormers.

The one distinguished  element that cost the Stormer dearly - was the dead backlie syndrome they so clearly displayed in 2012.   That syndrome was still in evidence last week against the Cheetahs - so I see no reason for any differece in 2013.   They may be lucky though - there real contributor to the dead backline Syndrome is De Jongh and he is out this weekend.   That would be a really good opportunity to try different no 13 options and see the result.  We'll see what happens this coming weekend.  

Jalap

Well said - I am on your side this time around.

 I see these two guppies are getting hot under the collar for some reason. ou rooitwit hides behind a typo as is his wont.

Allow me to hone in on the facts of the case:

1. played in the final of the last three tournaments they've competed in but were the runners-up on each occasion.

2. The Sharks have also been Super Rugby runners up on five occasions - 1994 (in the old Super 10), 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2012] - a record which has led to opposition fans branding them as chokers.

Name another SA side who has a similar record of choking in the Super 15 or in three consecutive finals.

This is an eye opener and shows that the sharkies are serial chokers.

Now please oaks dont shoot the messenger - rather deal with the endemic problem. It cant be a coincidence that the sharks lost all these finals.

Correct me if I am wrong (With facts) but has to conclude on this evidence that the sharkies are chokers of the worst sort!      

I bet you the Sharks would not have been beaten by the Cheetahs - B side - like happened on Saturday.   Talk about choking - that really took the cake.  

I support the Sharks!!!

You will hear that many- many times this Super 15 series.

Agree, ou Maaik . . . and at least the Sharks get to these big finals, unlike the Hapless Stompies who usually choke long before the big games even start.

The Hapless Stompies are officially the Sharks bunnies and in the last 7 years (yes, SEVEN YEARS!) there's only be one season (2011) when the Stompies were not made into the Sharks squealing little bitches. That's 6 years out of 7! Waaaaaaahahahahahahaha!

BUNNIES!

this is taken from poor journalism. The headline is a Journalistic view point that doesnt warrant credit.

Beeno1.... your team , i gather its the Stormers by all rights should be the better performing side, especially in that semi final , given the travel the sharks had been through. Look inwards.

Baboon-ou looking inwards:

The biggest rugby choke I ever saw was the table-topping, conference winning Stormers losing a home semi final against a team which had just flown to Australia and back.

Bwahahahahahaha

Super Pat, it's amazing how quickly that little reminder shuts most of the Stompie Blowhards up . . . although some of the extremely stupid ones prefer to pretend that Currie Cup performances have some kind of bearing on Super Rugby results.

I have little doubt the Sharks will continue their Super Rugby dominance over the Hapless Stompies.

BUNNIES!!!

I see to have some headless guppies swimming in circles. Allow me to remind you how a young WP side missing many a player wiped the floor with the guppies in the Currie Cup final thereby extending the choker run of said guppies. Bwahahahhaahhaha.

As for the Super 15 game we were in a bad way injury wise and its as simpe as that. 

Show some respect for you betters guppies - the current SA Conference trophy holders and Currie Cup champs.

I do trust you have some plan in place to stop his embarrasing run of chokes, particularly the super 15 chokes. guppies remember the latter  unfortunately reflects on us all. Hahahahahaahahhahaha

 CURRY CUP

 Sharks have been the most consistent team in the Curry Cup for the last 2 years.

This includes 2 wins out of 5, and also another 2 finals(2nd place). (When getting to the final, a 2nd place is better than not being in the final. I would hardely consider 2 wins and two runner positions as choking

 Gentelmen we have a sardine run!  

Lets concentrate on all the finals reached and never won that were noted. What is the problem? First step is to recognise the problem. Keep the head out of the sand guppies!

Hahahahahahhahaha 

 SUPERX

Home team has also proved to be the main decider in the tournamen(except for the Stormers), especially for teams that have had to travel internationally.

Sharks have only made one home final. The game was lost to a forward pass in the last phase of play with Habana magic to finish this forward pass. (2007)

Last year, the Sharks were never going to win with all the travel. Beating the choking Stormers in Capetown was easy, but then travelling to the Chiefs was too much. (having just returned from beating the defending champions the Reds in Australia).

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Winning the tournament, is about getting a home final. Not many teams have won any other way. 

The Sharks finished the league stages as the form team in the tournament, but the Chiefs form over the whole tournament was consistent. 

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If the Stormers do not sort out their backline play, I expect that more teams are going to work out their defensive system and the result shall be the Stormers not making it past the league phase. 

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So the Sharks need to get a home semi and final, otherwise like most teams their is not much chance of winning. It is not really choking, just about reality

Agree re the Stormers backline play. The player resourcesare there Sharkbok and we did see some good running rugby in the Currie Cup.

Sharks choking does NOT only relate to last years loss to Chiefs you have to admit. What about all the others?

Anyhow, nothing is cast in stone and maybe the sharks have learnt a lesson or two.