more than just 80 minutes
Super 14
Preview
Preview: Brumbies v Sharks
Thursday, March 11
Submit
The Sharks are desperately searching for their first win of the season but the Brumbies will look to make it two-from-two at home when the two teams face off in Canberra on Saturday.
The Sharks produced their best team performance of the season against the Waratahs last week and were denied victory by referee Paul Marks alone. As unacceptable as that may have been, the reality is that the Sharks are still winless after the opening four rounds.
The Brumbies on the other hand have three wins to their name including a comfortable 24-13 win over the Lions in their first home game of the season last week. The win stretched the Brumbies’ incredible home record against South African opposition to 33 victories out of 35 matches.
The Sharks have won only one out of their last eight matches against the Brumbies in Canberra. That lone victory was all the way back in 1998 when they defeated their hosts 41-23. The overall numbers look much more competitive with the Brumbies edging the Durban-based franchise eight wins to seven.
Any way you look at it, however, history and current form favours the Brumbies. But if we have learned anything from this season’s Super 14 to date it is that any side can beat the other on any given day. The Reds have proven it twice with two remarkable upsets of the Crusaders and the Chiefs while the Cheetahs continued the trend by shocking the Hurricanes.
The Sharks have no less than 10 Springboks in their starting line-up as well as England international Andy Goode. For them it is a matter of execution and improving their discipline. Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis return to bolster the front row with captain John Smit reverting to tighthead at the expense of Jannie du Plessis while Jacques Botes replaces Keegan Daniel on the side of the scrum.
The backline remains unchanged with coach John Plumtree giving Ruan Pienaar and Goode another opportunity as the halfback combination.
The Brumbies, with a whopping 12 Wallabies in their starting XV, including an all-Wallaby pack, are a settled unit and have named an unchanged line-up for the third consecutive week.
Key Battle: Matt Giteau v Andy Goode. The Sharks’ latest flyhalf import had a reasonably ‘Goode’ outing last week and will be keen to make a statement against the little Wallaby wizard on Saturday.
Referee: Garratt Williamson
Prediction: While an upset is not out of the question, the Brumbies ought to bag the four points at home. Brumbies by 7.
 |
13 Mar 10 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Login / Register
user poll
Will the Boks win any of their upcoming home games?
Results Votes: 1918  |
Designed and Implemented by DigIT Solutions
All content supplied by SARugby.com
Photographs supplied by Gallo Images/Getty Images.
All logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owner.
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 2005 Fat Pig Productions CC The logos and trademarks used on this site are the property of their respective owners We are not responsible for comments posted by our users, as they are the property of the poster Advertise with SARugby.com | Legal Notices |
 |
Just hope we salvage some pride and get a couple good wins under the belt.
Even old Javelin is showing some support and we've been at each others throats for long now concerning our beloved teams.
I guess it would be better if i used some lame metaphor from an 80's American Football movie hey CSM?!..but i didn't because i don't think the Sharks are that awesome. SORRY.
As a Lions supporter i have to read about 20 comments like mine a week about how the Lions can't win or have no chance of winning...and most of the time i laugh...cause its all in good spirit. But its cool you and Divan can carry on marshalling the forums and protecting the Sharks from evil people like me...
i like it gilbert
At best, I reckon they could pull off an upset. Possibly 5 points in it. At worst, well I'd prefer not to think about what would happen if the wheels fell off again. Could get messy.
As for "being South African" and supporting the Sharks.... GET BENT! I'd rather speedball my own nuts. Sharks fans can give it but you certainly can't take it. I will shout for every other SA based team (and I do) but the Sharks fans don't deserve my support!
Firstly with your logic of if they were any good they would have wrapped up the match long before the 77th minute... Uhm the Bulls won their first super 14 title by scoring in the 83rd minute?? Were the Bulls not good enough? Of course they were, they took the last opportunity. Tha game is 80min long and even after the 80 min the game can be won or lost.
Secondly: "get bent" and "speedball" ??? wtf? Don't want to know what you do in your free time buddy.. We don't want your support.. As far as im concerned any team would be embarrased to have you as a supporter.
The Sharks could come good tomorrow of they keep disciplined and play like they played at some stages last week. If they keep it together and keep the du plessis boets in line, then maybe we can pull out a victory - its complete crap to say its impossible.
Hey, maybe the Highlanders can land a sucker punch against that group of players of BullsRob. WTF?
Sharks last week was last week, refs suck the world over, you still could have won if you were good enough to form a simple maul off an attacking line out! You have a team full of stars but cannot stick with key players in key positions for more than one week!
You ever wonder why it's the Sharks against the rest of SA? Its because you never back up your potential. Yet you shoot your mouths off without fail every year. Yes I'd like to see the Sharks doing better (its worrying you're so shyte with so many Boks) but you're not. I'm not going to support you nor will I get on the "pro-SA" band wagon because you tell me to.
We shouldn't have won the first Super14 title. you got a raw deal, that said a win is a win. We'll take it. We did take it.
You were much stronger opposition in 2007 than the Tahs were for you this year. You comparison has no merit.
mmfa - You wish the Bulls weren't from SA, well I wish we could push Natal out to sea and let freestate keep all their players. Works both ways. If the Bulls left SA you'd have no trophies and no Springboks...
Bullsrob.Underneath all these provincial colours lies the Green and Gold,so if SA teams are doing well, the Boks do well.Then it doesnt matter if they are from Pretoria or Durbs,Bloemfontein or Cape Town.Just as long as they are not from Joburg ok