By Craig Lewis
There is no doubt that the Sharks are at present in the habit of winning, with the team relaxed, confident and acutely aware of what their strengths are.
But they will also know just how quickly things can change, and that should keep them on their toes this Saturday when they face the Griquas at the Absa Stadium.
Over the past few weeks, the Sharks have certainly performed with aplomb, and even without key players and during periods of play when they’ve been under the cosh, they have had the composure to find ways to win.
However, things can just as easily start to unravel, as they learnt in 2009’s Super 14, and they can ill-afford to take their foot off the gas against the log-leading Griquas.
“We know Griquas will be hurting after their first loss of the season against the Bulls in a match they perhaps should have won,” Sharks coach John Plumtree said on Monday.
“They’ll be very physical and our forwards will need to muscle up.”
Unfortunately for the Sharks, though, a number of front-rowers are nursing injuries after Saturday’s bruising game against the Lions, with Deon Carstens carrying a niggle, Pat Cilliers suffering from a hamstring strain and young Wiehahn Herbst battling with a bit of a back injury.
All three will be very closely monitored throughout the week, and with the Sharks likely to be without their Tri-Nations Boks – including Jannie du Plessis – they will be desperately holding thumbs that things are looking a little brighter later in the week.
Nevertheless, Plumtree said he had expressed to the team that they would have to be ready to tackle numerous challenges during the next few crucial rounds of the Absa Currie Cup.
“This group is now going to take us through to the business end of the competition and they are the ones who will determine what position we are in when the Springboks return. In 2008 we were able to get onto a winning roll at about this stage in the tournament and we need to repeat that if we hope to be in a good position to make the play-offs later on.”
And this weekend the Sharks may well look to keep the ball in hand a bit more after having to make an inordinate amount of tackles against the Lions, which ultimately saw them drop off the pace and let in three tries in the last 10 minutes of the match.
Certainly, they will have more of a licence to attack if game-breakers such as Juan Martin Hernandez and Rory Kockott are passed fit for this game, but both may well need to be brought back slowly after being sidelined with an ankle and shoulder injury respectively.
Either way, the likes of Monty Dumond, Riaan Swanepoel, Andries Strauss and Stefan Terblanche are certainly steering the backline in the right direction as it is.
In addition, the Sharks will also have their second-row stocks bolstered in the near future, with both Johann Muller and Alistair Hargreaves not looking far away from a return to action.
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- This article was originally published on page 18 of Daily News on August 18, 2009
DiamantJanne!
Versigitige Jannies
@Tripples –
Too slow!
@Supa Die Bloubul – hahahahahahaha jy wen!!!! toemaar solank dit blou bulle is wat wen is dit reg 😆
Wou hier kom blog toe sien ek dis ‘n bloubul nes 🙂
@Tripples –
Stem. Kyk hoe stadig is die ander. Hulle kan nie eers die top 5 posts haal nie.
sien op die Bulle site is die in ding dat die eerste post moet se “1ste soos die Bulle”
Aai dit bly maar lekker om n Bul te wees.
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
en die nes gaan netnou 12 klein bulletjies uitbroei!!
@superBul – #7 Die beste!!!!
@superBul –
Flippen lekker.
@Tripples –
die HEEL beste.
21. Mense ongeag wat gese word is dit duidelik dat daar spelers is wat onderhandeli8ngs met ander unies gebruik om beter pakkette by die bulle te bewerkstellig. Geld rugby is besig om in ‘n klug te ontaard. Miljoene word spandeer op spelers en wie wen op die einde van die dag. Dankie Wynand dat jy bereid was om vir minder geld by die bulle te bly. lojaliteit kan nie gekoop word nie en Bryan Habana sal agter kom dat die gejaag na geld nie die sous werd is nie. Hoe kan jy skielik ‘n span soos die bulle drop wat twee keer die S14 gewen het en vele bokke oplewer wat tans die hart van die bokspan is. As Bryan sy alie wil sien moet hy WP toe gaan. Rassie is besig om met ‘n oop beursie oral spelers kaap toe te lok. Hoekom? Hy het een jaar oor by die Stormers en as hy nie presteer in 2010 nie gaan Jake White by hom oorneem. So hy doen nou alles in sy vermoe om ‘n span bymekaar te kry want hy besef daar is niks oor in die kaap nie. Wie gaan daarna weer in hom belangstel. Wil afsluit deur te se Bryan dink mooi voor jy die viskoppe join. Die bulls is nog ver van hulle top af en elke jaar vorentoe gaan net beter word. Onthou niemand is te goed om vervang te word nie.
Posted by Bluedog (Cape town) Tuesday, August 18, 2009 – 08:39
Kry vir ons n Bulle draad aan die gang netnou trap ons op sensitiewe Shark toontjies hier
13@superBul –
19-13 😎
@K9-MonsterLeeu – Voel jy uit? jy kan ons altyd kom join 😉
Trupi ek sien julle is loshande voor ons met die geel kaarte die jaar.
Sharks 5
Bulle 1
http://www.sarugby.com/news/Stats_Centre_CC.html
@superBul -#16 hehehehehehe hulle wil ook iets wen
Ek het gisteraand Superrugby gekyk op Kyknet en het baie van die feit gehou dat Kobus hulle vir ou Tappe gekry het om te gesels oor die geelkaarte storie teen die Griquas.
En toe het ek my agteralie afgelag toe ou Kobus daai stukkie oor Earl Rose se stuff ups gespeel het. Dit was baie snaaks. Ek kan nog steeds nie glo ou Pieter De Villiers het gesê Earl Rose is die Tiger Woods van Rugby!! Ai
Van Bulle web
@superBul – #18 Di bulle moet net NOOOOOOIIIIT vir Earl the Pearl koop nie….dan doen ek sommer ‘n Puke Watson!!!!
@superBul –
hmmmm…sal sien hoe lyk dit aan die einde.
5 @K9-MonsterLeeu – Is ok, ons hoef hulle nie te like nie, hulle like hulself genoeg!
The team is: Zane Kirchner, Akona Ndungane, Stephan Dippenaar, Jaco Pretorius, Gerhard van den Heever; Burton Francis, Francois Hougaard; Dewald Potgieter (capt.), Pedrie Wannenburg, Deon Stegmann, Fudge Mabeta, Flip van der Merwe, Frik Kirsten, Bandise Maku, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Derick Kuun, Werner Kruger, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Jacques Burger, Heini Adams, Francois Brummer, Stefan Watermeyer.
@Tripples – Jis jong daai outjie het baie moves, op die oomblik mesmeraais hy net sy eie spanmaats. Watch hom as hy die dag iemand kry wat hom verstaan.
@Koos – Jaloesie is ‘n lelike ding jong
@superBul – #23 ha ha ha
Sharks behoort hom te wen, as hul nie te oorgerus raak nie. Dalk weer teen vir hulle om te verloor.
Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has opted to rest a number of frontline players for the Currie Cup fixture against the Leopards on Friday.
Topping the list is captain Derick Kuun, who gets a well-deserved break on the bench after six successive starts. His place will be filled by Bandise Maku, who forms an all-new front row with props Frik Kirsten and Dean Greyling.
In the second row, Fudge Mabeta gets a start with Wilhelm Steenkamp rested on the bench. Emerging Springbok skipper Dewald Potgieter will take over the captaincy at the back of the scrum. In the backline, Francois Hougaard remains at scrumhalf with the returning Heini Adams set to be eased back into action off the bench.
Burton Francis replaces Francois Brummer in the No 10 jersey and Stephan Dippenaar gets a rare start at inside centre at the expensive of Stefan Watermeyer.
As expected, Springbok speedster Akona Ndungane will make his first Currie Cup appearance of the season after a lengthy injury lay-off and fellow Bok Zane Kirchner also returns to the starting line-up after making his comeback off the bench last weekend.
Ludeke said at the weekly press conference that was held at Loftus on Tuesday that the time is right for the youngsters to show what they’ve got and he is full of confidence that they will be able to utilise this opportunity.
“There are a number of the youngsters in the camp that are pressing for places in the starting XV and I believe now is the perfect occasion to give them a chance.
“They are all part of the system and have been working very hard during the last couple of weeks and I must add that they brought a great deal of positive energy to the team.”
22@superBul – Goeie ding dat hul vir Dippenaar ‘n kans gee, so ook die hele voorry.
flok, die bulle leer ook nooit
…
het julle nog nooit agtergekom wat gebeur die oomblik as julle jul eie horings (of mekaar se horings) begin blaas nie?:grin:
…
exactly, die ander f*kkof maar liewer!! (wie wil in elk geval so ñ gedoente aanskou?)
neem maar bv hoe lekker almal saam gesels as ons praat oor wp, lulu, rassie, habana en ons leë trofee kabinet.
hehehehe
Lees op iafrica
Western Province senior professional coach, Rassie Erasmus believes the Cape side has a good chance of securing the services of Springbok and Blue Bulls wing Bryan Habana.
@ashley – hallo asbak.
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