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
Wat wen die ou wat 1000 kry ?
@superBul –
ek dink die stat wat hulle die naarste maak is die stat wat aandui dat hulle 12de was.
@Pietman – Hello broeder Piet.
@superBul – Dankie Sbul, daar is die wonde weer oop.
1000 !
@bdb – gratis blogtyd vir die volgende 10 000
@Supa Die Bloubul – Sou 10de gewees het as Marius “de d*&s” Jonker ons drie toegeken het teen die Waratahs.
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Soek jy al die spanne se totale aantal driee vanaf 2005 – 2009?
@Ed_the_Lion –
Ja, jys reg!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Nogsteeds de mur in daaroor
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hoe klink die vir jou. Rekord vir die enigste span OOIT in superrugby wat nie een game in ‘n seisoen kon wen nie. Rekord vir die minste logpunte OOIT in superrugby 👿 DIT maak mens ook nogal naar.
100
87 @superBul – een drie vir ons … drie drieë vir julle, een drie vir ons … drie drieë vir julle …
Ek weet net GBS het gepraat van 10 000 ste wie dit het weet ek nie
Hello Jockbok!
superBul
10, 000 posts aren’t bad, given the fact that we haven’t even gone public yet and we have only been here for 3 weeks……and no incidents on top of it!
Good going, I say.
Nou terug
10016 posts up to date.
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Nee wat. Dit beteken niks nou nie. Julle het weer die minste punte ooit aangeteken in n super reeks.
Vir my gaan dit oor die wenne, nie die verloor nie. En daar sal julle nooit met ons kan kersvashou nie.
@Ed_the_Lion –
Jis mater.
Die site loop mooi man, goeie werk, jy en GBS!
K9,
Alles in ag geneem is ons BAIE meer suksesvol as julle!
@Ed_the_Lion –
#106 Wragtag!
Wie is 10,000?
@Pietman – The Pietepedia. Dit is julle ouens wat die site laat mooi loop. GBS bou jacuzzi en ek sny gras. 😆
96 @Ed_the_Lion – was ‘n baie duidelike forward gewees, goeie roep deur die ref …
@Ed_the_Lion – Mmmmm…lyk my ek het 10000 gekry met daai briljante comment 100 van my. Cometh the hour…cometh the man!!!!
111@Ed_the_Lion – jy sny al 3 dae lank gras, waar bly jy, in die Withuis ?
@Supa Die Bloubul Рmaar ek moet s̻ daai rekord gaan laaaank staan van julle.
@Ed_the_Lion – BDB het nr 10000 gekry.
@bdb – Somtyds dink ek jy raak moeg om die lemme deur my hart te ruk, en my siel tot in nagedagtenis te laat swadder, maar ek neem aan ek is verkeerd.
@K9-MonsterLeeu – glo nie iemand sal daai rekord van die bulle af kan wegneem nie. geluk bulle.
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
2009 KAMPIOENE!
@Ed_the_Lion – Kyk die rekord vir geen wenne in ‘n seisoen kan net geewenaar word maar nie verbeter word nie 😆
@bdb –
Geluk Bennie Boekwurm 10,000!
Verander jou nick na BDB 10,000.
O nee flok, wag, jy mag nie nicks verander hier nie, GBS gaat jou ban…. al is jy meer beroemd as Bryan Habana….:-(
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