The Crusaders hosted the Sharks this morning at the AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA. The Crusaders ground the Sharks down and scored their 4-try bonus point with a minute to go. Saders 35 / 6.

Scores:

Crusaders: 3 Conversions & 3 Penalties Daniel Carter, 2 Tries Zac Guildford, 1 Try Adam Whitelock, 1 Try Quentin MacDonald

Sharks: 2 Penalties Rory Kockott

 

Teams:

Crusaders: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 George Whitelock, 6 Kieran Read (captain), 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Ti’i Paulo, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Joe Wheeler, 19 Richie McCaw, 20 Kahn Fotuali’i, 21 Adam Whitelock, 22 Colin Slade.

Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Adrian Jacobs, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Andrew Goode, 22 Riaan Swanepoel.

 

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
TMO: Kane McBride (New Zealand)

425 Responses to Crusaders 35 (10) vs Sharks 6 (6) (final score) – Game Thread

  • 331

    320 – Super, Congrats my friend on being a Grandfather once again. Nice a little boy and another young bull is born. Say congrats to your daughter from all your friends here.

    Super, Thanks for being honest and you speak like a real rugby man, nothing bad about our team just honest and no insults. You are a good person my friend. One day will enjoy to meet up with you.

    My heart is sad, but expected it just was wishing we could keep em out from the bonus, could not even do that. Sad really to see a good team going down. It happens. I still support my team no matter what. We must rebuild with the youngsters.

  • 332

    Waar is ou Ash vanoggend ?

  • 333

    See Saders had 2 open side flankers in 2nd half
    Maybe the sign of the future

  • 334

    Een ding, wat ons sal moet besef: met hierdie nuwe reëls kan jy binne 5 minute 14 punte aanteken. Hou net balbesit en dwing die fases af. Jy kan nie gerus wees tot die eindfluitjie geblaas het nie. Afrigters sal moet mooi dink voordat hul te vinnig sleutelspelers afhaal.

  • 335

    323 – Rugby Princess, 🙁 Look at my post 311. I too said congrats to you and your team.

    Saders will be tough to beat from here on. My team are rubbish at the moment. Maybe next year we start over with fresh youngsters.

  • 336

    Hell, there is absolutely nothing happening in the Sharks backline… from Kockott to Pienaar to Adi & Murray and the 2 wings… only one trying is Oupa Stefan Terblanche.

  • 337

    Congratulations Super on your grandson!!

  • 338

    SuperBul, alles van die beste met die pienkvoet… maak hom groot as getroue Bloubul, koop vir hom nou al ‘n soft toy rugbybal en ‘n klein Bloubul babygrow!

  • 339

    336; dit is dieselfde spelers as laasjaar, minus FS. Moet die afrigting en bestuur wees, wat anders ?

  • 340

    333 – Coach, That could work well. In our team Deysel fetches well. I would have started with him really.

    Then we don’t have someone like Stegmann and Brussow. Two of the best, this year Stegmann is our best he is playing mind blowing rugby at the moment ahead of even the great Brussow. Then you don’t really need a out and out fetcher. Play Deysel at 6 he would do the job better for the Sharks and Alberts at 7 Kanko at 8. John at 2. Drop Odwa for Mvovo, Ludik or Lambie at 15. Our centres!!!!!!! Phew have no idea who can go there that is on tour. They are just not good enough.

    We miss a big strong lock like Mostert too. Real pity he got injured. Thorn was huge for the Saders today.

  • 341

    RP

    So did I…

  • 342

    336 GBS.
    That backline has no general making the right decisions.
    The general should be the scrummie or fly half.
    Kockett is an individual and his decision making is poor, meaning that nobody is dictating the play.
    Add to that the apparent lack of coaching tactics and flair from players like Waylon, Swannie and Adi, and then your 9,10,12 decision making axis is vrot.

  • 343

    339@ BiDiBiDi – Yip, selfde agterlyn, sonder Fransie Steyn en met “Sideways” Murray in….

    Sharks skrum lyk ook kak, andersins hou hulle voorries darem dinge aan die gang. Swak spel deur Kanko agter in die skrums.

    Lyk na ‘n laaaang Sharks suffering seisoen!

  • 344

    338
    hy sal deur die Bul span loop na daai Springbok truitjie wat ek vir hom gekoop het

  • 345

    339 – BdB just look what one player can do. McCaw comes in the 2nd half and Saders look like a top team again.

    We lose Frans Steyn at inside centre and have Adi there???????????? Phew, just no comparison. Frans Steyn is a huge, huge loss to the Sharks. Adi is a 13 not a inside centre.

  • 346

    342@ Tight Head – Commisserations friend, but you’re right, no General in the backline taking and making decisions and dictating play.

    Compare that to the Bulls…. 2 Generals there, Du Preez and Morné Steyn… both making excellent decisions!

    That’s why I say that Ruan Pienaar is no flyhalf, his confidence is low.. and only scrumhalf suits his style of play. He’s no general who dictates a match.

  • 347

    342 – Tight head, Agree there our centres are rubbish, Kockott was good with the kicks but we probably might have to put Ruan back there and find a proper FH. Not this Goode oke he just not up to the S14 level. Should have one of our own there. What happened to our U21 FH? Thought he was actually very good. WE sold him if I remember correct.

    Adi is a 13 and never a inside centre. Waylon is not up to it. Odwa not good enough either. Need more speed on the wings. Stefan reliable but not fast enough also gave away a penalty right under their posts.

    Time for huge change. Try out different combos we have nothing to lose now. Bring in some of the youngsters.

    Srum looked even worse without John. Also pity Mostert got injured. We don’t have a enforcer of any sorts in our team. Bulls have Van der Merwe. Bakkies not even there and they doing well. You know the scrum well but we also need a very good 2nd row.

    Need plenty changes to that team.

    See us getting the wooded spoon.

  • 348

    Good morning and good grief – What happened to the Sharks……….!!!

    That is a bit of a Lions scoreline!! 😐

  • 349

    SuperBul, congratulations to your whole family on your new arrival…..Happy Days! 😀

  • 350

    346 GBS.
    Exactly.
    The problem is that although Pienaar is a great rugby player, he is now so low on confidence, playing out of position and nobody can be expected to shine at fly half in the S14 in the circumstances he finds himself in.
    Fourie is the ultimate game dictator for the Bulls and keeps the whole machine going forward.
    Of course he also has a great pack to keep him on the front foot.

  • 351

    348 – Carol, We were rubbish. Simply as that.

    How you this morning? Is this your day off?

  • 352

    Honestly you boys !! 😡

    I said hello to you BOTH earlier ! But let me do it again here !

    Hello & thanks Puma 😀

    Hello & thanks Blouste 😀

  • 353

    & before “ps in CT” starts to 😥

    Hello & thanks to you too 😀

  • 354

    352 – Rugby Princess, Just missed your posts I think.

    Hello and once again well done to Saders.

    Stadium there looking really nice. Did they rebuild that one for the WC?

  • 355

    Well, let me work for an hour or so… have Rates and Taxes to pay, couple of Invoices to send out… then I’m off for the weekend away in the bush…

    I’m skelleming my Little Notebook with, so I can maybe, just maybe look at the blog once or twice… hehehehe

  • 356

    Pumes

    Yes that is right pal – you take it all back ! Sory for your loss … I do cheer for your lot against the Convicts if it helps ?

    I dont know if they rebuilt or renovated – either way, yes I agree it does look good 😀

  • 357

    GBS

    I am going away too … to Dongguan 😀

  • 358

    347 Puma.
    Yes you make good points.
    However they need to start at trying to solve the immediate problems albeit short term.
    I think the tight forwards are not too bad, but they need to get the loosie combo right.
    Then fix the 9,10,12 axis.
    Then play the ball up strongly in the close channels like the Bulls and like the Saders played the second half today.
    Once you get the pack going forward and giving you front foot ball then they need quicker ball from driving play, that puts the opposition under pressure to tackle and opens up holes to run at.
    We did not scrum too badly in the first half, but were beaten early in the second half without Smit there.
    As much as I have never believed in making Smit a tight head, he was unlucky with the penalty count today and is scrumming technically much better, albeit very inconsistently.

  • 359

    357@ R_P – Mmmmmm, I do not know where Dongguan is…. but I’m going to a private game farm, an hour or so the otherside of the famous Sun City… where some tame lion cubs apparently wonder right though the house and chalets… ect.

    Have’nt seen the place yet but I hear it is fabulous…

    That part of SA is beautiful.

    Will miss the rugby but will come back refreshed and a new man, I’m sure.

  • 360

    Sorry vir die sharks supporters, klink nie asof dit goed gegaan het in die match nie, maar ek stem 100% saam met julle die jong spelers word nie die kans gegun nie, en die verskoning is altyd die experience maar my vraag is hoe kry die jong spelers experience as hul nie gespeel word nie??

Users Online

Total 426 users including 0 member, 426 guests, 0 bot online

Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm