A lot was said already and a lot more will be said in the psychological war of words this week. No one wants to be the favorite this week. It is quite funny how every team digs up stats to show that their opponent is the favorite.
The Free State Cheetahs are questioning the legality of Western Province’s scrumming tactics ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinal and have e-mailed André Watson and Mark Lawrence about it.
“I have e-mailed them about the so-called slingshot engagement at the hit. And also about the loose forwards that release their bind a little early,” said Drotské.
“I have an undertaking by Mark Lawrence and André Watson that they will study footage of it. It’s important for us,” he said.
The so-called slingshot engagement to which Drotské is referring means that the eighthman pulls his locks back and pushes them forwards at the hit.
This results in the team and its front row gaining more momentum at the engagement.
The laws state that all eight players have to be static at the hit and no movement forwards or sideways is allowed. If an eighthman’s shoulders are bound to his locks, it is effectively impossible to use this tactic.
Province are the favourites on paper – as they were when they lost semifinals to Free State in 2004 and 2005. Rugby, however, is not played on paper and Free State’s performances in the Currie Cup in recent seasons have been impressive.
“We had a strong belief in our ability in the Super 14, but the Currie Cup is Free State’s terrain. That is where they flourish,” said WP captain Schalk Burger.
Sharks coach John Plumtree is playing a psychological game with his players to get them motivated for Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinal against the Blue Bulls in Durban.
It is being widely stated that Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw will make mincemeat of Steven Sykes and Alistair Hargreaves, and that is where the seed will be planted for a Bulls win.
However, that is precisely what Plumtree wants to hear. You can bet your Ferrari that Plumtree will ensure his two young locks will get to hear about it.
“It will serve as motivation,” he admitted.
“We realise the magnitude of the challenge ahead. The Bulls are not the Currie Cup and Super 14 champions for nothing. But that puts a little pressure on them. Everybody is talking about them as the big favourites to beat us. Even so, my players are looking forward to the opportunity of measuring themselves against the Bulls’ big names.
Ludeke said form running up to the playoffs was not as important as the team’s performance on the day.
“The league phase is over and this is a new competition and hopefully another opportunity. Nothing counts and they (the Sharks) are experienced campaigners and they have international players so you can’t look at what happened last week.”
Ludeke said the Bulls would have to show improvement if they were to make it to the final. “Our performance wasn’t where we wanted it.”
Stefan Terblance adds this
Having played in the last eight Currie Cup semifinals, advancing to the final seven times and winning the title five times, there is no doubting the Bulls are the masters of winning when it matters most.
The Sharks have managed to win just one of their five semifinal appearances in the same period, in 2008 – when they also went on to beat the Bulls in the final in Durban.
Add to that a Bulls team that features players like Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw and Morné Steyn – regarded as among the best in their positions in the world – along with other Boks like Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Dewald Potgieter, Pierre Spies and Chiliboy Ralepelle, and it is clear why they have achieved so much success.
However, Terblanché is adamant that his team is up for the challenge. He said the many big-name stars could be intimidating to some, but they could also use it as a “motivational aspect”.
“On the day, it helps to a degree, but it’s who wants it more,” Terblanché said.
“For us to motivate ourselves, we’re playing against the likes of Vic [Matfield] and Bakkies [Botha],” he said, “across the park you want to be at your best, to prepare yourself to play against the best and it generally brings out the best in you.”
See the worry in my eyes
“You have to try get the balance right, and sticking to what’s worked,” the Sharks captain said of their approach to playing in the semifinals.
“Sometimes, when the pressure is on, you don’t [stick to your gameplan].
clearly Stefan is talking of the chocking factor?
“But you go into every game prepared and to ask if we are better prepared than last year, I would like to think so,” he added.
“To ask if we have learned from last year, I would certainly hope so,” Terblanché said of the 2009 semifinal, when they stumbled against the Cheetahs in Durban, having also topping the standings at the end of the regular league season.
Blah Blah Blah by Terblanche…..
What he says makes no sense! “Have they learnt from previous seasons” No they sure as hell didnt!!!! 1 final out of 5 semi finals!!! You have been learning for 5 years you plank!!!
Secondly…This sharks team stands no chance of winning the currie cup!!!! Especially not with Stefan Terblanche at the helm!! Come on guys!! Can you honestly see Terblanche holding up the CC??? I THINK NOT!!! John Smit or Muller maybe but NOT TERBLANCHE!!!
Even if they do get past the Bulls which is highly unlikely…they wont be able to do it again against WP!! Sorry guys…you are peeing into the wind!!.
Comment by willem
Whatever the result this should be a cracker of a match. One things for sure though – Our loose trio are going to dominate on the day!
GO SHARKS!. BananaShark
Stef is right….play to your strengths….don’t change your seasonlong gameplay the week before a semi, trust whats worked for you and stay as far away as you can from your weaknesses.
Sharks have played great running rugby with ball in hand all season….they adopted the Kiwi style of play and this has suited their game to a “T”!! They need to continue to play just like this against the Bulls!!
Try to avoid lineouts as much as possible….why would you want to take on two of the greatest exponents of the lineout in world rugby?
Try to avoid play in the centres…we’re incredibly weak there…and if they decide to run that channel….make sure there’s back-up like cazy from the loose forwards in that part of the defense structure.
Run the ball wide…..we have on-fire wings and they know where the try-line is….and as a bonus…the Bulls wings are a weak point in their game!!
Take as much as you can out of home ground advantage….and hope that the slippery ball in the KZN humidity bothers the Bulls much more than the Sharks who pratice with it every day!!
Simple stuff….do the basics – keep ball in hand….and run like you have all season. This, in my opinion will enable the Sharks to take the Bulls. It’s not going to be a large margin win by any stretch of the imagination….but I think the Sharks have enough to beat the Bulls at home in the Tank.
GO SHARKS!!! BLACK & WHITE – NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!!!!
Morning you sleeping rugby talkers….hehehe. From lovely Brisbane, 1.45pm here.
First time to get a chance to look at the blog.
So Matfield, Bakkies and Rossouw gonna make mince meat of Sykes and Hargreaves???? Well maybe but Plum will have worked something out no doubt.
What time is the semi on at the Tank? Will look in later to see. Is it on at 3pm or 5pm on Saturday? From what I see on the sports channels here in Brisbane, there is no CC and of course it will be past midnight so will check the results on Sunday here on RT.
GOOOOOOOOOOOO SHARKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Sharks forwards will roll over and play dead, Bulls to win by a canter.
@ Loosehead:
LOL. Hope not.
Go Sharks.
This is not rugby related but to all the miners that are finally out free in Chile, all the best to them and their families. What a great, great moment it was to see them bring up the last of the 33 miners. Very happy for them and their families that it is finally over, the wait of waiting to get out of there must have been hell. Well done to everyone that got those miners out.
@ Puma:
Sharks game first at 15h00
@ superBul:
11 – Thanks Super, just went onto keo to ask as no-one at home here just yet. Still early over there I know. Now almost 3.30pm here.
@ superBul:
11 – Super, That will be 11pm here. Going to have to blog here to keep up with the game. No CC on here. Blog if I can. Might be out to dinner but will try and blog once back. Vibe in Durban must be massive always is when Bulls are in town. Pity I am not there always enjoy the vibe when Bulls going to play at the tank.
Super, Did you watch any of the Aussie/India crici? How brilliant was Tendulkar?
Okay no-one logged on yet, probably still early in SA. Maybe back a bit later.
Go Sharks.
Lots will be said about who is favorites, but the facts can’t be argued.
Fact: The Bulls have more boks, therefore more quality players.
Fact: The Bulls recently won more trophies, therefore more experience.
These two aspects makes the Bulls the Favorites.
But!
Sharks play at home, with a hopefully huge crowd support.
This imo will make the game more competitive.
If everything goes smoothly the Bulls should win a close game, and if i was a Bulls suporter, i would be disapointed if we lose.
So my prediction for the Bulls / Sharks game is a narrow win for the Bulls, with a 60% chance of an upset by the Sharks.
WP and Freestate imo is not so clear cut.
Fact: WP have more boks, therefore more quality players.
Fact: WP have home ground advantage.
Fact: Freestate have more trophies, therefore more experience.
Fact: Freestate have better continuity coming into the match with less changes.
Mmmmm………….
This game imo could go anyway, but i believe that WP’s hunger for victory will pull them through.
Bulls by 3
Cheetahs by 7
Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
Why do banks charge a fee on ‘insufficient funds’ when they know there is not enough?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Whose idea was it to put an ‘S’ in the word ‘lisp’?
What is the speed of darkness?
Why is it that people say they ‘slept like a baby’ when babies wake up every two hours?
Are there specially reserved parking spaces for ‘normal’ people at the Special Olympics?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
Did you ever stop and wonder…..
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, ‘I think I’ll squeeze
these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?’
Who was the first person to say, ‘See that chicken there… I’m gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it’s bum.’
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don’t point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?
Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs !
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Stop singing and read on……..
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
@ Snoek:
Why do people always say, “I found it in the last place I looked”
It’s would be daft to carry on searching!
@ Snoek:
Why do people come into the TV room in the middle of a movie, when it is already halfway through, and then ask you what is the story?
Why don’t they just sit and watch the damn movie from the start, and also if you have to start explaining the movie, you will lose track of the stroy line.
Daft.
@ 20 biltongbek:
Yip, it would be a Bull thing to do. 😉
Why do Province supporters think they will win a trophy in the beginning of every year?
Hehe!
So how much money is lost by the Bulls for not hosting a semi or final?
Can Province break their 9 years cup drought?
What would be WP best chance to win a final?
Versus the Bulls at Newlands?
Versus the Sharks at Kings Park? (F U ABSA)
Eish………
Many questions, who has the answers?
@ Snoek:
Probably the Leopards at Newlands.
Watching the Chile rescue on CNN, BBC and SKY News i was shocked to hear some of the comments from the CNN ankers. It seems that the resue went to smooth for their liking.
Hollywood would have wanted to see more drama it would seem. Man, this is sickening.
When the movie is released by Hollywood the Americans would surely have wright themselves in some power position, where this could not have happened without their help.
I can see Brad Pit coming out of the cage as the last miner, wipeing his brow, gulping down a Bud Light, and thanking America for making this all possible.
😆
Semi final rugby is won by the pack that can get onto the front foot.
Bulls will be backing Bakkies, Danie and Dewald to do this for them.
Sharks will need Willem to be their strike runner at the gain line.
However the Sharks will expose the Bulls scrum at numbers 1 and 2.
Beast and Bismarck to give their opposite numbers a hiding at scrum time and that momentum will help to get the Sharks on the front foot.
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