After watching the Bulls/Sharks and the WP/Cheetahs semi-finals a couple of times I reckon the crucial factor in this match is going to be depth or penetration on attack.
Depth can mean different things to different people depending how you look at it. I use the the word depth within context of making contact on the defenders side of the gain line (taking the ball up in speed or running onto the ball). Most importantly depth, for me, refers to forcing the opponents defensive line to turn around. So I distinguish between having depth which is layers of attackers running onto the ball and creating depth which is taking the ball up at speed; punching holes in the defensive line; forcing the defensive line to break up and re-position.
The Sharks and WP play very similar rugby with an emphasis on keeping the ball and generating quick ball. The Sharks seems for me better at this type of game mostly because they create more and better depth on attack.
Both teams still don’t demonstrate the same level of penetration or depth creation on attack than the All Blacks; this (depth before recycle) is the cornerstone of the AB’s success/game plan. However, the Sharks are able to create a little more penetration with the ball carrier and this is mostly due to McLeod (No9) with his snipping runs around the fringes and Lambie lying flatter and having angled runners playing off him as a pivot. De Waal is lying to deep and Januarie and Duvenage angle sideways when they get the ball rarely taking the ball foreward at speed to create depth or to force the defensive line to fall back and re-align.
If you have two lines (one carrying the ball and the other defending) running into each other you need to penetrate or create depth (punch holes) to get the defenders to turn around. If you set the ball up with the defensive line still intact you have accomplished nothing; you need to get the defenders to turn around two or three times in a row, at speed, before you send it wide. This is how you create the gaps. Province against the Cheetahs was just shifting the ball sideways with very little variation (angled runners) and with no real penetration. De Waal was lying to deep to act as a pivot and province were therefore relying on Habana and Aplon to create line breaks every now and again coming in at speed from the back.
The Sharks play with a lot more variation on attack and do it flat on the defensive line. They keep the defence guessing with layers of angled runners coming off McLeod and then off Lambie or off a forward standing wide and receiving a flat pass. They also have runners coming in against the traffic and Keegan Daniels have scored a couple of tries this way this season and he used this manoeuvre very effectively against the bulls to force the defensive line to break-up and re-align (creating depth on attack). Another thing the Sharks does is they will play the ball flat then pass it back to a player standing deep who will then flat pass to a player standing wide who will then immediately pop it up for a fast angled runner coming in very close on the shoulder of the last receiver. They pull opposition players this way out of their defensive lines and in doing so are able to bridge the defensive line.
If you go and look at the Sharks first try against the bulls (Keegan Daniel’s try) you will notice they kept the ball going for quite a while and in that time span they used 10-15 variations when moving the ball down the line. Not only does this variations pull the defenders out of their defensive channels but it also allow the sharks to punch holes and force the opponents to turn round and re-group. It is when they recycle these depth-balls that McLeod snipe around the fringes or that the gaps open up wider. On one snipe McLeod angled sideways -instead of straight as usual- drawing the defender on him and back passed to Daniels who ran through the gap -so created- to go and score.
The team that can create depth on attack is going to win and the Sharks seem to me to be just a little better organised and structured when they carry the ball. Province seems to be so focussed on recycling that they forget that the first principle is to create depth.
The Sharks tight five also appear to me better organised and more involved as blow-over cavalry than what is the case with WP.
The Sharks locks had a good game against top SA locking partners Matfield and Botha and with WP still missing Bekker I think the Sharks might have some advantage in the lineouts.
Lastly, looking at the ball carrying ability of the backrow the Sharks loose trio seemed to me to be more involved, better supported and making better decisions with the ball in hand than the WP loosies.
So in summary I think this match is going to be won by the team that not only are best able to keep possession but who -more importantly- can use their ball better in terms of creating depth on attack.
Even though it pains me to say this as a WP supporter my observation after watching the semi-finals a couple of times is that the Sharks are the superior team in this regard (creating depth on attack) and I predict them to win because of this very reason.
You have described the 2 playing styles very well.
The Sharks are playing the most effective way to play in 2010, much like the All Blacks.
They have the players used to this approach now and their half backs and loosies are a big danger in close on the inside ball to run through the gap.
They do not need to play out wide and put the ball at risk of a turn over against the best counter attacking team in WP.
They will only go wide when and if they have created a very big overlap by sucking in defenders after a lot of phases that commit WP to the tackle.
WP have an excellent defence but it cannot hold out forever against big men forcing them to tackle.
WP have to get ball that their quick backs can use with some space and from a little deeper to make an effective attack on the gain line.
The Sharks need to starve WP of ball, keep the ball and be very patient.
WP need to win quick ball that they can move at pace without running laterally, so that someone can run direct and cross the advantage line.
The pack that keeps the ball, controls it and gets over the gain line will pave the way for a win.
Willem Alberts will be man of the match after smashing it over the gain line all afternoon.
Not pretty, but effective!!
tighthead & mclook
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWNNN!!!! 😀
@ Ashley:
Dis a rugby site Ash!!
Not like Peo!!
tighthead @ 3
ag wat wiet julle sharkies in elk geval van rugby af? 😀
..
anyway gou-gou yt
chat later weer!!
cheers!!
Nothing could keep me away from the GAME come Saturday…
Turnovers do not only come from balls being spread wide. Big clashes between forces of nature such as Alberts, Vermeulen and Burger, often leads to spills, it won’t be the first time that an opportunistic try or two sinks the Sharks…
Discipline will also be a major factor in this, Du Plessis Squared are suckers for some intimidation, Bissie is a bit hotheaded, and his fuzzy brother has the same tendency.
The perception that Schalk is a walking yellow card, is just that, he has conceded almost no penalties since taking over as skipper for the Stormers and the WP, and I believe discipline to be crucial in determining the outcome, statistics has shown that only the Cheetahs conceded less penalties than WP, while only the Leopards conceded more than the Sharks.
I personally think that De Waal’s shortcomings on attack are vastly over-exaggerated, while defense-wise the Sharks have a liability in Mvovo.
Although Terblanche himself probably lifts the Sharks’ backline’s average age twofold, fact remains that they have a VERY young backline, with two of the most inexperienced players in key positions, namely McCleod & Lambie. Even though I rate Lambie, and even though he did an admirable job against the Bulls, WP pose a different challenge entirely to Meisiekind’s never-ending attempted outside breaks.
This game is going to be as close as the pundits are predicting, but I won’t be surprised if one of the teams run away with the game from about 10 minutes from the end. However, which one, I don’t know…I pray it’s WP, but I am not chancing anything.
PROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVINCE! [But I have been wrong before]
Hi guys would love to blog with you tomorrow dureing the game, but my lappie is chewing millions of megs again, that svchost thingie says it is running over 70 things, dont how or what to switch off, so until i go into to town and get it sorted everyone have a ball tomorrow and go the
S H A R K K K K K K S S S S S S S S
might pop in with my phone but is finicky and hard work and want to concentrate on the game.
HA ! i found it, it was the bloody adobe thing updateing, whatever it is.
SEE YOU TOMORROW !!!!!!!!!!!
SHARKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Finally back home. Hello everyone.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHARKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Sharks by 25 tomorrow. I hope I didnt travel to Durban for nothing this evening. Get involved Sharks.
Some very good points tighthead. You clearly know your rugby.
tight head wrote:
This exactly what I was trying to describe. This interplay in the midfield with the looseforwards. Very effective; lots of variation with short pop passes, direction changes, scissors the works. They keep the defence guessing.
tight head wrote:
Alberts also made a good impression on me. His ability to break the firts tackle and his strong leg drive make him a real danger and someone that need to be watched; this of course open the door for Daniels and Kanko to make impact by running of Alberts. Sharks bakrow play for me better as a combo and fit better overall into the Sharks gameplan/structure than the WP backrow. To put it differently the sharks have developed a style that involve their backrow; a style that compliment the abilities of Alberts, Daniels and Alberts. The sharks backrow I therefore believe are going to be a bigger factor in the game than the WP backrow.
Well the day is upon us, the game thread isnt open, so I’ll just say it here.
For all my WP mates good luck, lets hope for a good clean game and may the best team win. Also lets hope there are no injuries and those with Bok aspirations realise their dreams. GOOOO SHAAAAAARKS
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