There were some hard words spoken in the Sharks rugby camp after their defeat in the first Currie Cup match of the season against Griquas in Kimberley.

Article by Christo Buchner

A few months later, Stefan Terblanche held the Currie Cup high up into the air to crown a truly remarkable year for the KwaZulu-Natal team.

There was praise from all over for the unique game plan that the Sharks kept up throughout the series.

With a young cub, Patrick Lambie, at flyhalf, their motto was keeping possession and holding back the boot, rather than using it to give away possession pointlessly, like the Springboks did too often this year.

The Sharks’ gameplan was refreshing, and there can be no doubt that they were the dominating team in the Currie Cup series.

Even the bluest of the Blue Bulls and the stripiest of the Western Province will have to concede that the Currie Cup belongs in the Shark Tank.

It was a team effort that got the Durban outfit to the top, although Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Adriaan Strauss, Charl McLeod, Bismarck du Plessis, Craig Burden, Keegan Daniel and especially Willem Alberts’s stars shone particularly brightly.

The way in which the Sharks dominated the semi-final and final against respectively the Blue Bulls and the Western Province, was impressive.

Western Province also had a very good season, although the big prize remained out of reach.

Duane Vermeulen was the team’s best player and the Capetonian’s future seems definitely to be looking rosy.

Another team which can be satisfied with their progress in this year’s series are the Lions. With Kiwi John Mitchell at the helm, things started happening again in the City of Gold, and the extraction of a shiny diamond like Elton Jantjies forecasts good things for the Lions’ supporters, who for the first time in years can look forward to a year with much promise.

For the Blue Bulls it was a Currie Cup year which they will want to forget quickly. Apart from their poor performance against the Sharks in the semi, there were also several dips in the season.

They were beaten by the Pumas in Nelspruit, and the Cheetahs were allowed to defeat them in the last moments of the game at Loftus.

The Pretoria reserve team was perhaps not what it should be, especially when, as usual, a large group of players had to be yielded to the national team.

With victories over the Bulls and the Lions in Johannesburg, the Pumas showed they could stay the course although there was finally a battle in the promotion game to beat the Kings.

The Leopards were basically also out of the Currie Cup series in their game against the Southwestern District’s Eagles, but managed to cling to their status.

59 Responses to 2011 bodes well for Sharks

  • 31

    Gmpffff, nobody’s asked me what comment No 29 was all about…. let it steam some more…

  • 32

    30@ 4man:
    I’m not generalising about Natal / Sharks supporters…. I said they had a good season.

    But I also cautioned that the Super Series will be tough on all SA Teams and think it best we all be cautiously optimistic… that’s fair, is’nt it?

  • 33

    @ grootblousmile:
    Jy bedoel mos niemand het Natal sleg gese.
    Your first line/para at post 9 was a generalisation, but I am sure it was tongue in cheek, as was the first part of what I said, but what I said about Saffa supporters generally is absolutely true.
    I am sooooo looking forward to drinking those cold windhoeks that you owe me ;))

  • 34

    33@ 4man:
    Nee, ek bedoel mos ek het iewers die woorde “Ou vrou” en “Nat broek” en “yada yada yada” gelees….

    Flok, hierdie tyd van die jaar moan mense oor die grootste klomp kak…

    ‘Tis time to drop the slacks and relax….

  • 35

    GBS @ 31

    You must have meant that you read somewhere that you should unplug your pc from the mains during a highveld storm or else the motherboard could get fried.

    4man @33

    You got more chance of the M25 not turning into a parking lot next time it snows than you have of consuming those Windhoeks. GBS drank them all to celebrate the Blesbok!

  • 36

    @ grootblousmile:
    Ek Stem.

    Het jy my Kersfees nuusbrief gelees, het jy gesien die laaste van wie ek gepraat het wat oorlede is? Jy moet jou Oom in Durban bietjie oor daardie man vra, hy sal hom ken.

  • 37

    Received from my mate in New Mexico this morning.

    (why men don’t write romance novels!)

    I met a girl in the park the other evening.

    There was an instant spark between us and she fell at my feet.

    As we laid there making love, I thought —-

    ”These taser guns are well worth the money.”

  • 38

    @ Scrumdown:
    Het hy!!!!

    Die blksem!

  • 39

    15 visitors online now
    2 guests, 10 bots, 3 members

    GBS…..WHAT IS A “BOT”

  • 40

    39@ 4man:

    Something that Dr Who fights against relentlessly.

    Not quite as evil as a dalek, but just as sinister and devious. (I think)

  • 41

    @ Scrumdown:
    I have never watched that programme…I think it makes an insult of good science fiction.

    Where are you based?

  • 42

    Anyway, to all bloggers able to log on (not snowed in in UK, flooded in Gauteng, or drought stricken in the Eastern Cape) have a great time over the next couple of days, spoil the kids, grandkids, wife, mistress parents or grandparents, (whichever is applicable)and rest the weary bodies after a long year.

    Goodness knows, we’re all going to need the energy for a bumber Rugger year in 2011.

    Happy Holidays all.

  • 43

    41@ Scrumdown:

    In JHB but grew up in UK watching the early series’.

    I must admit it hasn’t moved with the new technology and I’ll only watch it on satellite as a last resort.

  • 44

    Cheers all, got to take the kids to the fairground.

    Hope the PE wind abates and the rain holds out ’till we’ve finished.

  • 45

    35@ Scrumdown:
    Nah, my PC’s motherboard got fried when Brakkenjanpan’s lovely power went off for hours yesterday… don’t know whether the spike was with the power going off or whether it was when it went back on…

    Should to rights not have happened, as I run off a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)…. but the UPS fried too…. it’s now FUBAR (Flucked Up Beyond All Recognition).

    Oh, and Sammajoor 4man and myself have drunk a couple of chibulies together, once upon a time already…. we’ll definately do so in the coming year…

    Talking about beer…. I’m plum out of stock of sletsap…. need to go buy some Hunters Gold and Pina Coladas and Savanna’s tomorrow…. big time! I have some Jerepico left…

  • 46

    39@ 4man:
    Sammajoor, a “Bot” is one of the Internet Search Enjines…. like google or Yahoo or Bing or ananzi…. there are many of them.

    “Bot” is short for Search RoBOT

  • 47

    42 – 44@ Scrumdown:
    Happy Holidays to you too old geyser…. and I really hope your Lions do better in the new year…. as long as it’s not at the expense of the Bulls….. hehehe

    So, you’re in PE at present, on holiday…. whereabouts there?

  • 49

    Puma wrote:

    The one though you should never had won was 2007.

    Puma wrote:

    the very bad mistake Walsh made in the very end giving Bulls a penalty which Bulls should never have got. Sharks would have won that S14.

    Puma wrote:

    Walsh had admitted a year or so later he made a mistake there. But anyhow that is done and dusted in the past.

    Puma wrote:

    From next year I will be neutral again when two SA teams play. Will only support the Sharks totally

    dO I NEED TO SAY ANYTHING pUMA, KYK WAAR HANG JOU ONDER ROK OU MAAT.

  • 50

    Is this the Chistmas Greetings thread? 😯

  • 51

    50@ Blue Bird:
    No, the Christmas Greetings Thread needs to be put up in the morning… after another video making episode…. eishhhhhhhh

  • 52

    @ grootblousmile:

    Hahahah – Remember what I told you and please turn the nosiy air conditioning system off this time!!
    Another GBS video clip – can hardly wait!! πŸ˜†

  • 53

    52@ Blue Bird:
    It’s not Air Conditioners…. it’s PC’s and Servers and such like… shall I go do it in the garden then?

  • 54

    superBul wrote:

    he very bad mistake Walsh made in the very end giving Bulls a penalty which Bulls should never have got. Sharks would have won that S14.

    the only thing i can add , is something i said many times back then, play until the whistle has blown !!!!!???????

    But no the Sharks was busy popping champagne bottles….hahahahahaha , thanks for reminding me old chum. Love and greetings to all Sharkies, you are busy pressing my blood pressure up, i thought you are OK , now i start to wonder.

    I can not wait for the wars to start, then we will go for each others throats. Off course in a civilized way.

  • 55

    East London – A drunk motorist was arrested near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape after allegedly being found to be 32 times over the alcohol limit, the department of transport said on Thursday.

    The motorist was driving a Mercedes-Benz Vito at about 23:00 on Wednesday when he was stopped by police.

    Blood tests were conducted on him and he was found to have an alcohol content of 1.6g/100ml.

    This is 32 times over the limit of 0.05g/100ml.

    Five boys and a woman, who were also in the vehicle with 15 sheep allegedly stolen from nearby farms, were also arrested.

    – SAPA

  • 56

    @ Puma:

    I fail to see how my comment were being negative, sour etc. etc.

    Where I thrashed the CC or any of that.

    I merely stated that success in the CC does’nt necessarily guarantee success in Super Rugby and I still stand by my point. If you disagree that your right to do so.

    All the bollocks posted above are juat that, assumptions, and you know what they say about assumptions…

  • 57

    How many teams that have won the CC have gone on to win the Super Rugby title ?

    ….Ed Zagery !!!!!

  • 58

    Sorry if I’m being seen as sour for stating the obvious… 😯

  • 59

    Like old super stated…you going back to 2007, now that shows some true colours… πŸ™‚

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