Crusaders (13) 36 / Sharks (5) 8 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Sharks at Travalgar Park, Nelson at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This was the last of the two play-off matches to decide who will be in the semi-finals. No 3 on the Combined Log (Crusaders) at home against No 6 on the Combined Log (Sharks).
With a little bit of help from a poor performance by Bryce Lawrence as well as some poor Sharks handling, the Crusaders eased into the semi-finals.
The Crusaders now travel to Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa to meet the Stormers in the one semi-final whereas the Blues travel to Queensland, Australia to meet the Reds in the other semi-final.
Scorers:
Crusaders: 5 Penalties & 2 Conversions Dan Carter, 1 Conversion Matt Berquist, 1 Try Sonny Bill Williams, 1 Try Kieran Read, 1 Try Ben Franks
Sharks: 1 Penalty Patrick Lambie, 1 Try Willem Alberts
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Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read, (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Kahn Fotuali’i, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Ryan Crotty/Brent Ward.
Sharks: 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Gerhard Mostert, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 John Smit, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Jacques Botes, 21 Adrian Jacobs, 22 Louis Ludik.
Date: Saturday, June 25
Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Expected weather: Mainly fine, odd shower possible. Southerly breezes. High 12°C, low 2°C
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
TMO: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
One of my worries for the Bokke and the Sharks is the lack of depth in SA in great tight head props.
At loosehead I feel we are adequately covered with Beast, Gurthro and even Coenie Oosthuizen in SA… nothing wrong there. Hope old Gurthro (Shrek se lelike boetie) regains form and match fitness quickly in the games before the World Cup… same as I’m hoping Brussow and Juan Smith regains the explosive form we expect from them.
@ grootblousmile:
True it’s not right to wish an injury on any player. I am not talking about a life threatening injury or a car accident or something. I am talking about a sports injury that all players experience all the time and that puts them out of the game for a while. Smit should retire. He has had a long an illustrious career. Everyone’s time has to come. It’s not as if he can go on forever! He will not be suffering and end up starving and homeless. He is very wealthy from this game and he can continue living from this game in a different area – just not as a player. So don’t miscontrue what I am saying.
Yip, we all hope our injured stars will come back in time and in form. The problem is that PdV’s squad is already chosen and so there is no space for the good new players…
My backline would be 13 players:
(15) Frans Steyn/Gio/Lambie/Pienaar (11&14) JPP/Basson/Hougaard/Gio (12&13)JdV/JF/JdJ/Butch/Lambie/Steyn (10) Morne/Butch/Lambie/Pienaar (9)FdP/Hougaard/Pienaar
With these we have first rate, in depth cover in all positions
What do you think?
93@ The_Young_Turk:
My stance has been clear for long enough now… I would PICK NO OVERSEAS PLAYERS for the Bokke!
So, Fransie Steyn & Ruan Pienaar…. sorry, no ways… NEVER!
Butch… well he’s a liability.. a walking Card, an unnecessary risk!
How many utility backs does one need in a squad? Is Hougie’s & Lambie’s versatility not enough, throwing the likes of JP Pietersen in as well who can cover 11, 14 or 15 and even considering that Jaque Fourie has won against the All Blacks from 13 but also from No 15 (Rustenberg 2006 – Bokke 21 / 18)
Gio Aplon just as versatile… Juan de Jongh versatile, Jean versatile…
My backline would be:
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Morné Steyn
11. Bjorn Basson
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Jaque Fourie
14. J P Pietersen
15. Patrick Lambie
Other backs in the squad:
Francois Hougaard (9 & 11)
Gio Aplon (wing and 15)
Juan de Jongh (12 & 13)
Peter Grant (10)
Lwazi Mvovo (11 and possibly outside center in an extreme situation)
Riaan Viljoen (specialist fullback)
Sarel Pretorius (9)
This gives you:
3 specialist Scrummies
3 specialist Flyhalves
2 specialist inside centers with an extra possibility in Lambie if needed
3 specialist outside centers with Mvovo who could cover in an extreme situation
3 specialist left wings
3 specialist right wings with Jean de Villier who can also cover there if needed
2 specialist fullbacks PLUS J P Pietersen & Jaque Fourie who could cover there in emergencies
One needs no more than 3 guys for every backline spot…. the vital cogs being No 9 and 10 where specialists are absolutely ESSENTIAL!
@ grootblousmile:
Well it’s not really that different to mine, bigblu! You have the same as me for your first choice except for the overseas based players. While I agree with your sentiments, we have to pick based on who PdV has already chosen and he has chosen Frans and Pienaar. I see nothing wrong with your other picks and Viljoen could probably replace Frans, but they are unknowns when it comes to BMT and experience. If Morne is fit, I would not have Butch in the first 22, but Lambie on the bench as cover, as I am equally wary of Butch…
@ grootblousmile:
Your point on the 9 and 10 we also agree on. I also have three specialists – we only differ on the third choice player! Are you trying to look for a way to pick an argument with me 🙂
95@ The_Young_Turk:
I have a huge problem with Fransie Steyn… and believe me, there is no bias in my way of thinking at all.
He plays No 12 for Racing Metro, not fullback. When he played the ONE Test last year for the Bokke at 15 he was diabolically shitty…. and just how do we know he is better for No 15 now, suddenly? There is simply no means to measure his form and standard because he simply has not either played WITH SA team members or AGAINST the NZ & Aussie big guns at all… and those are the guys we would have to face in the semi’s and the final.
I like Fransie, make no mistake… but he needed to be back in SA in 2011 at least, so that we would have had a better way to have measured his form, to regain momentum at 15… and to play against the likes of O’Connor, Beale, Dagg, Kirchner, Riaan Viljoen…
@ grootblousmile:
Ok, ok, now we just have to convince PdV. Are you bringing the baseball bat or the panga???
Oh yes, there is also the other issue of Habs! Seems he is also going to be in the squad, so I’m hoping for a sports injury there too 😉
96@ The_Young_Turk:
No brother… no arguments from me, just a frustration about Snorrie’s selection policies!
If there was ONE overseas player I would not object too loudly about it would be Ruan Pienaar… but my argument still stands in favour of Sareltjie…. he had the opportunity to run the Saders ragged, to be measured against Fourie du Preez & Hougie, Genia and the likes…. and he was simply outstanding all season.
Ruan did not… he played Club Rugby up North as well as one Baabaas match…
98@ The_Young_Turk:
Snorrie won’t listen to me, you or anybody…. and you are right, he’s chosen, it’s a done deal… I accept that, whilst I lament it rather silently (or vocally here).
I expect Snorrie knows already who his 30 World Cup players are and has chosen them…
Habana is another story, the man has now cost us big time for 2 seasons…. it is just incredulous that he still is preferred at 11 at the Stormers and at the Bokke!
@ grootblousmile:
ok bru, we don’t really differ much in our thinking about the backs. I admit to being less sure when it comes to the forwards tho. Smit is in, so we can’t change that:
props: Jannie/Beast/Gurthro/CJ
Hookers: Bissie/Smit/Chillieboy
Locks: Vic/Bakkies/Bekker/Flip
Loosies: Schalk/Brussouw/Smith/Spies/Alberts/Danie
Seems that’s going to be the team
I fancy Johnson/Vermeulen/Oosthuizen/Adriaan Strauss/Josh Strauss…..
Let me say why I have a problem with overseas based players… it would be right and fitting in the circumstances.
When you go over to earn in POUNDS or in EUROS, certain things should naturally go with the territory…
1 You’re willingly foregoing the wonderful SA weather conditions
2 You’re willingly forgoing the company of your family and friends
3 You’re willingly foregoing Super Rugby and Currie Cup Rugby
4 You’re willingly foregoing things like biltong, bobotie, braaivleis, Castle Lager
5 You’re willingly foregoing having a home executive assistant to make the beds, wash the washing, do the ironing and help out with house chores
6 You’re willingly foregoing speaking a lot of Afrikaans, if you’re Afrikaans
7 You’re willingly foregoing the company of the wonderful SA Nation
All of this you do for the luxury of the moolah… it is a choice, a conscious decision… a carrott you have grabbed, and rightly so, according to your preferances and lifestyle choices.
Similarly this choice should have the further consequence that you are not going to be considered for the Bokke, because otherwise the message unfortunately goes out to other players, young and old… going overseas is OK, in fact it is the preferred option because the consequences are not major.
In other words, the message goes out that I can have my bread buttered both sides, which is not in SA’s interests at all.
So, go….
8 You’re simply willingly also foregoing Springbok Rugby during your stay as well, deservedly so.
I expect Ex-pat Saffas to be up in arms about this stance… but hey, no… it applies to YOU as well… YOU made your choice too, live with it!
102@ The_Young_Turk:
I agree mostly… also regarding those who would be unlucky enough not to make the squad
Maybe Werner Kruger in place of CJ…. although CJ can play both sides of the scrum
Danie Rossouw in place of Flip at lock
Ashley Johnson… there MUST be place for this Bossiekop!
@ grootblousmile:
Now why are you having a go at us ex pats…I am just as much a South African as I ever was….I reckon someone must have p*ssed on your battery.
OK Sharkies, as predicted, that was a bridge too far….have a nice rest now for the next couple of weeks. Oh…..and somebody is going to bliksem sonny boy one of these days, taking a cheap dive and being petulant knocking the ball out of Lambies hands….what a doos….he might be a great player but I just don’t like his attitude, thus I have no time for him. Arrogant comes to mind. You heard it here first “Kieron Reed will replace McCaw as Kiwi Captain”
Sorry 4man , but you knew there was only a small chance. But the game fell to pieces when that intercept happened. Sad.
To predict next weeks games will be dificult.
Blues hit top form but Reds have a great coach who can get his guys at halftime to turn anything around.
Stormers , well EVERYTHING is in their favor, they can only beat themself. The had the rest, they have the experience from last year , they defend like hell, they are a settled team. Sorry the Crusaders will get the same feeling the Sharks have tonight.
But then you think of the C……
Good luck with your predictions. I will go Reds and …..
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