Bismarck du Plessis has grown into the role of leader
The Cell C Sharks face a daunting task this weekend, there is no doubt about that, and not many will deny that the Crusaders at home are clear cut favorites.
Having to travel to New Zealand to face a Crusader side laden with 18 All Black players in their squad should spell defeat to the side from Durban.
During the build up to this weekend’s match, cliches aplenty will be bandied about and should include phrases like “backs to the wall”, “underdog”, “nothing to lose”. All true and apt, but therein lies the rub.
The Sharks are a South African side, and if there is one thing we have learned through history, it’s that when you write a South African team off, they are at their most dangerous.
When the Sharks were clear favorites against the Stormers in Durban, they blew it, likewise against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein just a few short weeks ago. When they were the underdogs against the Crusaders and Blues on their overseas leg they beat both, against significant odds one might add.
The match they played at Newlands against the Stormers was a catalyst to Bismarck and his team. They didn’t just front up, they fronted up as one. There was a fair amount of niggle during the match with the Stormers also refusing to take a backward step, and what stood out was after every incident the Sharks formed a wall of unity around whichever player was involved in a scuffle. It seemed as if they decided one for all and all for one, and it showed.
They carried this unity over last week when they took on the Highlanders in the Qualifier played at Kings Park. No side can reduce another’s scrum to rubble if there is nothing but 100% unity. The Shark’s forward pack last week was a thing of beauty, 8 men working together as one.
This is a well coached and well drilled side, and for whatever flaws Jake White might have, bringing a team together and making them believe is not one of them. Lots was said about White appointing Bismarck as his captain, but now that we are down to four teams, Bismarck is truly standing up to be counted.
His hard nosed “take no prisoners” type game has filtered down to the rest of his team mates. He wasn’t afraid to have a go at Cobus Reinach on Saturday when the latter deviated from the game plan and made some costly errors. That is a sign of a very good leader, and the fact that he leads from the front vindicates the decision White made pre-season.
The Crusaders know precisely what they are up against this Saturday, just as all teams knew what to expect against the Bulls during 2007 and 2009-2010 period. Yet, the Bulls during that period went on to win 3 Super Rugby trophies. Knowing what to expect, and being able to effectively counter it, are two different things.
Jean Deysel summed up this weekends challenge for the Crusaders perfectly. “The pressure is all on the Crusaders. They are expected to win. They have had a weekend off to freshen up, they have all their stars back and have 18 All Blacks in their squad, and they have a parochial home crowd to urge them on,” said Deysel.
The Crusader side this weekend should include Dan Carter, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg who were all missing from the team that lost to the Sharks earlier in May. The Sharks side will include Pat Lambie and Marcel Coetzee who missed out on the earlier historic win in Christchurch.
What this year’s Super Rugby tournament has shown us is that teams coming off a break often lose some of the momentum they built up prior to going into the break. It’s nice to recoup and rest some weary bodies, but when you have to come off a break and play a do or die knock out match against side who have in the last two weeks galvanized into a machine that has picked up a huge head of steam, the break might just count against you.
The Crusaders better be up for this game, because on current form there is no doubt that Sharks are.
Beware of the underdog, especially one with as much mongrel as the Sharks, his bite is far worse than his bark.
Norty, on current form they beat a plucky Highlanders side who had travelled half way around the world by 4 points, if that is their current form they won’t win in Chch it just won’t be good enough.
1 @ NZINCHINA:
If not for poor game management they could and should have beaten the Landers by a much more comfortable margin. The clearing kicks that they decided not to kick out gifted the ball back to to Smith and co to have a run.
If they box more clever against the Crusaders and kick the damn ball out, who knows?
@ NZINCHINA:
Niee hau NZINCHINA , woh hing hau?
We don’t expect the Sharks to travel halfway around the world and win.
But as you know, rugby is not about expectation. As in boxing and soccer, one moment of brilliance can swing it your way on the day. And the Sharks possess this quality, to swing a match when it really counts.
So, we Saffas live in hope, though not EXPECTING the Sharks to beat the mighty Saders in their own backyard.
But let me remind you of 2007, when hundreds of Kiwis back home had to cancel bookings for the WC final in a hurry, after the mighty All Blacks had been knocked out of contention by the smallest winger in the competition.
We saw Jona Lomu being manhandled by the Boks in 1995, unexpectedly…
We saw Brian Lochore’s world beaters tackled out of the 1970 series by Joggie Jansen at Loftus, against all expectations.
Buster Douglas, a relatively unknown journeyman, travelled halfway around the world, to Tokyo, and he knocked out Iron Mike Tyson for the first time in his career.
Our Gerrie Coetzee went to Monte Carlo and demolished Leon Spinks in the first round (a man who had gone 30 rounds with Mohammed Ali without going down).Who in his right mind could have expected it?
Gerrie then went on to Akron, Ohio with a broken hand and knocked out Michael Dokes for the heavy weight title of the world, against all expectations. And then, after all that, Gerrie lost the title against Greg Page in SA, a nobody, in the first defense of his title, unexpectedly…
Rahman did the same to Lennox Lewis in SA, knocked him out in GBS’s backyard, a fight that Lewis was expected to win easily.
And we all know what happened in Brazil, 7-0, who expected that?
So yes, we don’t EXPECT the Sharks to win in Christchurch, BUT…..
3 @ Pietman:
Wonderfully summed up Pietman.
Try telling Bissie that he and his team have no chance. If they must go down, then at least we hope they go down fighting till the very last, but if anybody thinks that just because the Crusaders are at home they just need to rock up, they are going to be in for a nasty surprise.
@ nortierd:
Ek hoop die Sharks moer hulle bekke stil!
@ Pietman:
Ek hoop hulle gee alles wat hulle het, as dit op die einde nie genoeg is nie, so be it. Just don’t die wondering.
Ek glo die Sharks kan dit doen
@ nortierd:
….ongelukkig vat onse Shark tjommas ook n knock in die proses, maar dis nou maar kollaterale skade, soos die Israeli’s sou se 
Ek glo so!
Jake is de moer in, sy ego vat nie maklik duike soosin die laaste tyd nie….ons moet hom net aanhou de hel in maak
Orraait, klaar geskinder, terug by Engels….
7 @ Pietman:
Ha ha
Ja nee, dis ongelukkig feite.
As hulle tog net so dikvellig soos hulle span se kaptein kan raak het hulle nooit hier geloop nie.
The Shorks are massive underdogs.
The kiwis will throw themselves under a bus if they choke on this one.
Noodles will be on sabbatical again.
😆
@ nortierd:
Laat my dink aan my rugbydae daar in die N.Kaap….ons het n ou gehad op slot, Jos Louw, reus van n man daar uit Port Nolloth se wereld, sterk soos n bees. maar vreeslik skaam en sagmoedig, totdat hy eendag sy moer strip, dan breek hy alles voor hom af…
Ons speel teen Alexanderbaai een keer, en daai ouens moer en trap ons! Jos doen niks… besluit ek en Piet Maas(van Pofadder se Maase) om vir Jos te moer in n losskrum,,, slaan hom toe bloedbek en toe Jos opkyk en bloed spuug toe wys Piet na Niek, bevelvoerder van die polisie op Alex, en hy se; “Dis hy, hy het jou geslaan”! Toe is die hel los, klim Jos in en slaat almal uit sy pad om by Niek te kom, rooi in die gesig van woede, dis net “jou n221er dit en jou n22ier dat, vandag n22i ek jou op!”Soos daai namakwalanders praat as hulle kwaad raak….
@ Pietman:
3
Rugby’s more structured than socca, no comparison
Sharks’ forward are stronger and better, more so without the token Beast, the backs with Mvovo, JP and the Sytehol will be porous on defence and pass dropping mongers while in possession
Pretty much evened out?
So the Ref will make the difference unless an exceptional performane by Lambie (possible)
@ Pietman:
Ha ha
Daai jare was die rugby veld die enigste “wettige” plek waar a haasman n poliesman kon moer.
Hel, maar ons het altyd k@k gehad as ons Elsiesrivier of Epping gespeel het, die vuiste het geklap van die 1ste skrum af.
Dan wou hulle inhaal.
Ek het eendag n staaltjie gelees, dink dit was daar in die Baai, waar die Bobbies se heelagter n honde man was en hulle het hom met up en unders gepeper en hy het omtrent alles geknock.
Toe skreeu daar so jafel daar uit die toeskouers uit ” jy kan ook fokkol vang sonder jou hond nie”
@ Hondo:
They will need to do a Lomu on Modolo(sp?), with Jordaan, Kanko and JPP coming into the act out wide, for starters.
Ref is Kiwi, but one of the best around, imo.
@ nortierd:
Ja, ons moet eendag n draad oopmaak vir rugbystaaltjies, daar is SO baie.
Soos daai een van jou oor Cliffie…ou was nou eendag daar in die Gansbaai Saloon, dood rustig met sy Wellington en Coke (die special promotion of the day, R20 vir n double). Hy en Andre (Jean se pa) het daar eenkant gesit en gesels. Cliffie kuier dikwels daar op Pearly ook.
@ Pietman:
Dis nou n goeie idee.
Cliffie sal nou nog n paar jong manne plat klap.
@ nortierd:
Kuile teen die Kraaie was net so woes…ek het later jare daar n paar games derde span gespeel, op heelagter van banggeit! Agterna lekker saam gedrink in De Kuilen Hotel egter….
@ nortierd:
Wetie of jou artikel dit meld nie, maar hy het weer die Golden Oldie Swaargewig gewen in Switzerland, koerantuitknipsel in die Saloon gesien.
17&18 @ Pietman:
Vuilste game waar ek self betrokke was, was vir Kraaifontein Polisie op Robben Eiland teen die bewaarders. Kyk, n ambulans het gestaan langs hulle netbal bane, dis net van klip en rots, en die rugby veld was nie veel beter nie. Daai manne het omtrent nooit op hulle “tuis veld” verloor nie, dit was soos om op n strand te speel. En hulle was harde wetters hoor.
Nie gesien Cliffie het weer gewen nie, hemel, hy moet seker nou al so mid sixties wees?
@ nortierd:
Ja, 64, as ek die artikel reg onthou.
Likkewane was vuilgate, ons het net so baklei daar teen Worcester gevangenis langs Brandvlei se dam. En Franschhoek se boere en boskappers, daai was nou vir jou n moles!
@ Pietman:
14
Yep,
Jordaan, Kanko and JPP, all of whom are great defenders!
😆
If Carter plays and happened to be in control, he surely will expose the Sharks but it won’t be easy,
fatigue is not a factor since they can field 5-6 fresh forwards who are no less capable than the starters
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