Sharks coach John Plumtree on Sunday praised his players for the guts and character they showed to secure their 16-12 victory over the Blue Bulls in their Absa Currie Cup semifinal on home ground on Saturday.
“I’m really proud of the boys. We played some good attacking rugby in the first half and then we had to try and win in a different way in the second half — without the ball — so I thought the guys defended really well,” said Plumtree.
“Everyone was writing us off and I guess that increased the desire,” he said.
It was the Sharks’ strategy in the lineouts which probably helped keep out the Bulls in the frantic final 10 minutes of the extremely physical contest.
The men from Durban tried to enforce the obstruction rule on their opponents, who resorted to the driving maul as their last weapon to get over the try line. They won one penalty with this ploy.
“We were worried about the Bulls’ big, driving lineout and giving them those opportunities in the last few minutes wasn’t good for anyone’s heart,” said Plumtree.
“We put a big emphasis on that [countering the Bulls’ drive] during the week.”
Plumtree rated the victory as one of the best during his time at the Sharks.
“We kept them out and needed a champion effort against a champion team like that,” he said.
“I rate this win right up there. To beat the Bulls, who are probably the best provincial side in the world at the moment, is obviously pretty special.
“If you look at the stars they’ve got and look at our team, we’re probably outnumbered a little bit. It took a big team effort and what was pleasing particularly [was] the way we attacked and didn’t go too far away from what we did all year.”
The win has ensured that the Sharks will contest the final against Western Province at home.
As for the disruption caused by a swarm of bees before the match, the Sharks’ mentor admitted that it had not been ideal for either side, but could see the humour in the situation.
“They were our Natal bees, weren’t they? So they were making a plan for helping us out probably,” he said.
On a more serious note, Plumtree attributed the team’s lack of discipline to inexperience.
“It’s (discipline) something we have to look at and it’s a growth thing as there are still individuals that get excited when we get some momentum and that reversed penalty was disappointing,” he said.
Looking towards the final, he said the week’s rest beforehand would do both sides the world of good.
“The two sides going into the final will be fresh and that will be some contest I’d say. We’ll probably be underdog’s again won’t we?” he asked.
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Respect Mr Plumtree, your summary is so far the best. With this attitude i can understand why the Sharks won. You concentrated on the right stuff and your whole team bought in on it.
“The men from Durban tried to enforce the obstruction rule on their opponents, who resorted to the driving maul as their last weapon to get over the try line. They won one penalty with this ploy”
This time it worked for you , it gives the Bulls something to think about. We will study your ploy, this is what make this game so great. Only the best plans will work.
Morning Super.
This was one of the very best semi finals ever.
Firstly, unless you were in Durban you cannot fully understand just how heavy the rain was.
For both teams to handle the ball in trying to keep posession in that rain was skill of the highest degree.
Secondly it is very important to see the future of the game played by the Sharks in keeping posession, driving across the gain line and moving the ball around at speed with support.
The fact that there was only 4 points in it is a great positive in that the Bulls were not bad on the day, in fact they were very good and we saw 2 teams that would have beaten anybody on the day in those conditions.
This game was a tremendous advertisement for just how good our players are and simply brings home that with the right coaching we can beat anybody on the day.
Now imagine Frans and Plum applying their skills to the Boks!!
I Just want to congratulate all the Sharkies and WP supporters on two great wins this last weekend!!!!
WP seem to be on a roll and are playing beautiful spectacular rugby!!!!!
WELL DONE
We have always known we have the players, as much as I want to congratulate the Sharks on their win, I want to ask a question. And this goes to all teams in SA rugby.
How is it that we can be so inconsistent?
The Sharks were by any standard very poor last week, only to do a complete turn around this weekend.
That is the one trend that seems to run through all SA teams in rugby.
This runs all the way to thhe top, and that is why we have a 64% win ratio in international rugby.
The All Blacks have a 75% win ratio all due to consistency, why?
Because to them every match is a must win.
I’m so very proud of the Sharks and Plum is 100% correct it was pure guts that won that game.
Thanks for those kind words, Tripples!
The Bulls defence was also awesome…kudos to both team for a great game.
Hehe, I see Plum is already trying to claim the underdog tag and this against a side who finished behind them on the log and has won absolutely nothing in close on 10 years!
Die ouens darem….
goooooooooooooooodmorning everone!!
…
liggaam is maar moeg na die naweek!!!
voel nou lus om net lekker te rus, maar nou ja … sal maar moet wag vir die volgende naweek vir dit om te gebeur!!
VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH FLUCK!
Ola from Spain!
Well done to the Sharks and WP.
Soos ek laasweek gesê het, tuisspanne is altyd die gunstelinge, al probeer hul so hard as moontlik maak asof hul nie is nie. Sharks is die een span wat ook weet watter wedstrydplan teen die Bulle suksesvol uit te voer, en Saterdag het hul dit reggekry met baie toewyding en passie.
Wat wel in die WP se guns tel, is dat hulleself ook goeie balbesit rugby speel, dat hul meer ‘strike runners’ het in hul agterlyn as die huidige Bulle span (volgende jaar is ‘n ander saak, as Basson en FH die vleuelpaar gaan wees by die Bulle), en, alhoewel die finaal eers oor 2 weke is, dink ek die baie harder semi teen die Bulle, kan dalk teen hul tel die laaste 10 minute.
Wie gaan die finaal wen ?
Die span wat die grootste honger het vir die beker.
bdb wrote:
Die een wat nie weghol met al sy idees nie en die basiese dinge goed en akuraat doen.
bdb wrote:
Hou ook in gedagte dat die WP baie geleer het uit die Super 14 finaal vroeer vanjaar.
@ fender:
8
“We’ll do our homework and will be up for the final. The Sharks will be favourites at home, but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.”
Jul maatjie Coetzee se maar net dieselde
Tripples wrote:
Dankie
biltongbek wrote:
We rested our players last week, because the match outcome was irrelevant. Just like the Bulls did in the S14.
fender wrote:
In the context it was said he was joking about every man and his dog not giving his team a chance last week.
bdb wrote:
Ja, die naweek se harde wedstryd gaan oor 14 dae teen ons tel in die laaste 10 minute. 😆 Bwhahahahaha
16@ Snoek:
Come on Snoek, who did you rest?
Now let me move to the next thread. 😉
biltongbek wrote:
Sykes
Alberts
Keegan
Macleod
Lambie (Flyhalve)
Changes at Fullback.
Do you want to argue the quality of these changes?
@ Snoek:
This was your team for the match.
Team: 15. Patrick Lambie, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche (Captain), 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Andre Pretorius, 9. Rory Kockott, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Michael Rhodes, 6. Jacques Botes, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Gerhard Mostert, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Steven Sykes, 19. Keegan Daniel, 20. Charl McLeod, 21. Adrian Jacobs, 22. Louis Ludik
The only two that may have affected your quality of play was Alberts and sykes, and then replacing alberts with Kankowski is hardly weakening your team.
Having said all that, I am not attacking your team, I asked a general question as to why SA teams are inconsistent.
@ 22 biltongbek:
See my post 21.
And i’m not attacking you, just gave a reason why we where outplayed a week ago.
Can i presume from your post that you don’t rate Keegan Daniel, Macleod and Lambie at 10, as you only mentioned Alberts and Sykes?
Who are you supporting by the way? I honestly don’t know.
Snoek I do rate Mcloud, lambie and Daniels, I just don’t think the Sharks are weaker with their replacements.
I support all teams, maybe not so much a Bulls fan as there are ebough of them.
The whole team rested, didnt you notice them on the field
thats why we lost 😆
Oi that was for biltongbek !!!!
My clicking on his name thingie dodesnt seem to be working.
That is quite believable.
Hey Loosehead, howze World Cup going my man?!!
Super, the difference between Plum and Coetzee claiming to be the underdogs is that WP actually are the underdogs for the reasons stated in my earlier post.
Or are you of the opinion that the away side who hasn’t won a damn thing in 10 years, is somehow the favourite?
@ fender:
Of course is the WP the favored team 😆 but i dont care at all, in fact i wish PdeV picks 12 from WP and 12 from the Sharks and leave the Bulls all at home. I need a break from Rugby. We had a brilliant 17 month streak, bagged 2 S14 a CC and a Vodacom cup, we are tired of winning. hahaha
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