Jannie du Plessis says the Sharks need to play their own game if they are to rediscover their form.
Last weekend the Sharks suffered defeat in Bloemfontein despite a late fight back and they now find themselves on the brink of missing out on a home semi-final. The Springbok front-ranker was open when speaking about the morale in the camp following the loss.
“The feeling is not good,” he said. “We played against the Stormers the week before the international break and we really wanted to capitalise on the hard work we’d done on tour. But we made a few irrational choices on the field, and it came back to bite us. Then we were really keen to turn that around against the Cheetahs, and if you look at the game we really showed some intent, we carried the ball a lot more than they did, and we tried to play with a bit more ingenuity and ball-in-hand. They were just too good on the day, they capitalised on our mistakes and I think we couldn’t build pressure.”
Having lead the competition for a majority of the tournament, the Sharks could finish the regular season as low as fourth if results don’t go their way, something that seemed impossible just two months ago.
“I think we need to go back to what’s worked for us in the past. We’re going to defend hard, play in the right areas and we’re going to play the rugby that worked for us. We have to try make a plan from here to dig ourselves out of this hole. We need to remind ourselves of what worked for us at the beginning of the season.”
The match against the Stormers at Newlands this weekend will provide the Sharks with their last opportunity to return to winning ways before the play-offs.
“If we have opportunities this weekend, we have to take the chances as they present themselves, whether by kicking goals or by keeping ball in hand after 12 phases. We need to have a clinical game and deliver an all-round performance. If we get opportunities, we must capitalise when in the right places on the field. That is what wins you championships. The teams that take their chances and deny opportunities to the opposition go through.”
Jakeball, for those who are uncertain what it refers to, can be summed up as the following playing pattern.
Jakeball is actually a far more sophisticated method than most rugby commentators give it credit for.
- First, you never play any rugby inside your own half.
- Two, unless kicking very deep for territory, you put intense pressure on the opposition catchers of your high ball.
- Three, you have a superior lineout that ensures you win your own ball and contest ferociously and often successfully for the opposition ball.
- Four, you put enormous pressure on the opposition ball runners when they are trying to get passing movements going.
- Five, your scrum forces kicking penalties.
- Six, inside the opposition half you use the big runners to smash the ball into the defence until holes are created.
- Seven, you kick all the penalties your lineout, scrum, high ball chasing, tackling and running can force.
I just hope that the Stormers continue with their current way of playing.
They still have nothing to lose, so they have no reason to also resort back the mundane
@ nortierd:
Nortie, is jou profile pick Jannie se gesig?
@ MacroBull:
Dit werk as die kinders nie wil luister nie
MacroBull wrote:
Die twee lyk nogal baie eenders, Jannie se “guns” is net agv gym
@ nortierd:
Dink jy julle gaan wen die naweek? … ek dink nie die sharks gaan weer so swak speel nie. Daar is ook n effense sense of over achievement daar op nuweland 😀
Nortie,
Check bietjie op die Home Page van R-T… jy sal sien jou hele Artikels verskyn daar.. en dan moet ek hulle edit.
Gee my gou ‘n lui op die Sel, laat ek net vir jou kan verduidelik wat moet jy effe verander… dan doen jy dit sommer op jou laaste 2 artikels self.
@ MacroBull:
Ek dink ek sal die Sharks pick op SuperBru.
Maar ek dink wel dat die Stormers weer kan wen.
Baie sal afhang van die Crusaders uitslag, as die Sharks weet dat wat ook al hulle maak, hulle nie 2de kan eindig nie, kan dit hulle wedstryd patroon ook beinvloed
@ grootblousmile:
Jou foon gaan voicemail toe
Bel as jy kans het
@ nortierd:
Ek hoop dit is beter as die vorige game, sal n baie goeie maatstaaf wees om te meet hoeveel die stormers die laaste tyd gegroei het.
Maar vir twee spanne wat staat maak op foute kan dit dalk net weer n stalemate wees… kick fest.
Maak ook saak of Lambie speel.
@ MacroBull:
Sal ook maar moet kyk wat doen die weer, maar Lambie is die enigste hoop vir die Sharks om iets uit te kan rig.
@ nortierd:
Lambie of Fred, Swiel se taktiese skopwerk is pateties.
@ MacroBull:
Fred het nie naby dieselfde invloed as Lambie nie.
Sedert hy seer gekry het kon hulle agterlyn niks uitrig nie.
@ nortierd:
altwee spanne gaan skop, daar is nie n ander manier wat die stormers gaan wen nie, fred sal beter skop as coleman.
8 @ nortierd:
O kakkas… ek sal hom restart…
Het jy my ge-SMS? Nommer eindig met 34?
@ grootblousmile:
Ja
@ nortierd:
Welgedaan Nortier!
Ek het lekker gelees aan jou artikels,ek het laas hierdie gehalte leesstof op RT gesien met Mclook, TonyM en daai klas manne…… (en natuurlik onse eie GreatBlueScriptor…so dan en wan ).
Doen so voort bruvva, jy sal maak dat ek weer die goete meer aandagtig begin lees en minder blog.
@ Pietman:
so dan en wan …..
Emoticon werk nie so lekker nie, maar jy verstaan wat ek meen….!
@ Pietman:
Dankie Pietman
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