[2018 Super Rugby] Round 9: Sharks vs. Bulls (14/04/2018)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Jonsson Kings Park Stadium

Time: 17:15 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[unrated]

I have no idea how this match is going to play out. Home ground advantage doesn't count for anything for the Sharks this year especially against other SA sides.
It should be a bit cooler in Durban by now but even with a slippery ball it wont work into any teams favour as the Bulls under Mitchell also likes to throw the ball around.

Few Points

• Sharks has become better with Jean-Luc and Van der Walt back. It adds some bulk and height for the line outs.
  
• If we can get Dan back soon that would be great too.
• Hopefully Mapimpi can come back into the side in place of Mvovo.
  
• Wright should start ahead of Schreuder
• Bosch should remain at fullback, and only move when he needs to fill in at fly halve.

Its seems that our defence has not really improved with Nienaber touring with the Sharks but surely we cant expect him to change thing in four weeks. On the other side of the coin it is quite puzzling to understand why our defence has become so leaky in the first place. Maybe that the result of being more adventurous on attack.

 

[saulan]

Sharks by 7. I think that home town advantage is going to be a huge advantage this season, as it has already been in the New Zealand conference. I can see the Sharks then losing in Pretoria, and likewise I can see the Bulls losing to the Stormers in Cape Town. It's quite a nice situation to be in where the conference is very competitive.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Sharks by 7. I think that home town advantage is going to be a huge advantage this season, as it has already been in the New Zealand conference. I can see the Sharks then losing in Pretoria, and likewise I can see the Bulls losing to the Stormers in Cape Town. It's quite a nice situation to be in where the conference is very competitive.

I'm inclined to agree with you on home ground advantage. But, the Bulls had a bye, and the Sharks had the long flight back from NZ. The Bulls will be well rested for this game, while the Sharks will be tired and bruised after 2 weeks of gruelling rugby.

 

[unrated]

Dare i get my hopes up and call a win? With van der walt and J du Preez back i definitely feel more confident in our pack, and then there is D du Preez on the bench ready to bring it in the second half.
Roelof Smit is benched for this game? This is a rather crucial game so i doubt its rotation as why would you do it in one of the big games. If he just isnt considered good enough to start thanit is a bit sad as there was big hopes for him.

 

[AM_Bokke]

Great game from Gelant. Really exciting player.

Man, Sharks were just nowhere all day. Hope they get some rest and recovery. Sanzaar really needs to try and give teams the buy after tour. No doubt travel adversely affected the Sharks.

 

[Stade Rochelais]

we sinned shark today

 

[Big_Grumper]

Dare i get my hopes up and call a win? With van der walt and J du Preez back i definitely feel more confident in our pack, and then there is D du Preez on the bench ready to bring it in the second half.
Roelof Smit is benched for this game? This is a rather crucial game so i doubt its rotation as why would you do it in one of the big games. If he just isnt considered good enough to start thanit is a bit sad as there was big hopes for him.

What is up with this Sharks team? They're becoming the Jekyll & Hyde of the ZA conference.

 

[unrated]

What is up with this Sharks team? They're becoming the Jekyll & Hyde of the ZA conference.

Wish i knew. The team i follow and support is the only one i predict wrong on a weekly basis. It must be a mentality problem because they have shown that they can play to what was expected of them against the big opponents.

The other thing is that this was actually a big game so no reason at all to be complacent, and i don't think that was the case.
The Bulls were tactically superior today and i think they won the froward battle.

I love the current Sharks coaching setup and the playing staff alike. So no need for people to be fired or anything drastic just think they have to get together and be very critical of what has gone wrong this season.
They have to meet in a room for a few hours straight and analyse what has been going so terribly wrong. This Bulls team completely outplayed them yesterday, and the Sharks with Springbok aspirations took a serious knock in their hopes of selection for the England series.

If someone knows what the Sharks are doing wrong or knows how to fix this please express your opinion so that we can send it through to the Sharks management.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Bonkers after the Sharks last two games. But I guess that's what you get when two of the most inconsistent sides meet up. Anything can happen.

I defend Andreas Coetzee as a Bok as I thought he was just about their most consistent performer in national colours last year, but Gelant showed some decent ability with the kick and chase and I can see why their is a bit of enthusiasm around him. I don't think there is a fullback in the NH who would consistently execute those two chances.

Lovely soft chip from Pollard for the first try too. I have to admit he is showing flashes of better pace, attacking play and even dare I say flair than what I saw from him in his early Bok years (when he was in a bit of a tactical straight jacket). If, as I hope, Rassie tries to get the Boks to play like the Super Rugby teams are now doing, then Pollard is setting aside my cycnism that he can play that way too. Green shoots of recovery?

 

[unrated]

 

[TRF_heineken]

Damn! What a win. and I was in Sharks country this past weekend for my father-in-law's 50th birthday bash.

This young Bulls team are impressing me more and more. Now it's just a matter of getting the consistency right.

I think Rassie needs to talk to Adriaan and ask if there's any possibility of him coming out of retirement. He's playing great, and is a try scoring machine. Gelant and Pollard are now on a weekly basis knocking harder and harder on the door to be starting 15 springboks. And RG Snyman is my pick to make his debut this year.