- Joined
- Apr 9, 2010
- Messages
- 11,758
- Country Flag
- Club or Nation
Venue: Tafel Lager Park
Time: 19:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Venue: Emirates Airlines Park
Time: 16:30 CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Venue: DHL Newlands
Time: 19:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)
You also lost Louis Schreuder at 9 who I thought had his best year yet. Wasn't he captain also? His experience must be missed. I mean Bosch is still very young despite having been around for a while.Sharks
Pumas
Cheetahs
Just a note on why the Sharks might not be as fluent and on point now compared to the original Super rugby
Our backline in that comp was
15. Fassi (Rising star, definite future Springbok)
14. Nkosi (Springbok)
13 Am (Springbok)
12. Esterhuizen (Springbok)
11. Mapimpi (Springbok)
10. Bosch (Springbok)
All these players are still contracted to us and should still feature in the Pro 16. Except for Esterhuizen
post lockdown our Backline has been
15 Libbok (Yet to show potential)
14 Tambwe ( FAST. good but probably never a springbok)
13 Am
12. Marius Louw ( good young player)
11. Werner Kok (Recent Blitzbok sevens convert)\
10.Bosch
So with injuries and short term loans to Japan, our backline has been decimated. everyone speaks of when the sharks will perform like they did pre lockdown but the truth is they wont because the backline is completely different. Untill we get our premier combos back then we simply cant be the team that rose to the top of the OG Super rugby log. These new players has potential, love that they now get a chance along with Jeremy Ward. The team that has played in Super rugby unlocked has been nowhere near the team that the Sharks would have put out for the OG Super rugby.
You also lost Louis Schreuder at 9 who I thought had his best year yet. Wasn't he captain also? His experience must be missed. I mean Bosch is still very young despite having been around for a while.
Fassi was the MVP when people speak of the Sahrks backline Pre-Covid.
I don't know. I mean I rate Nohamba as a busy little scrummie. I guess my thinking is more along the lines of the Sahrks backline is laden with running threats Nohamba is 'win-more' if you are winning in any case whereas they could do with a little extra experience and tactical nouse. Even their pack lacks experience.They might have lost Shreuder, but I think the Sharks gained from playing Nohamba. He has been one of the standout scrumhalves so far.
Isn't it that either win with a BP or win with a huge margin? IE a win with a BP = 5 log points so winner could go to 22 log points. A lot of ifs though.
Firstly the Bulls Pumas game would need to get postponed (if the ***le was on the line they could always make an arrangement I am sure and they will only need to make a call in the week so they will know if that is the case).
Secondly I see the Stormers and Sharks as being very evenly matched so can't see any team winning by +3 tries. Stormers now regretting that huge margin in the loss to the Bulls as it goes both ways and our narrow win margin vs the Pumas. Best chance for a Stormers ***le would be go for tries (and get them!) and hope the Sharks prioritize shots at goal. Bit of a high risk, high reward strat to secure the BP. 43 points is too much to make up especially vs the Sharks who are traditionally very stingy though the game vs the Griquas was oddly big ITO points (33-34).
The Bulls only hosted 3 games. The Sharks, Stormers and Griquas. They played away to the Cheetahs and the Lions.Makes it interesting at least LOL. I mean, its not like this means anything- not really.
Had a look at the results and see the margin in the Bulls-Stormers match wa 39-6!! That's huge. If it was something a little more modest, say 19-11 that'd be 50 less points differential we would have had to make up.
I for one am happy with the Stormers season though. I said the game vs the Cheetahs will be the one that makes or breaks it for me and it totally made it IMO. Sharks if we could manage it would be icing. We certainly have a lot of room for improvement still but Gelant has continued being excellent at 15 for us. Him and Willemse and Jantjies and Willemse look like they form a very dangerous set of key combinations. Willemse has settled more and more from game to game. With Gelant there it also takes pressure off of Willemse and he now has the confidence that yes, he is our 1st choice 10 and seen as an out-and-out 10. Our pack has always been solid. I still feel we are a tad light in the locks but with PSDT and kolisi set to return that will be offset a tad.
Main issue long term for us looking ahead at the Pro series is our squad is not that deep. Injuries could hurt us big time.
It is BS that the Stormers only have 2 games at home and 4 on the road and then the Bulls get 4 at home and only have to travel twice. In particular it was huge that the Bulls hosted us in our only match. Both teams look a lot better at home than on the road. If the Bulls do get a forced tie I will see that as levelling what is otherwise an unfair playing field ;P
Bulls hosting the Pumas would make it 4 @ home though just like us traveling to Durban would make it us playing away for the 4th time. But I am nitpicking. Just found it odd and it could have major implications seeing as how big home advantage is turning out to be.The Bulls only hosted 3 games. The Sharks, Stormers and Griquas. They played away to the Cheetahs and the Lions.
I don't know why the Stormers had only 2 home games though.