Pressure on the Sharks

[pieter blackie]

Durban - If their many Springboks arrive in good shape, and then remember their lines, the Sharks will overcome a dangerous Free State outfit in Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final at the Absa Stadium.

The title-holding Sharks finished top of the log, are playing at home and, in terms of personnel, look the stronger unit, but a surprising number of critics are tipping a Blue Bulls-Free State Cheetahs Currie Cup final in Pretoria.

The Free Staters have several advantages as coach Naka Drotske has pointed out.

The pressure will be on the Sharks and the Cheetahs have nothing to lose having reached the play-offs through the backdoor after a disastrous start to their campaign.

They have regularly knocked over the Sharks in recent years and Drotske believes his team’s strengths — Heinrich Brussow’s ability at the breakdown, their scrummaging and their attacking game — will expose the champions.

Plumtree acknowledges the threat and says the Sharks regard this as their final.

“It won’t help if people wait to come and watch us in the final. If we don’t approach the game against the Cheetahs like a final, there won’t be one for us. That is the reality staring us in the face.”

But Plumtree is also convinced that if the Sharks play the way they can, they will win.

“We know what to expect from the Cheetahs and there is a real edge in the squad. It is not what has happened against the Cheetahs in the past or that we have beaten them twice in the Currie Cup this season. That’s all history. It is what happens on the day and just who fires that really counts. We know it will take an 80-minute performance to win.”

Rain factor

The weather and the forecast of rain could prove decisive. Certainly the Sharks have a superior tactical game if it is slippery with talented kickers in halfbacks Ruan Pienaar and Juan Hernandez and a more secure back three in JP Pietersen, Odwa Ndungane and Stefan Terblanche.

Significantly, they beat the Free Staters 21-12 in the rain of Bloemfontein when the conditions suited Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott while blunting the attacking edge of the Free Staters.

Indeed, Drotske is talking about making late changes if it is wet though this does seem unlikely.

But, whether it is wet or dry, the battle of the set pieces will be critical.

The Cheetahs believe their loosehead (Wian du Preez) will bully John Smit, a story that the Bok captain has heard before, and certainly the Sharks scrum, and their defence which leaked badly a week ago against Griquas, will be tested on Saturday.

There is also concern over the rustiness of several of their Springboks and the match fitness of injured tight forwards Bismarck du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira and Johann Muller for what will be the most physical of contests.

But the Sharks have strengths of their own, a direct style of rugby built around bustling flank Jean Deysel and centre Riaan Swanepoel, a Springbok-dominated pack and a skillful halfback pairing.

The bottom line is that if their Springboks come to the party, and perform like Springboks, then the Sharks will host the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup final next Saturday.

Anything less and we could all be marching to Pretoria

http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rug..._on_the_Sharks

[sandgroperrugby]

Well did anyone else watch the game? My missus couldn’t understand why I was going for the Cheetahs, until I pointed out all of the Boks in the team and the fact that some very key personnel were being humiliated and the fact they are the under dogs. That all springbok front row seemed to work well didn’t it!?!?!? Near the end of the game the Cheetahs had a number 8 playing at hooker with contested scrums and still that Boks front row couldn’t push them around. Good drop goal under massive pressure at the end and the Shark tank was silenced. Roll on the Cheetahs to beat the Blue Bulls

[pieter blackie]

Cheetahs stun Sharks

Durban - In an ill-tempered match which at times almost reached boiling point, the Cheetahs shocked the Sharks in the dying seconds to beat them 23-21 in their Absa Currie Cup semifinal in Durban on Saturday.

The standout player was undoubtedly Cheetahs flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter who scored the winning drop goal on the stroke of full-time, with the Sharks desperately defending their one-point lead. He also scored one of the visitors' two tries, and ended up with 18 of the Cheetahs' 23 points.

"We can exactly pinpoint where it went wrong, but well done to the Cheetahs, they played well," said Sharks captain Stefan Terblanche.

The Cheetahs, who were the underdogs against a Springbok-laden Sharks outfit, have now qualified for the final having just sneaked into the semis.

Referee Marius Jonker wasn't a popular figure with the spectators and was booed for heavily penalising the home team at the breakdowns, but the constant pressure applied by an excellent Cheetahs pack of forwards eventually silenced the passionate home support.

The hosts held a commanding 15-3 lead at halftime and three minutes after the break Sharks flyhalf Juan Hernandez struck a drop goal to increase the lead to 18-6, but then the Cheetahs fought back, scoring 14 unanswered points in quick succession to surge into a 20-18 lead with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Two tries - by prop WP Nel in the 45th minute and an intercept try by Potgieter 14 minutes later - saw the visitors take a surprising two-point lead before a penalty from Pienaar put the home team back in front by 21-20.

The stage was set for a hero, and Potgieter obliged.

With Potgieter kicking off, it was the visitors who applied the early pressure and after flank Heinrich Brussow turned over two early balls, Sharks lock Johann Muller was penalised by Jonker.

Potgieter made no mistake as they took a 3-0 lead.

Three minutes later Cheetahs No 8 Ashley Johnson was stopped metres short of the Sharks goalline, but it was the Sharks who turned over the lineout possession.
They attacked from deep inside their own half and wing Odwa Ndungane chipped the ball forward for Terblanche to pounce and score the first try of the semifinal in the tenth minute. Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar missed the conversion and the Sharks were 5-3 ahead.

There was huge interest in the build-up to the game concerning the big scrum contest and after 15 minutes the first scrum advantage went the Cheetahs' way with prop WP Nel putting huge pressure on Beast Mtawarira, resulting in the home team being penalised.

The Cheetahs started to gain the ascendancy at the breakdowns but unfortunately for them Potgieter missed vital penalties in the 18th and the 22nd minutes.
In the 37th minute Pienaar stretched the Sharks' lead to 8-3 with his first successful kick of the game from a penalty.

The Sharks scored their second try on the stroke of halftime after a brilliant run by left wing JP Pietersen, who put flank Jacques Botes in possession, who in turn tossed a long pass in-field to an unmarked Pienaar, who went over for a spectacular try. Pienaar converted himself and the Sharks took a healthy 15-3 lead at the break. But a fightback from the visitors in the second half earned them a place in the final.

The Cheetahs made a late change to their side shortly before kickoff with Danwel Demas, who accompanied the team to Durban, replacing Jongi Nokwe on the left wing. Nokwe withdrew due to a hamstring injury.

Scorers

Sharks: Tries - Stefan Terblanche, Ruan Pienaar. Conversion - Pienaar. Penalties - Pienaar (2). Drop goal - Juan Hernandez

Cheetahs: Tries - WP Nel, Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Conversions -Potgieter (2). Penalties - Potgieter (2). Drop goal - Potgieter

Teams

Sharks: Stefan Terblanche (captain), Odwa Ndungane, Adrian Jacobs, Riaan Swanepoel, JP Pietersen, Juan Hernandez, Ruan Pienaar, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Jacques Botes, Johann Muller, Steven Sykes, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: Craig Burden, Jannie du Plessis, Albert van den Berg, Keegan Daniel, Rory Kockott, Monty Dumond, Andries Strauss.

Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Lionel Mapoe, Corn Uys, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, JP Joubert Ashley Johnson, Frans Viljoen, Heinrich Brussow, David de Villiers, Nico Breedt (capt.), WP Nel Richardt Strauss, Wian du Preez.

Replacements: Coenie Oosthuizen, Izak van der Westhuizen, Hendro Scholtz, Kabamba Floors, Tewis de Bruyn, Louis Strydom, Fabian Juries.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rug...hs_stun_Sharks

[James]

Nice one Cheetahs. Did the same thing to the Sharks in this years Super 14. Wian du Preez is a great prop and in the set piece Richardt Strauss is very solid.

[Burgs]

Now if only they could get a S14 team sorted out.

[Thequeerone]

Don't think they'll care - the look on all those Shark Fan faces will keep them fed for a long time to come - Congrats, they actually deserved the win on the day - beating the Sharks was just a bonus

[robyn <3]

Cheetahs had a number 8 playing at hooker

Blimey, he had the BIGGEST black eye I have seen in my life. It was so swollen he could hardly see out of the other one! I only caught just before half time - did he get taken off or did he play semi-blinded?

[sandgroperrugby]

Cant play like that it is really dangerous! It was about as bad as James Horwill's attempt at chastising French forwards.