Super Rugby play-offs: Reds - Sharks in Brisbane (21/07/2012)

[Gena_ZA]

TRF is lucky to have you! The grammar is fine, all of us speak the same language called RUGBY

see a site like www.sarugby.com - I like the way they do things
I know one of their contributers

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

The Sharks

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Willem Alberts
5. Anton Bresler
6. Keegan Daniel (Captain)
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Ryan Kankowski
9. Charl McLeod
10. Frederic Michalak
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Tim Whitehead
13. Paul Jordaan
14. JP Pietersen
15. Louis Ludik

Replacements
16. Craig Burden
17. Wiehahn Herbst
18. Steven Sykes
19. Jacques Botes
20. Cobus Reinach
21. Meyer Bosman
22. Odwa Ndungane

 

[Sam91]

The Sharks

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Willem Alberts
5. Anton Bresler
6. Keegan Daniel (Captain)
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Ryan Kankowski
9. Charl McLeod
10. Frederic Michalak
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Tim Whitehead
13. Paul Jordaan
14. JP Pietersen
15. Louis Ludik

Replacements
16. Craig Burden
17. Wiehahn Herbst
18. Steven Sykes
19. Jacques Botes
20. Cobus Reinach
21. Meyer Bosman
22. Odwa Ndungane

f**k me that is an impressive forward pack, there will be a few reds forwards who may be quite scared. Backline should have the wood over the sharks but jees i hope there ain't too many scrums.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I am very happy to see this backline. Paul Jordaan was part of the Baby Boks who won the Junior World Championship, Whitehead is the form center in South Africa at the moment (Who'd have thought that hey) and Ludik by far the most consistent full-back in the country. He deserves a Bok call-up. Pietersen and Mvovo are obvious choices of course. I am a bit weary about McLeod vs. Genia. That is a battle won by the Reds SH by a mile!

Beast back means we see Bresler pulling off some acrobatic acts again.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If both teams were to play at full potential I would back the Sharks even though the Reds are at home. The Reds do have a very good record at home though. Scratch that; the Reds do have an excellent record at home. And Genia is the type of player that can win a game singlehandedly even if the team he is playing for is beaten everywhere else... tough one to call.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Sharks don't travel well, fact. I just hope this will be different. It's about time we win a play-off match outside SA.

 

[Darwin]

Pretty good looking sharks team, though I am a bit surprised to see Alberts at lock. Though he certainly has some size (and I think he may have played there in the past?) I'm not quite convinced about this selection - it looks like a case of getting the best players on the park rather than getting the best players for each position. I'm not too worried about the lineout (Kankowski and Daniel take plenty of ball) or the scrum (as Alberts is a massive unit) it is more in general play I'd be concerned. Alberts is a great ball runner, but I wonder whether they will have enough players doing the 'dirty work' with him at lock - he is far more comfortable being the man taking the ball up rather than the 2nd or 3rd man to the breakdown to clean out a secure quick ball (a primary role of a lock in my opinion). I don't think it will be a massive issue vs the Reds, I'm just not sure the playoffs are the right time to start experimenting!

Good to see Joordan getting the start at centre - he looks a player with a big future.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Don't forget Coetzee. He plays 3 positions at once. He is really a beast. Wynne Grey said on Re-Union: "He's like Schalk Burger, but with skill" haha

 

[Darwin]

Don't forget Coetzee. He plays 3 positions at once. He is really a beast. Wynne Grey said on Re-Union: "He's like Schalk Burger, but with skill" haha

I'm a massive fan of Coetzee (I think he is clearly the best 7 in South Africa at the moment), but I think he fills a very similar role to Alberts. Both make huge yards with ball in hand, and smash people on defense (though I think Coetzee is far more accurate than Alberts, and has a better work-rate), though neither particularly impress me at the breakdown. I just think the Sharks have to be careful against the Reds, as if their support players are a fraction of a second late arriving Liam Gill is an expert at pilfering the ball. I'm just a bit worried that the likes of Alberts, Coetzee, and Kankowski are going to be standing back waiting to have the next run, rather than being there to provide support for the ball runner....

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Yeah, that worried me against the Cheetahs with Brussow. We need a real fetcher. With Coetzee in the 7-jersey, that's difficult. I prefer Alberts at 7, Coetzee at 6 with either Kanko or Daniel as the 8-man. The problem is that we are missing too many locks at the moment. Hargreaves, du Toit are injured, Skeate is gone off to France, Sykes still injury-prone (and not a good lock anyway).

Alberts as a lock is difficult. I prefer Kanko in the lock position if we have to 'outsource' the tasks to a loosie anyway. He has the length and the strength for it.

 

[big ginger 8]

Looking forward to this should be an open game with lots of running. Plenty of players capable of making some big runs in that Shark's pack.

 

[Draggs]

Yeah, that worried me against the Cheetahs with Brussow. We need a real fetcher. With Coetzee in the 7-jersey, that's difficult. I prefer Alberts at 7, Coetzee at 6 with either Kanko or Daniel as the 8-man. The problem is that we are missing too many locks at the moment. Hargreaves, du Toit are injured, Skeate is gone off to France, Sykes still injury-prone (and not a good lock anyway).

Alberts as a lock is difficult. I prefer Kanko in the lock position if we have to 'outsource' the tasks to a loosie anyway. He has the length and the strength for it.

Kanko at second row... Dear lord Eze, I thought we got that idea out of you!
Marais should have have the other second row position, now Alberts. Still not as bad an playing Deysel at second row.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Apparently there was a fire at the Sharks tank this morning. Got this pic via my FB. Will see if I can find more info about this.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Fire is under control now. Looks worse than it is.

 

[Icemn]

what is the reds backline looking like :?

 

[Amobokoboko]

Reds may still try to get Cooper in.

 

[Sam91]

what is the reds backline looking like :?

genia
lucas
ioane
harris
faingaa
shipperley
morahan

cooper definitely not playing

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Genia, Ioane and Shippperly are dangerous! This will be a battle that's very unpredictable.

 

[Icemn]

The sharks will win the "forward" battle... The Reds must offer something in the backline to come up on top....

 

[Sam91]

The sharks will win the "forward" battle... The Reds must offer something in the backline to come up on top....

I agree, hopefully the sharks will underestimate ben lucas as I think he is a very solid player and can be pretty dangerous, expect tapuai to get a fair bit of game time also.