The sharks got one massive poes clap from the brumbies with players who were no names last season. 12 months on and a springbok front row got completely monstered.
My biggest problem thus far of the sharks players has been frans Steyn. He as been absolutely useless. He really needs to get on a treadmill and drop the ego. Past glories are not going to help the sharks. Drop him to the vodacom cup and bring back Tim Whitehead.
kingcorn
I don't know about the treadmill - it would not work in the case of Francois Steyn. He is far too slow to benefit from that treatment. In the past four games he was pathetic in all the games. He was absolutely clueless and was sabotaging the backline completely. He got worse game after game.
Today he was played at center for 60 minutes and was about to be subbed when Ludick got injured and he was moved to full back. He was even worse at full back than he was at center.
I cannot believe that anyone sees him as a reasonable center anymore - so why would you want to wish him onto the poor Vodacom Cup team? They do not need a fat and snailspeed player in that team - a 19 or 18 year-old schoolboy would be better.
Frans Steyn does not look like he is enjoying himself on the field.
Maybe is trying to hard but he has lost his aura of a worldcall player that he once had.
He does not seem very balanced when he runs and sometimes just looks for contact to fall onto the floor.
that effort at the end of the match when he ran from Fullback into 2 players was like a headless chicken.
I thought after his ankle operation for a condition I likened to Kankles at the time, I thought with some more fitness work he would get his step back.
Sharkbok
The incident you refer to was not the worse one - I thought theone when Steyn was runing back to cover the ball kicked to the corner in the last minute of te game was much worse. Did I say "running" - it cannot be running because running requires some speed and there was none of that in evidence. Knocking the ball backwards over the tryline and not covering it properly was pathetic
I think that Steyn is not Super 15 level anymore. He has lost his game completely and the sooner he is out of the Sharks team - the better it would be for the team as a whole. Unfortunately Whitehead is still injured and the only option to play at center is Bosman. The latter is ten times better than Steyn though and if I was Plumtree I will make the change this coming week. If Ludick is still out I would rather play Viljoen at full back and drop Steyn completely from the team and bench.
Incidentally - I do not think Daniel was really matchfit already - but Plumtree needed a captain and he had no option to bring him back earlier than expected. Plumtree made the mistake of naming Steyn as captain - but he could not continue with him in that position as he was going to be subbed should he failed again. Faild he did - but the injury to Ludick forced Plumtree to bring on Bosman and move Steyn to full back.
Woder what my friend Saffex is going to say about this one?
I was completely let down by Fransie, hope he gets his act together! De Villiers 12 and Jordaan 13 for Boks!
Not sure about 13. But we have to watch deAllende/ jean....that could just be the best bet.
Delande at 12 for the boks, with Jean De Villiers at 13 for the boks.
Jean is a better 13 than a 12 because is not a great passer. When he played at Munster they were quick to indentify that his passing game is not great, and he is more suited as an outside back than an inside back.
Jean is still fast so age is not really an issue, just wonder if he will still have that pace in 2015- although that is just 2 years from now so maybe.
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Maybe Jordaan can go onto the bench as he can play in most positions in the backline including wing as he has pace.
Frans Steyn maybe on the bench to cover fullback and center, although on current form no. On current form his position should be Mcdonalds eating mchappy meals
His whole game has fallen apart. Remember the 19 year old that could kick drop goals from the half way line near the sideline.
That test against Australia he hit 2 out of 2 from the sideline and these allowed the boks to scrape the win.
Sharkbok
It is not a maybe about McDonalds. Steyn should do an Ollie le Roux and enter into a take away advert to advertise how many burgers he eats per day. He is fat and slow enough to do just that. I think Ollie in his hayday was faster than Steyn is at present. LOL
Steyn is not matchfit enought to be anywhere near the Bok side and I agree with you about the center combination. I also think that Jordaan should be on the bench. He can cover any backline postion - he used to play at flyhalf for the SA school side and played in all positions bar full back on senior level. He apparently is not a very good kicker of balls - that being the main problem in the flyhalf and full back positions.
I was really Forward to this season with a Stean Jordaan combo. I thought that Steyn would be ten times better than when he was a 19 year old. Maybe he hustles need some lypo suction or a rubber band. I like the look of de Allende but I still don't think the stormers back line is working as it should. For me the cheetahs have been the best for me thus far out of the SA teams. They completely destroyed the highlanders and hung in there to beat the waratahs. Maybe size is no longer that important...
Giteau (85kg), Flatley (92kg), Barritt (96kg), Andries Strauss (95kg), Ryan Crotty (91kg), Tim Bateman (91kg), Andrew Horrell (93kg), Robert Ebersohn (89kg), Paul Jordaan (91kg)..All these guys are very effective 12's and none are over 100kg.
These weights were taken off a google search so give or take around a kg or 2 (Jordaan was listed as 89kg but he is 91 on Sharks website) but that is the ball park figure. A 12 does not have to be huge. Anywhere around 90 to 95kg's is fine if the guys are quick and skillful. Remember, you cant tackle what you cant catch.
Even the Chiefies has a smaller backline than what they had last year now that Money Bill has gone. They moved Nani William to 13 why is only 182 and 90 kg's. Clever teams are looking for pacy backs rather big cumbersome backline that can only barge their way over the advantage line. It could be done to the law changes where players can't slow the ball down anymore.
kingcorn
I have nothing against big and strong backline players - but then they need to be speedy as well. With big I mean muscuar strong guys - not fat and slow ones. We have the epitome of what a center shoud not be at no 12 in the Sharks team. De Allende is big and strong and fast - so he ansswers the call to a large extent. Steyn is big, but fat and slow - that is no answer for anything.despite what Saffex says about his presence - since that presence really means nothing - he does nothing at all during games.
I think I maybe the only person who doesn't notice the quality within De Allende but from what I saw from Jan Serfontain against the crusaders has me pinned on him as the Bok 12 next year.
Shezza
I think Serfontein is an outstanding player - but he has had no starts on CC level as yet and came only once from the bench in Super 15. Like the guy - but he has still a lot of "growing up: to do on higer levels. At this stage De Allende has done more on that level than Serfontein - that is why a tend to lean that way in this case for the present. However, the future can show a different perspective and I would be delighted if Serfontein comes through.
Well I think Serfontain will become a regular in Super rugby before Currie Cup with the injury to Olivier. Also George North was 18 or 19 when he made his debut for Wales if he can make International tests Jan can definitely make Super rugby!
