After the best overseas tour by any team in the SuperXV in 2014 with 3 out of 4 wins, and just one close loss- the Sharks were looking the tournament favourites.
A home semi and final were on the cards, and the Sharks had look unbeatable in the early stages of the tournament at home.
Fast forward to the most recent home game vs the Stormers after the tour, and then the June Internationals, and the Cheetas game- the wheels have really started to fall of for the Sharks.
The dominant Sharks pack is now getting bullied by the likes of the Cheetas and Stormers.
Bismaark is hardly making an impression and others like Alberts and Cotzee are playing average at best.
In the early rounds when the Sharks had all home games, they were hammering teams like the Waratahs and the Canes with ease.
It is better to start with the Bok players and when a win becomes certain, clear the bench and rest the Boks.
If their are games when Boks are not going to start, surely it should be home games and not the away games.
Let the Springbok players rest more in the early stages of the tournament, and then start to peak at the business end like the Crusaders have done for many years with their All Blacks.
The Crusaders are usually/allways the team with the most All Blacks, and they start the tournament slowly but get stronger as the season goes on. Their test level players also seem to peak towards the business end of the tournament.
The international players in other SA teams have risen their form for the test window, while the jaded Shark Boks have just been run into the ground.
Jake White is going to have to rethink his strategy for next year.
If it was a shorter tournament, the Sharks might have allready won it.
Although it is the same for all teams so White is going to have to think how he can rotate his squad more to peak for the business end of the tournament, and not the middle.
