Making Sense Of the Sharks Current Game Plan

Jake White is a great coach, some may agree, & some may beg to differ. But as a Sharks supporter myself, i feel the need to criticize where criticism is due.

What is this game plan? It is not that i don't understand it, it is quite simple: Jake White's team does not play rugby in their own half! What i don't understand is why employ such a game plan? Some will argue, the Sharks top of the log status shows a  matter of success of the game plan, others will also make excuses for the current dip in momentum, since the Highlanders game, like injuries, disruptions, etc. etc.

There is no excuse for a game plan that makes no sense! I am no expert, but i am going to try and understand this, maybe you can help!

The Sharks get the ball in their own half, anywhere in their own half, and they kick it back, call it playing for territory, or waiting for the opposition to make a mistake, to me the reason is unknown as to why they do that. To me it is simply aimless kicking. The Brumbies classically beat them at their own game! Jake did not see that coming!

By doing all this kicking from everywhere in their own half, means that more often than not the kicks are made from outside the 22m line or carried back. I do not have stats to back this up, but this tells me that more than 50% of the kicks made aren't allowed to go out on the full, excluding the odd good kick that does bounce in to touch. So that ultimately means they are just turning over the ball! It makes no sense, it seemed to work against teams that were struggling a bit, but other title contenders will punish them. The Sharks have a speedy and dangerous back three, but they almost never counter attack from their own half, they will just kick it back or send up the old "Gary Owen".

The very few times they do hold on to the ball from their own half and string some phases together, they actually look good, dangerous in fact, gaining more ground then their aimless kicking and they look like scoring (the finishing and handling is another issue all together). But the next time they get a similar opportunity, they kick it. It is as if they could not see or apprehend that holding on to the ball in the previous passage of play actually worked way better.

Like i said, i am no expert but going forward Jake need to change something, or at the very least tweak it. If he doesn't and things really start going south, we could still be hauled in and overtaken by the Bulls, who have relatively easy games left most of which are at Loftus. The Sharks on the other hand has only one or two games left at Kings Park. I have no doubt they will finish in the top 6, but the question remains where in the top 6.

But hey who am i...just a concerned Sharks supporter!