Not so bullish, Saarks and bulls come undone

For all of their cash, it doesn't look like the Saarks nor the bull can manage any decent wins right now. The Stormers continue to set the bar of what to do with scrapped together players where the Boools and Saarks are spoiled for choice. 

The Saarks, just can't hang onto their talent right now. Roos, Sbu, Nohamba, Libbok etc all players that were rejected by the Saarks, not to mention Marius Louw. 

On the other hand you have the boools trying to poach players, they had Simalane, but no idea where he is actually playing. The got Sbu and bought some big players like Goosen who are yet again MIA. 

Jake's game plan looks stale and they can't seem to come up with a creative way of playing and neither does their defence hold up. 

Then you have Jacque Fourie running down the touch line to keep the lions focus. That team is even worse, with has been players like Wilem Alberts and no name brand players who are not even 23 yet. But they held firm and won. 

So where to now, I was thinking that the bools and saaarks would be sitting at the top but now they are struggling to finish in the top 3. 

Maybe the European cup is too much for them

Thank goodness for the quality Stormers side. Saaarkies s and boools letting us down again. 

Stormers next game at the end of month?

Why the long break?

URC matches are not suppose to take place on weekends when the 6 Nations is on.

Mpower

I think there is a huge difference between the Stormrs, the Bulls and the Sharks.   The Stormers are playing 15 man rugby and the Bulls play Jake Ball.    The Bulls' backline play when it comes to backline attacking was atrocious and their defense was problematic as well.    I do think the selection of players like Morne and Hendricks cause the backline malfunctioning. -  Morne never really was a pivot that could launch backline play and Hendricks used to eb a good wing - but now he is an atrocious center.    Another problem White is not a backline playing coach.   He was always poor in backline coaching and that has not changed at all.     

The Sharks for the past 18 months have been substandard and despite purchases of players the Etzebeth and Van Rensburg the problem was basically that the players were not gelling as a team.   The Sharks earlier this year changed the coach - but that did not solve the problem.     Van Rensburg in fact was not functioning well enough in respect of backline attacking play and his defense was at best problematic   He played like Frans Steyn played at center - playing individual rugby that died when he is carrying balls into traffic with virtually all alternative attacking methodology absent.    Using his physical strength as virtually the sole attacking mechanism in the backline never really worked out thus far.   One hope that the matter will change - but I do not see that as happening this season.   It will take time to get an alternative option in place and one can only hope the Sharks will perform better - but I do not expect real improvement this season.

Why rest so many players when the fixtures allow for some 3 week breaks between games?

They are forced to rest the Bokke now .

Dassie?

Don't forget that this is probably the longest Jake stayed at one team, normally a one season hit wonder and then starts to unravel. 

Agree with all of these position switches, it's nonsense and does more damage. Why on earth pushing for utility players. 

Maybe you need 1 or 2 that can help out in a pinch but Simalane is a 13, need to push Am and compete against Henco. 

"Dassie?"

No, I think it goes beyond him right to the top of SA Rugby...and I think they picked the time around the 6 Nations to lessen the impact of the missing Bokke on their franchises...the Northern franchises will also be without their internationals. ... remember this is a RWC year, so a full schedule for the Bokke...they deserve a break.

The fact is there is a lot of preparatory work as to training be done over the next two months - the  Rugby Championship is in June - followed by a few preparatory games before the WC.   It is not the time to risk injury of key players on franchise and club level gamers at present.   

I agree with the Boks getting a break, good timing. I wrote about it a while back 

Next round vital for Munster vs Glasgow in top 4 positions.Sharks and Bulls just below on ladder. 

I just won't like the Stormers ending up playing  SA side in the Quarters...our unbeaten run against SA sides won't last forever...

Mpower

The biggest mistake ever by the Sharks was to fire Plumtree as coach in 2013.   The problem the Sharks had in 2013 was the unnatural high number of players injured and the fact that the hugely overweight Frans Steyn was malfunctiong at center.   After four games in that position Plumtree removed him because of slow pace and unfitness.   He said it is clear Fransie is no Center at all and he was usure in what position he would be usable.   From being runners-up in 2012 the Sharks did not make the play-offs in 2013.

The appointment of Jake White was a disaster and although the Sharks made the semifinal in 2014 - the team they played in the quarterfinal was the Highlanders who beat them with double figures in the earlier match.    With most of the players back from injury -  Plumtree would have done much better in 2014 than White did.

Where did you hear the rumor about Plumtree co ming back to coach the Sharks?    

Mpower

That would be a huge improvement in coaching.   As far as I know Plumtree's wife is a South African and not entire enamored by life in NZ.    He actually like SA a lot and his appointment would be quite possible.          

Duplication

Starting to understand things, slowly, slowly.

People have left their consumption of rugby define their life and changes in rugby games are perceived as an assault on their life.

Reading games on a weekly basis is a pointless performance for a competition like URC unless it aims at figuring out what calculation plans teams are running.

Teams schedule their season over financial objectives and structure a plan to play fully as few games as possible.

The table is such: this game yes, this game no, this game no, this game yes etc

Losses mean nothing toward a supposed team level. The expectation that games are played fully week in week out are baseless. Teams pick the games that match their road map and do not show up for the others.

If anything, one must learn to figure out what games teams are likely to show up. It might give a decent rugby game. In the other cases, it usually is a landslide for one side as the opponent does not bother to play fully.