Sharks raise a few pesky questions.

For example, just how good is our anointed second row of Etzebeth and Bekker. Etzebeth made a good early steal, but faded as Alberts was used in the front of the lineout. Bekker's calls were dubious and Victor's half time point that he should back himself rang true. Any way you slice it the Stormers locks did little to compensate for Sharks front and back row dominance.

Likewise we had a timely demonstration of why not to choose a lock like Elstadt, for the Boks blindside flank.....as Mcleod zipped around him from the scrum. Schalk and Smith are big men, but they don't get beaten like that by the scrummie running wide.

I think we can also safely say Kitshoff needs a little more hardening and the Stormers tightheads were easy meat for the Beast. Nothing of note happened in the centres....which again puts the putative Bok partnership of Jean and de Jongh in frame. Not that the Sharks tested them much...they just couldn't break the deadlock.

Once again little Geo Aplon was like a gem among costume jewelry. His instant pace given just a little space, got the Stormers back in the game. We keep finding reasons to leave him out....but he tackles brilliantly in space, contests the high balls with courage and is in a diffrent league to any existing SA back as an attacking threat.

On the other side of the ledger Peter Grant demonstrated again that S15 is the peak for him.....he was handily outplayed by Michalak.

Lambie had a wonderful game, and he'd be my Bok 15.....but not my kicker. It was a brutally hard kick, but somehow one just feels Morne would have put the game away with that last penalty.

Joe Pietersen was missed and Marcel Coetzee keeps playing great rugby.

Yeah lets select those two Stormers centres as our Boks and take on the world, what a joke that would be. Jean did squat and de Jongh as he has done all season has provided nothing of note and we want these two as our Boks? Bloody hell talk about low standards. We just have to get Frans to play at 12 and with Taute now injured, our only options at 13 are JP, JJ or Jardaan. The Stormers can be lucky they only had the useless Bosman to contend with, had Whitehead been on board, the Stormers centres would have been seriously tested.

Kitshoff was not the issue at all, the problem was at tighthead where Harris was completely owned by the Beast.

Etzebeth was by far the best lock on display.

Elstadt provides brutal grunt, thats his strength, pace and catching 9's is not what is expected of him. Schalk might have caught a 9 but he could never provide the grunt Elstadt does.

Same old Dave rubbish....nothing that actually happens on the field impacts your perspective. You have decided Elstadt is one of yours.....so even if he is totally outplayed by Alberts you'll bash your drum . Alberts had 13 carries for 52....Elstadt 5 for 2 metres...is that your idea of brutal strength?

The rest of your posting is just repetitive nonsense.

The Sharks surely demonstrated how the Boks need to play-Brute force up front, progressive mauls, followed by effective kicking and incisive running by loosies and backs (thank God McCleod has quit box-kicking! The Stormers backs looked poor because they were starved of possesion and hit hard by our loosies-I still think De Villiers and Juan and Geo are Bok quality-they proved it in the few opportunities they got. I was left questioning Bekkers' credentials-his play and leadership were poor-Elstadt was ok for me and drove up well.Ultimately, the Sharks forwards played themselves into Bok jerseys-Beast, Bizzie(if he could only learn to throw in straight!) and Coetzee and Alberts dominated their counterparts-Province missed Kolisi-who I still think needs a chance at a higher level off the bench on this tour.Lambie is Bok 15-end of story!

My main concern is that our scrumhalves quit the box-kicking tactic-McCleods game improved remarkably without it-give a short ball to Mvovu instead-retain possesion against the Poms and we win 3-0!

Nice post Benjamin I agree with everything you say. The Sharks are a good template....physical in the best Bok tradition, but not mindless. And they were relentlessly aggressive.....our teams so often like to settle into process rugby.

On the day I agree that Bekker was not a commanding figure, although I wonder if his mind has switched a bit to the June internationals. The poor guy has had such a run of injuries, the prospect of another setback has to be in his thoughts.