Sharks school Lions

The Lions were given a reality check when a full-strength Sharks team handed them a 57-14 drubbing in their pre-season friendly.

In what was their last run-out before their return to Super Rugby, a young and inexperienced Lions selection were outscored by nine tries to two at Ellis Park on Friday.

The Sharks had raced into a 31-0 lead at half-time, following a first half that saw referee Jason Jaftha stretchered off the field after sustaining an injury.

Flyers S'bura Sithole (three) and Odwa Ndungane (two) scored the bulk of the tries between them.

Ndungane opened the scoring in the second minute and touched down a second time in the 15th minute.

Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lwazi Mvovo and Frans Steyn scored the other first-half tries.

Sithole scored the first of his hat-trick of tries in the 45th minute, with prop Lourens Adriaanse going over just before the hour mark.

The Lions eventually opened their account when Stephan de Witt went over in the 64th minute.

Sithole got his second, before Coenie van Wyk scored for the Lions and Sithole completed his hat-trick in the dying minutes.

The scorers:

For the Lions:

Tries: De Witt, Van Wyk

Cons: Du Plessis, Van Wyk

For the Sharks:

Tries: Ndungane 2, D u Toit, Mvovo, Steyn, Sithole 3, Adriaanse

Cons: Lambie 3, Zeilinga 3

 Shezza

Thanks for the info - I will reserve judgement till next week - since I want to see with my own eyes what happened.  Francois Steyn was also very good in the pre-season game against the Leopards last year and flopped subsequently.   

However, I must admit that I am not really overawed by the situation.   From the Lions team sheet I noticed there were players that did not even play for them in CC and that some of their key players were not playing. 

I always said the Sharks is a top team - so I really am delighted that they did so well in this game - even though I think pre-season games are not a barometer of r eal strength of teams. So lets wait and see what happens when the season really starts.

Sun Tzu

If h has the X-factor, my Jack Russell puppy has it too.   I used to be a great Steyn admirer - like you - but I was severely disappointed about his performances since jis return from France.    His performances in the test last year was pathetic to say the least and at the start of Super 15 last year was grossly overweight nd unfit - leading to constant crashballing and poor defence.

Hope he comes right - but I know his limitations by now - he is not a ball sense player - so he can never have the X factor.  You constantly refer negatively to JJ = but they are like two peas in the same pot - with a difference that Engelbrecht has speed - Steun is a carthorse.  Same playing style - same deficiencies.         

Sun Tzu

Sorry - I meant 2012- when Steyn was shockingky bad.  Must he forgetting it is 20013 already for more than a month.  

When in 2012 did Steyn ran over Nonu?   Cannot remember a single case where in the test in Dunedin where Steyn ran over Nonu.  And his famous off-loads are worthless.   He never off-loaded a ball effectively.  Steyn is crashballing - in the tests in 2012 he crashballed over 70% of the time.   Do you know what crashballing represent?  You take the number of times a center handle the ball and does not kick or pass to determine whether he beats any defenders or make a line break - and voila - you have the number  of times he crashballed.

It is clear and not poorly construed - it represents if the most efficient way to destroy backline play - and when you coupled the two Steyns performances together in 2012 - the results were catastrophic insofar as backline play is concerned.   Crashballing  can be effective as a variation - if it happens all the time it us what you call in plain language bullshit - especially without a balanced set of loosies that can protect the ball and recover it quickly and effectively.   And Sloth was one of the loosies nowhere near enough to breakdown points to recover balls - that tells you all.

Both Steyn and JJ are not ball sense players - they think they can run over defenders - and not even consider how they can beat defenders and create space for others.  

"Same playing style - same deficiencies."

Wardad

The issue of an extra team for SA stems from internal politics - not quality of performance by an additional team.  I for one am not in favour of that one and think five teams from each franchise is even too much.  

SA last year had 4 of its teams in the top 8 of the competition, New Zealand 2 and Australia 2.   The other 7 places were shared between New Zealand and Australia (3 teams each) and SA (one team) with the latter team being bottom of the log.  

It shows that the ideal competition should entail no more than 4 teams per franchise - if performance is the norm to apply.   However, I suppose the horse has bolt ed and we will not get back to such a formula ever again. 

Duplication

Saffex

Steyn had in 2013 a very good pre-season game against the Leopards and then produced progressively worse performances in the first four Super 15 games until Plumtree had no option but to put him to the bench.   I hope what happened over the coming weeks will not be a repeat of what happened last year.

Steyn was not up to standard since his return from France and I said it before - I hope he gets up to standard - but to do that he has a mountain to climb.   For him to do that he will have to perform on high level consistently this year in Super 15.   I hope he does - but have my doubts.  

Saffex

Not lying - I can still in my minds eye see some really shocking incidents like kicking a rolling ball instead of making a relieving kick and it is a fact that he routinely crashbballed ineffectively. 

However, you are entitled to your opinion and I am too.   What I hope is that we see an improved Francois Steyn this year in Super 15 - what is wrong with that?