Sharks versus Highlanders Official match thread

 Bad luck Highlanders, tough ask really Sharks then the Waratahs in Sydney then another away final pretty rough going. Bad luck. Sharks vs Crusaders.... Doubt the Crusaders will go down as easy as last time the Sharks played in Cristchurch.

Crusades with Carter, a fit Mccaw and Kieren Reid will be a different Kettle of Fish......Not too optimistic. Although Lambie back at 10 with Fat Steyn at 12 may be a better proposition on attack, given how poor the backs were against the Highlanders. 

 Sharkbok: it was a great game to watch for sure. As was the Chiefs v Brumbies.
Sharks will have to get their back sorted to beat the saders. Saders backs have also been a mixed bag for most of the season. They have come right now though. Sharks will not be able to beat the saders with the one dimensional approach IMO.

 Chiefs were shit, didn't look like winning until Brumbies started to kick back in the 2nd half like last time the Brumbies thrashed the Chiefs. The Brumbies cruise and allow some soft tries to creep in, The Brumbies had a 36-9 advantage at the 70 min mark in April. Next year the Chiefs will be reinforced and wont be so soft, their defense was shocking,  slipping off far to many. 
Crusaders are not that convincing either they have struggled all year and have just done enough to get to 2nd place through other results and luck they ended up 2nd. They have a home advantage, but that didn't mean squat last time.  The Sharks literally smashed them into submission. Yes, they were missing a few key players but they got hammered.
 Advantage for Crusaders is Sharks have traveled. Highlanders might have softened them up. Crusaders are fresh and at full strength. Crusaders home ground advantage.
Disadvantage, Crusaders are not game ready while they wait for the Sharks fresh from a motivating killing of another kiwi team. Sharks are looking to have found they're winning ways and are looking very lethal. Crusaders have not looked like they could collect another title with the way they have been playing all year. Need another level of ruthlessness to come out or they will be smashed AGAIN!!!
Sharks vs Waratahs would be interesting final. Crusaders are capable of spoiling it if they find that level somewhere inside to come out and unleash a fury of fast paced attacking rugby, keep the Sharks reeling and on the back foot. Sharks weakness is their back-line but the real danger like any Shark is the teeth at the front from 1-8 thats what's going to tear you apart, limb from limb.

  naaaah, one thing is the landers forward pack and another very different the saders' one. The landers have no AB in it and saders have 7 current AB.
Sharks won't anihilate saders' scrum as they did with landers', they could be superior but not in the way they were last saturday. And in every other aspect of the game, lineouts, breakdowns, ball carrying (which includes running angles, breaking gaps, offloading, suporting the backline, not only to bash the opposite defensive line), etc. the saders' pack is far superior and won't be intimidated.

I don't think that what happened during the last match both teams played at Xchurch is a good indicative of what could happen next weekend. That day a series of circumstances were given to finaly end up in the way it did but it will be very improbable to be repeated.
Saders missed so many easy goal kicks that the team's superiority on the field couldn't be reflected on the scoreboard. That won't happen again, Slade continues beeing a liability from the kicking tee but now Carter is back. He can have also a very bad day but it's a lot more improbable.
The missing kicks led to the most conservative gameplan I've seen to the saders. They didn't take adantage of their "momentums" and their numbers' superiority except for obtaining penalties and then miss the goal kicks. The last matches they've changed to a more agressive gameplan.

Another indicative could be the last match both teams have played against the landers at home. Both were very important (one was the NZ conference decider and the other the qualifying final), and very recent.
The saders easy won it 34-8 while the sharks sneaked the win in the last moment and was close to lose it. True that in the saders match Ben Smith was missing and he's more than 50% of the landers' attack and counter attack. Other factor will be Lambie's contribution to the sharks' game but with the very few gametime he has had till the moment, I doubt it will be crucial.

As you all say this season saders have not been able of rounding their game except a few times, mainly in the last rounds. Apart from their usual slow beggining and peak at the right time, they suffered a lack of depth comparing with past years. When important players have been injured (or in sabbatical) the team's game was very affected.
But next weekend almost their best team (except Romano) will be avalaible thanks to a good management of the palyers all over the year (and I doubt that's the case of the sharks whose players are showing fatigue) and surely a bit of luck.

I would bet for saders smashing them (+15 points)

 hope your right. Crusaders are more than capable they have test level experience to fall back on and have the best win/lose ratios at home in the comp. They just seem to lack the finishers they can string together the phases but just spirals out. They need to get their killer instincts back and crush the opponents. The forwards must do the heavy work up front, Like the Highlands did when they won in Durban.... Attitude, Its attitude more than anything. Crusaders should win and I will back them. NZ last chance at the title.