If have written repeatedly about the Sharks backline and nobody cared to believe me. They were disgustingly poor. Their ball handling was piss poor and the idea to kick the ball away disgusting. I can understand kicks from their own 22, but aimless and ineffective kicks otherwise are really ridiculous.
Two things more than anything else typified the game todayL0
* Alberts trying to tackle Treeby and landing on his backside.
* The Sharks hooking a tight head just inside the Highlanders half and the best Steyn can do is to kick the ball aimlessly into the in goal area.
The endless missed tackles and poor tackling efforts and the knock-ons and turnovers of ball possession was a disgrace. It was not confined to any specific player - it went much wider:=
Mvovo 2, Pietersen 3, Jordaan 1, Steyn 3, McLeod 1, Du Plessis 1, Cooper 1. Mtawarire 1, Oosthiuizen 1, Coetzee 2, Alberts 2, Daniel 2, The seven subs 6,
Ir was clear that the worst offenders were Steyn and Pietersen - closely followed by Mvovo, Coetzeem Alberts and Daniel. Those are all experienced players who are supposed to set an example to the other players.
What is clear is that virtually all the Sharks backline players have one thing in common - they cannot properly pass and catch balls passed to them. What is even worse is the mindless and poor game they play.
Swiel left the park after a misunderstanding between him and Marais about who should cover a high ball just after halftime and Steyn moved to flyhallf. This was supposed to lead to an improvement - but it ushered in even a worse state of affairs.
