What has happened to Sharks back play?

Mvovo gets the ball with an open line and gets held up. JP is corralled by a 19 year old. Jordaan continues to be a non factor. Troubling stuff from the outside backs.

But it's at 10/12 that we see nothing innovative. Lambie seems content to kick, not his style in the past....and Fransie seems unable to do anything dynamic. As a combination they are completely devoid of creativity.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be....traditionally theSharkshave always had balance, not so much this year.

Mozart

You cannot have the backline functioning properly without a functioning 9, 10 and 12.   Reinach was a great disappointment today and Lambie seems to have lost his zip and his innovativeness.   I was very upset to see him kick away balls when he had a huge overlap of players on the outside to whom he can pass balls - thus attacking from deep in his own half..  

I must admit that Steyn was nowhere to be seen today and I think that the fact that Plumtree substitued him today is a sign of things to come.   He may even be on the way out.   If somebody can ge to Lambie and get him to start more innovatve play - the backline would function better.   Last year with Michalak at flyhalf and Whitehead at 12 - the backline was ten times better than this year.

Another problem today was the number of forwards standing around in the backline - if Steyn did not get the ball and crashball - they did it.   All the players today seems to be suffering from white line fever - and the whole team - least of all the backline - tried to play as individuals and not as a team.   

Not really the way to go. 

I would not mind testing Whitehead at 12, with JP at 13 again.

Last year when JP was playing at 13 it was when the Sharks forwards were playing poorly. 

Pensioner Butch James may even be a better option than Morne Lambie. 

Michalak is a major loss. He seemed to be playing the ball much flatter on the Advantage line than Morne Lambie. 

Some of the up and unders today by Morne were pathetic.