Well-travelled Sharks face tough test
SHARKS coach John Plumtree believes if his team can lift themselves physically for the Super Rugby final against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday after four weeks of knock-out rugby and a gruelling travel schedule, they could realise their dream of winning the trophy.
He conceded, however, that the main challenge would be to keep the players fresh after they endured the long journey to Australia two weeks ago, returned to SA to face the Stormers, and are now heading to New Zealand.
In a thrilling weekend, the Chiefs capitalised on a strong start and fantastic defence against the Crusaders in Hamilton for a 20-17 victory, and the Sharks’ smart attack and solid defence earned them a 26-19 win against the Stormers at Newlands.
With the Chiefs having finished the round-robin stages as the highest ranked of the two teams, they will host the final.
The Sharks departed for Sydney last night where they will remain until Thursday, before making the journey to Hamilton.
In Cape Town, the Sharks delivered on the game plan to apply pressure early on as they used their big ball-carriers to smash their way over the advantage line and balanced this with an effective tactical kicking game by flyhalf Frederic Michalak and fullback Riaan Viljoen.
Michalak also kicked over two drop goals at crucial times to keep the scoreboard ticking, which was instrumental in the victory.
This was supported by an admirable defensive effort, with the players putting their bodies on the line for the full 80 minutes.
In stark contrast, the Stormers relied heavily on the solid defence and tactical kicking game that allowed them to grind out 14 victories in the round-robin stages.
But they were again exposed for their limited attack and looked rattled at times under pressure.
A delighted Plumtree attributed his team’s victory to incredible self-belief, a smart game plan and solid defence. “We gathered confidence and grew a bit (in the last few weeks), and it snow-balled.
“We believed in ourselves 20% to 30% more than before the June internationals, which was crucial, and we were hardened by the fact that we were playing play-off rugby for several weeks. Obviously beating the Reds and coming to Cape Town was going to be a huge task, so I’m proud of the boys,” he said.
Plumtree admitted, however, that the players had to show character to push through for the win, as the Stormers bounced back with intent in the second half and needed only a converted try in the dying minutes to force the game into extra time.
“We were hit harder tonight in the collisions, and they slowed down our ball, so we couldn’t get going our game going,” said Plumtree. “Obviously winning possession was a big thing for us and there was pretty average ball in the lineouts, so we had to find other ways to win … so there were some smart moves we put together to keep the scoreboard ticking. We also had to be pretty solid defensively.”
Despite the odds being stacked heavily against the Sharks lifting the trophy due to their gruelling travel schedule in the last two weeks, Plumtree remained optimistic that his side could create an upset and said: “If we can get up for this game physically, anything can happen. The challenge for us will be to get up after this because it was tough in Brisbane too, so we’ve had two big ones. I’m pretty sure the Chiefs are pleased that they are playing against us rather than coming to Cape Town.”
Should the Sharks win the competition, it would go down in history as one of the best Super Rugby victories, as they would have won knock-out games in all three member countries.
Plumtree, however, was wary of looking too far ahead and said: “It would be amazing to win. But flying there, back here and back to New Zealand; who has done that and who can do it? If we don’t do it, someone probably will eventually, though.”
Distraught Stormers captain Jean de Villiers and coach Allister Coetzee, meanwhile, conceded that they were beaten by a better team and admitted that their inability to use their try-scoring chances came at a high price.
Such was De Villiers’s deep disappointment that he questioned his leadership skills.
“We were beaten by a better team on the day,” he said. “It is a tough pill to swallow. I’ve asked myself if we could have prepared better, and the answer is no. Did we have the right attitude and was the commitment there? Yes. It came down to a kick that bounced their way and a try. It will take a while to get over it, but we have to give credit to the Sharks.”
De Villiers added: “I must be honest, I am starting to doubt myself and my captaincy. When one has been in this situation so many times, you begin to doubt yourself and start looking deep to find out what the real issue is.”