Super Rugby 2012 SF Stormers v Sharks

Surprised no one has started this thread already. Guess it is denial phase while we wake up to the realisation that the 2012 trophy will be going to the Land of the Darkness or Saffers.

The Sharks will be hard pressed after the travelling and what was a fairly physical encounter, but the Stormers seem to lack ability to put a side away. They have slowly strangled their opposition so far. If the Sharks get a sniff it could be all over for them. But that said Stormers to win.

Sharks bets option is to go all out with a high risk game and get points on the board because the Stormer's are unlikely to chase them down. If the Stormers start well they will win.

I think the Sharks are on a roll. if they travel well they'll be a massive chance against the stormers. I'd like to see the Chiefs win this years championship. the Hamilton cow bells will be heard in Sydney

If the Sharks turn up in the same mood they were in last week I think they will get over the Stormers. Just as Blue says above, if the Sharks get off to a good start on the points I don't think the Stormers have the attack to run it down. Will be a good game to watch.

Any news on whether Etzebeth and Burger are likely to be back for this game?

Etzebeth yes, Burger no.

Vermeulen now apparently 70% to start.

Sharks have been blowing hot and cold this year on a constant bases. Hopefully the Stormers have saved their best for last

Sharks the favourates. They are the form team.

I think Stormers will win and host final at Newlands against Crusaders. It will be a great spectacle but it will be in the middle of our night.

My wishlist is to see the Chiefs playing the Stormers on Newlands in the final. At least one missing fixture back between my favourate SA side vs my favourate NZ side on Newlands. Will miss it tho, Paarl Interschools is way bigger then a S15 final.

But the night holds the key (says the insomniac, or is it the narcoleptic...I can't remember).

Doesn't seem very fair this match is 31 and half hours after the Kiwi one. If the Sharks have to travel guess you can crown the winner already.

I thought that to gwerty, but noone can travel until after this game as don't know where game is NZ or SA, I wonder if it on Saturday to allow Sharks one chance of a rest after Saturday. Still will be bloody tough on Sharks if they have to travel again.

Crusaders won't mind playing in Cape Town as half of Newlands suddenly become Christchurch and they almost outnumber the Stormers supporters. Either some South Africans do not like the Stormers or there is a lot of Kiwi's hiding in Cape Town.

If the Stormers give the Sharks the ball and let them come at them then they will have a very good chance of winning this one. Just do not give them turn over ball. John Plumtree tried all season to program them the Kiwi way and they seem to get use to he style just at the right time.

Is it that time of the year already?

The Stormers haven't really looked impressive since they beat the Highlanders back in week 7, when they played some really entertaining and -- shock, horror! -- enterprising rugby, scoring one of the best seasons tries. Since then, it's really been a snooze feast though they have continued to win. But look at their last month of rugby: W Lions by 10, W Cheetahs by 7, and W Rebels by 6, all the bottom teams. Still, they only lost twice this year but just on form -- I'm going with the Sharks by 4.

But if you look closely their biggest margins when winning games was against NZ teams. Apart from the Crusaders who play a bit different. But against the naturally counter attacking teams like the Canes, Blues and Highlanders who is basically the anti Stormer team compare to game plans they won comfortably. They can't hit you on those quick counters when you give them the ball with your defense organized.

I was suprised to see the Reds v Sharks stats last night. The Reds had 70% of posession and the Sharks had around 38 missed tackles. How did the Reds loose that match?
Anyway I therefore cant see the Sharks beating the Stormers if they play like that again.

The Sharks scored a couple of absolutely fantastic counterattacking tries. Arguably some of the better ones seen all season.

Stats will not make sense if you do not know how each team plays. Unfortunately possession rugby and quick phase ball died out after the 2003 World Cup. It takes 4 guys to get you that ball plus the 9 where the defense can commit the tackler and the fetcher. So you will end up running into brick walls. The IRB decided to change some things to make the breakdown more competitive. Again that is not the best news for Aussie teams because it basically means to catch the defense at a time when they are organized you have to use the counter attack to score them like NZ have been doing and which was their style before black and white tv's basically. All but 1 games in last years WC knock out stages was won by the team with the least amount of possession. Reason why NZ concede so many penalties as well because they use the counter attack and will try and win the ball in the one place where 60 percent of todays penalties are given. The ruck and maul.

Before that they scored most of their tries from kick returns until Mallet and McQueen noticed that and kept the ball. White off course was the one who basically came out with a different way which he used the counter attack by giving the opposition the ball and try to take it from the break down where the defence are not as organize like on other parts of the field. Everyone started doing it and the IRB changed the laws to stop all the kicking, Aussie Rugby union clearly saw which direction the game is going and hence the reason for Deans appointment. But its hard to teach you national team a different way if the countries teams from where the players hail are use to play another way from the first time they pick up a rugby ball to professional level. SA sit with the same problem and you will struggle to beat NZ with possession rugby. Just ask the Irish.

The Shorks have always been my favourite SA team so I'm hoping they can get over the Stormers in this one. The Shorks are most certianly the form team and are on the up. People say that the Stormers don't know how to score tries but I tell you one thing they know how to do, and that is win games!