Is 2012 the year of the Sharks in Super Rugby?

Despite enjoying a long, illustrious history in Currie Cup rugby, the Sharks have never been able to translate their domestic success onto the Super Rugby stage. Runners up in 1996, 2001 and 2007; the Sharks have often been the nearly men of the competition.


2007 was perhaps the closest they came to getting their mitts on the trophy. Yet, despite topping the Super Rugby table during the round robin and also becoming the first South African side to host a Super Rugby final that year, they finished second best to a Bryan Habana inspired Bulls team, who managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying moments. That final’s result sparked an unprecedented era of Bulls supremacy. How different things could have been….


A run of five wins in the Sharks’ last six games though now has some fans wondering; is this the season the Sharks finally come of age? The Chinese calendar may suggest otherwise, but perhaps 2012 is the year of the Shark after all? Their 32-10 demolition of the Bulls on Saturday not only kept their play-off hopes alive, but set up an unlikely charge towards the title.


Momentum with Sharks


The Sharks seem to be gaining momentum just at the right time. Timing has never been a strong point for the Sharks, given their history of slow starts but not only have they now won five of their last 6 games, but they have also tenderized their two biggest local rivals in the process; the Bulls and the Stormers. The one blight on their record was an upset loss to the Lions, but that occurred during the first round which followed the June Internationals, where many of the big hitters struggled (perhaps fatigued from a brutal three match series against England). It is not just the numbers that have impressed though, but the nature of those victories.


Sharks’ Last Six Games:


Sharks 32-10 Bulls
Sharks 28-38 Lions
Sharks 25-20 Stormers
Sharks 34-20 Cheetahs
Sharks 53-11 Force
Sharks 28-16 Highlanders


At Kings Park, the Sharks tore the Bulls to pieces with a truly rampant display in front of their parochial supporters, brimming with physicality, verve and ingenuity. The final score-line read 32-10 and in truth those numbers were entirely justified. The Bulls can have no complaints after they were dominated in almost all facets of play.


The front and back rows are world class


Prior to the game, the front row battles had been hyped no end, with the Sharks’ Springbok Test front row (the Beast, Bismark DuPlessis and Jannie DuPlessis) taking on their Springbok contenders from the Bulls (Dean Greyling, Werner Kruger and Chilliboy Ralepelle). While a tight battle was expected, it never eventualised, as the Sharks imposed their dominance early on and never let up. It was one-way traffic til the hooter.


Their back row out-muscled and out-thought their opposition too; no easy task against a Bulls outfit which throughout history has prided itself on its’ physicality. With Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski and Marcell Coetzee all competing for three spots in the starting line-up, Sharks’ coach John Plumtree has an abundance of riches to choose from in that area. All critically offer differing skills too, which helps the balance of the team.


For my money, that back row has been the form unit in the competition thus far, with perhaps the Hurricanes trio of Jack Lam, Faifile Levave and Victor Vito the closest challengers, at least in the forraging department.

Coetzee leading from the front with his work-rate

Marcell Coetzee in particular is a player I have continually raved about on this blog ever since the early rounds of this year’s competition. The 21 year old flanker seems to have grown in stature throughout the tournament. His exposure to test rugby against England this June has done him no harm at all either. Quite simply, his work rate for such a young man is beyond phenomenal. Statistics can be misleading, but when you are racking up numbers like Coetzee has been this year, they cannot be ignored. Carries, tackles, turnovers….he does it all.


When you consider that the Sharks have some pretty useful talent in the backline too; Pat Lambie, Francois Steyn and two flyers in JP Pieterson and Lwazi Mvovo, one has to consider the Sharks as a real threat in the coming weeks.


One last push for the play-offs

Currently the Sharks sit in 6^th place, with the knowledge that victory over the Cheetahs at Kings Park this Saturday will assure them a place in the play-offs. As you can see from the table below though, there is no room for error. There are realistically five teams competing for the three remaining spots available. The Crusaders, Bulls, Hurricanes and Reds will all be looking to make their own piece of history too.

Overall Super Rugby table and standings
Conference leaders.
	Team	Nation	P	W	L	D	B	PF	PA	PD	Bp	Ttl
1.	Chiefs	()	15	12	3	0	2	419	329	90	7	63
2.	Stormers	()	15	13	2	0	2	324	233	91	2	62
3.	Brumbies	()	15	10	5	0	2	388	301	87	10	58
	Wild card teams
4.	Crusaders	()	15	10	5	0	2	447	319	128	8	56
5	Bulls	()	15	9	6	0	2	435	349	86	10	54
6.	Sharks	()	15	9	6	0	2	402	333	69	10	54
7.	Reds	()	15	10	5	0	2	327	331	-4	5	53
8.	Hurricanes	()	15	9	6	0	2	461	404	57	9	53

Should the Sharks beat the Cheetahs though, they can look forward to an entirely winnable contest against the Australian conference leaders, the Brumbies. It may have seemed unlikely so many weeks ago, when the men from Natal were enduring yet another painfully slow start to the season, but the Sharks have a real chance at winning the title. Can they seize the moment?