Sharks aka guppies disastrous season

So looks like the Sharks has no chance of making the playoffs. I was hoping that we would get all 4 SA teams in the top and even better, the top 4, avoiding meeting int eh quarters.

On paper, the sharks have some of the best players on the planet, but they can't seem to string it together.

The biggest disappointments have bee Kolisi and Etzebeth, per minute, they are probably the highest paid players on the planet.

The real problem is some of the quota players, yes, they still exist. The amount of times the likes of Pepsi, Masuka etc just do completely dumb stuff. There is a good backline move and then they decide to throw a 50/50 because they want to dazzle the fans. So many turn overs.

It is only the players like Hooker, Williams and a few others that is really keeping the sharks in the hunt.

The other problem is player management. All the best "white" players have left and now getting success. But it is not only the white players, we had Libbok, Gumede etc also not featuring and young Batho popping up at the lions who are now in the top 3.

I don't know why they have Powel there when he is a sevens coach and don't understand 15 man rugby

Two disastrous seasons. I don't think the players individually are bad. There is just no team dynamic. Again we can bring up the Lions - a team of players most of which I wouldn't even have recognized 6 months ago before I started watching them more, yet they're playing better and doing better than the star studded Sharks. Rugby is a team game - if a coach can't get the team together, the personnel barely matters.

My problem with the Sharks stems from -

1. defective coaching; and
2. a maffunctioning backline.

The backline is poor in attacking play and deplorable in defense, There main problem is the need of a flyhalf and center combination. Instead of recruiting new talented youngsters - they recruit have beens and spent limitless money on them - who believe they based on reputation only and minimal performances are supplied by them.

The Sharks should get rid of prima donnas and follow the Stormers and Lions routes when it comes to recruitment of younger and and more ambitious and eager to/ perform youngsters. If the Sharks management does that the younger players would get afraid and start putting more effort into their playing careers.

l

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Maybe too many imports & not enough guppy-born guppies in the team & the glamour boys saving that wee bit extra for the international arena.

Lets look at the on-field management of the Sharks and the performance and the performance of the side's prima donnas:-

1. Etzebeth -. 34 years old
2. Kolisi - 34 years old
3. Mapimpi - 35 years old
4. Esterhuiizen - 32 years old

Performance on the field of play us not a requirement, In many ways it reminds me of the 2015 RWC squad with its 8 out of 31 unplayable players, Aside from being suffering from injuries the above think the y are so good they cannot think too highly of themselves. So they need not play - their reputation is all that counts when it comes to actual performances.

When it comes to coaching the team was in the semi's last year ranked 4th on the log. Problem was the same as the case was with the Bulls last year The Shark were disgraced in t he semi. last myear an d so was the Bulls in the final.

Aside from the player deficiencies - the coaches was poor last year. White was fired after the 2024-25 season and replaced by Ackerman. So Plumtree was fired midway through the 2025=26 season ands replaced by Pietersen, Not a successful change too. The Bulls in 2024-25 was number 2 on the log and was disgraced in the final. This year the Bulls are 8th on the log and likely to make the quarterfinals - but will hav e to play away quarterfinals. the Sharks has n o hope to/ reach t he quarterfinals at all.

Donbon on the other hand lost the plot on European Cup level too, Instead of selecting the best team needefd in the quarterfinals he missed logic all together. The team to play Toulon in the quarterfinals was to leave Sacha and De Villiers out of the starting line-ups, In that series Dobson copied the White example - select deficient teams to play in the EC series, A win against Toulon would have caused a play-off against Glasgow in the semifinal, After the Toulon disaster Dobson went on a screaming contest against public criticism and since the two Sharks losses and the loss against Toulon - both the Stormers and the Lions thrashed the Glasgow team in their URC matches.

As a result with another 2 matches to play the Lions and Stormers have to play 2 away matches in the URC series, So the URC log has the Stormers at no 1 Sharks at number 3 and the Bulls at number 7 on the log, It is highly unlikely that the Bulls would get a home quarterfinal

So in the case of especially t he S harks wi.tn both a coaching and player problems and a similar - but less potent problem scenario coaching problem with the Bulls, both the Stormers and Lions play 15 man rugby with the Lions being extremely good on coaching level.

So in Round 17 the upcoming matches are as follows:-

1. Ulster against Stormers
2. Leinster against Lions
3. Bulls against Zebre
4. Sharks against Benneton. . . .

Two difficult games for the Stormers and Lions - 2 easy games for the Bulls and Sharks with two easy games to play, However Leinster lost against Benetton in their previous match so the Sharks can also be in a difficult position.

The Stormers touring squad is as follows:-

1. Props: Frans Malherbe, Ali Vermaak, Neethling Fouché, Sazi Sandi, Sti Sithole, Kwenzo Blose, Zachary Porthen.
2. Hookers: André-Hugo Venter, JJ Kotzé, Scarra Ntubeni, Joseph Dweba.
3. Locks/Loose Forwards: Salmaan Moerat (captain), Ruben van Heerden, Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Deon Fourie, Marcel Theunissen, Adré Smith, JD Schickerling, Willie Engelbrecht, Connor Evans, Gary Porter, Hacjivah Dayimani, Paul de Villiers.

Backs:

1. Scrumhalves: Herschel Jantjies, Paul de Wet, Stefan Ungerer, Imad Khan.
2. Flyhalves/Centres: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok, Dan du Plessis, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Wandisile Simelane, Ruhan Nel, Suleiman Hartzenberg.
3. Outside Backs: Warrick Gelant, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas, Angelo Davids, Ben Loader, Courtnall Skosan.

Lions

Please refer to the following site:-

https://rugby365.com/tournaments/united-rugby-championship/boks-and-promising-youngsters-headline-lions-tour-squad-for-irish-job/

Dankie oom.

ps. ... Joseph Dweba Libbok Jantjies

mebbe sleep deprivation :)

It is official - Kolisi will leave the Sharks immediately after the Round 18 of the Sharks match in Round 18 of he URC and move to the Stormersl

The best thing Kolisi could do for the benefit of SA Rugby and degrade his image like Mattffield did in 2014 and 2015 = or Willie did in the Rugby Championship Cup match against Australia ln 2025.