I was a WP fan all my life and enjoyed the type of rugby the Capetonions generally dished-up. In my heart of hearts I was happy for Province with their latest success run in the S15 (and CC last year). 
However, I must admit that I felt a certain amount of satisfaction seeing them lose to the Sharks. This perverse sense of enjoyment in their defeat had nothing to do with the players or the coach but much to do with the over the top reaction/behaviour of some Stormers supporters.
Fact is the Stormers still have no trophies to show but are lauded as the ‘flagship’ by some. I would think that a title like that would require at least some real evidence of being champions not only with regard to trophies but also in the manner in which you play.
Flagship signifies being an example; being a showcase of best practice. Too be honest apart from having an excellent defensive system the Stormers was not by any stretch of my imagination a team that I would like to hold up as a showcase/example of SA rugby.
It might just be their obsessiveness with safe and defensive rugby that cost them in the match against the Sharks. Some scribes have warned that the defensive mindset might become a problem once they fall behind and are in need of scoring tries. Well they were in need to score some tries in this match after falling behind early in the match and had some difficulty getting across the tryline. Personally I thought -in spite of Jean de Villiers statements that they are in good headspace- they played like a team scared to lose and not like a team wanting to win.
The Sharks on the other hand had nothing to lose and played like a team with no fear. Nobody gave them a chance -considering all the traveling they have done over the last 10 days – and they went into the match with a mindset of proving a point.
That in my mind was the difference.
I believe the Sharks are going to enter the final with the same attitude and we might see history being made this year as the Chiefs already played their final. Anyway that’s what I hope will happen.
Back to the Stormers/Sharks match. The Stormers showed some promise as an attacking team towards the end but laboured hard to score their try. My feeling is that two weeks rest did not really help them with their campaign. They were a bit rusty; unable to maintain pressure in the first half due to simple mistakes. They also started slowly seemingly content to make tackles; lacking urgency and focus on attack.
The Sharks went at it all guns blazing right from the kick-off and enthralled as yet again with some spectacular tries.
My summary would be that rustiness but mostly mindset (fear of losing; focussed on defence and lack of urgency with ball in hand for most part of the match) ultimately cost the Stormers this match.
“I believe the Sharks are going to enter the final with the same attitude and we might see history being made this year as the Chiefs has already played their final. Anyway that’s what I hope will happen”.
This time of year exposes the big problem with the Super XV. The travel schedule that teams have to endure is just crazy.
Teams have to be positive no matter what the circumstances (all the more damning for the Stormers when they had so much going in their favour). No doubt the Sharks will continue with their mindset in the travel and build-up this week – just as the Crusaders were in this same position last year, travelling back and forth over 12 time zones over three successive weekends.
But that is an utterly unreasonable burden to place on high-performance professional athletes, especially when the burden is not the same for both teams.
“But that is an utterly unreasonable burden to place on high-performance professional athletes, especially when the burden is not the same for both teams.”
I reckon most Sharks fans will agree with you on that one.
Also, even though it wasn’t the subject you raised for discussion, I’ll make a comment if I may, McLook, on the comments Graham Henry has just come out with, suggesting that there was match-fixing involved when the All Blacks lost to France in the RWC2007 quarter-final in Cardiff.
I got stuck into PdV, and Owen Hoskings on this site when they suggested there was match fixing involved in boosting the AB playing record before RWC2011, and I’ve been critical of suggestions that the same thing happened when you guys were bundled out against Australia last year, with Kiwi Bryce Lawrence as the ref.
However, I’ll at least give you saffers credit that if you are going to come out with the plot theory, you do it at the time – not store it up for 5 years, play the pious and sanctimonious “I won’t criticise the referee for the good of the game”, get an award for “good sportsmanship” as a result, and then change your tune once you have a (from a South African point of view) controversial RWC win on your CV!
I am bloody pissed off that Graham Henry has demonstrated such a lack of class. I thought we had grown up from the snide comments we used to make, years after we had deservedly lost test series in South Africa, because the saffer refs were cheats – or we were deliberately food-poisoned.
If anyone was to blame for the loss in Cardiff in 2007 it was Henry. The All Blacks that day were inept, and as tunnel-visioned with their wealth of possession, just as you guys were against the Wallabies in 2011.
I think you’ll get a lot of support for your view on this from the SA public.
It is interesting that the pattern with Kiwi’s is to complain about unfairness (match fixing) many months if not years after the event. It happened in 1949 and in 1995. It is also no co-incidence that the last paragraph in that article mention that the Springboks won the 2007 RWC.
The New Zealand public has been conditioned to believe that the South African’s will do everything to win test matches. Just the mentioning of Springboks in the article thus a disguised confirmation that match fixing is a reality in sport.
The truth is that South African jounalists like RK Stent, Reg Sweet and Maxwell Price were very crtical about the way the Springboks achieved victory in 1949.
Spiro Zavos wrote a stinging account of the Springbok All Black history called “Winter of Revenge” and his main story line is that of compulsive cheating and match fixing by the South Africans – anything to prove Afrikaner superiority. Zavos in that book demonstrate what could be called extreme one-sided writing.
I am truelly dissapointed with Graeme Henry for making these remark. It’s unnecessary as nobody now can gain anything from it. In fact both his and New Zealand’s rugby images were dented by these remarks.
“I am truelly dissapointed with Graeme Henry for making these remark. It’s unnecessary and nobody now can gain anything from it. In fact both his and New Zealand’s rugby images were dented by these remarks.”
Yep. And good remarks on Spiro Zavos. He is usually an astute and good writer, but yes, the angle he took in “Winters of Revenge” – that All Black losses were the result of a sinister broederbond plot to cement in place Afrikaner dominance over blacks, coloureds and English-speaking South Africans – was silly fantasy stuff.
You look into the supposed substance of the plots that All Black touring teams supposedly suffered – South Africa is a rugby tourist’s paradise, with great hospitality, food, sights, friendly and informed rugby followers (including, ahem…of both genders!) , and lots of tough games up and down the country against local opposition refereed by locals who interpret according to the local customs – is exactly as all rugby tourists encountered New Zealand!
Your current on-going examination of the 1956 Springbok tour has been a timely reminder that those guys were both the luckiest and unluckiest footballers of all time – they participated in the greatest tour of all time, and enjoyed the experience of a lifetime,…
yet even though New Zealand probably always deserved to win that series once they got their selections right, the deck was so unfairly stacked against the Boks in a way no amateur team should ever have to endure.
Sorry if I’m banging on about this, but as a former Al Black coach, Henry is the custodian of a legacy.
The team I manage conceded the winning try in a semi-final in the 15th minute of injury time yesterday, and man, Oh, man, is it bloody tempting to buy into plot theories when that happens! The fine bunch of young men I have the privilege of being associated with, as well as coaches, support staff, and supporters were emotionally devastated in the immediate minutes afterwards.
But after they had taken stock, they shook hands with their opposition, publicly thanked their supporters, and walked out of there with class and dignity, bringing honour to themselves, their management, their parents and friends, their club, and New Zealand rugby. It was a fantastic game, and a superb demonstration of why New Zealand does so well at rugby – we are passionate, skilled, and focused when it comes to playing the game. If a rugby aficionado from another country had seen the game, they would have stood back in wonder and awe that two age-grade club teams could play such intense and skilled football.
In the years ahead they can take encouragement that they did what every rugby team should aspire to – to play their best (which is more than the ABs did in 2007!), and they played in a remarkable game they will remember for the rest of their lives. They might not be All Blacks, but that game was just as important to them, as Henry and Co. went through in 2007. A pity Graham Henry has failed to apply those same lesons…
You hit the nail on the head! They were afraid of losing and did not play winning rugby. I supported the sharks because of the stormers supporters new found arrogance hopefully that will be stopped now
Neat post, mclook. And yes, I agree with you that yesterday’s outcome gave those arrogant WP supporters (not generalizing) a big glug of maturity juice.
Flagship:
The Bulls, by losing so pathetically to the Crusaders, did themselves no favors in building their mantle as SA’s Super Rugby flagship team (after all, we do have 3 trophies, as all Bulls supporters are quick to point out at every opportunity).
On de other hand, Darren, the Sharks were magnificent yesterday against the Snormers, and if they can pull of the win against the Chiefs, then they, for now, will be SA’s undisputed flagship Super Rugby team.
What a crying shame we (South Africa) don’t have an all- SA home final at Loftus. Morne Steyn must be kicking himself.
Rumour has it that Morne Steyn tried to kick himself … but he missed
Ha,ha,ha,ha. Good one.
Yes, very funny. Heh heh….!!!
Great post as always McLook. Ja I reckon guys like Kevin D must be kicking themselves hailing to Stormers as SA’s “flagship” team. It seems Stormers fans are excellent at building up how good they are, even with that empty trophy cabinet. Oh wait, it’s not empty. They won the SA conference, for whatever that’s worth!
I am not disagreeing with the comments above but I do believe Fixing is rife in the sport and burying our heads in the sand will only encourage it- Too much power is centralized in a Referee and much less lucrative sports(from a betting view point) have been proven to be fixed.
The fact that nothing has ever been proven to me shows not that its not happening only that the safeguards are not in place to detect it
I have nothing against viocing concerns. It’s the timing of Henry’s remarks which has me wondering. Read Wayne Gray’s article in the NZ-herald. He reckon it’s all about marketing of Henry’s book. Stirring to increase book sales.
You are correct referee’s have way to much power. Hopefully inovative ways to use technology will be found and implemented.
That flagship turned out to be a submarine.