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An headline statement seems outrageous, considering that the Sharks are probably the least likely team to win the Super Rugby 2014 tournament. But there is reason for my insanity.
Make no mistake, neither I nor Jake White are under any delusions of grandeur. We know full well that the Sharks face mission impossible, but after the Highlanders game there is a lot to be considered when pondering of the Sharks’ odds. After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that while it is bleak, there is still hope for the banana boys.
One must remember that this is a team that has achieved a lot through the years. The most recent being their 2012 campaign.
Getting into the play-offs was considered a long shot by most Super Rugby viewers but that’s exactly what they did. They squeezed into sixth place after a terrible start to the season and they meant business.
They travelled to Brisbane to face the Reds first and subsequently obliterated them. After that they hopped onto the nearest plane and travelled back home to face the in-form Stormers outfit of 2012.
They dealt with them with relative ease as well, though I don’t think Bismarck du Plessis remembered much of that game after running into the Etzebeth Express.
But we all knew what happened to them against the Chiefs in Waikato.
I have no doubt that the Chiefs still would have won that game had the Sharks not been drained due to their travel, but in the same breath I also have no doubt that the score would have been within a range of a three-point deficit had the Sharks been fully charged come game time.
Fast forward to 2014 and the same team with a different coach has done a few things similar, albeit in the beginning of the series.
The Sharks dismantled the Waratahs in Durban and they pulled one over the Crusaders in Christchurch with a total of 13-14 men. These wins cannot be underestimated in any context.
Those are causes for belief, for confidence. They built character but more importantly they provide enlightenment.
The Crusaders of 2014 are a quality side, take nothing away from them but they are not the supernatural beasts of crusades past. I’m not predicting a Sharks win, at this point I’m not predicting anything at all but I remain adamant that the Sharks can to the best of their ability beat the Crusaders again – only this time we hope it’s with 15 men on the field.
I do however predict that the Waratahs will defeat the Brumbies this weekend and I imagine it will be by about seven points.
This leaves me with a Waratahs versus Sharks final and personally that would be a dream come true for me.
I am a South African, I have lived in South Africa all my life but that’s not the main reason I want that match-up to be the grand finale. I want this to be the final because it would be the perfect advertisement for the classic running rugby versus Jakeball feud.
Winner takes all.
The Waratahs under Michael Cheika have perfected the running style of rugby. Their forwards switch between gears every five phases of play. One second they are pinning their ears back and head into contact like demons, crashing it up, gaining the hard yards, laying the platform. Then in the next instance you see these locomotives running off of 10 or 12, hitting the gaps and offloading to their skilled backs.
The backs sum up these instances in perfect synchronisation. They run in support with great lines off their hard working forwards and they cash in on the spoils. But that’s not all they do.
A free-flowing back line move isn’t a rare sight, neither is a good tactical kick. But they know when to perform these and where.
This is not an easy style of play to defend against. The highlight of this Waratahs side in my view is their diverse play. Seldom do you see a team strike a great balance between forward orientated juggernaut play and silky smooth back line nous. That is why it would actually do the game justice if they win this year.
The Sharks’ game plan is not so diverse. Jake White takes any hope of seeing a great, expansive Sharks game by the scruff of the neck and boots it firmly into touch. Jakeball is the name of the game and Francois Steyn is it’s star player.
This does not mean that the Sharks are necessarily a weaker team than the Waratahs. Jakeball is awful to watch but one has to commend a team that performs it as brilliantly as the Sharks do.
It is in no stretch of the imagination an easy style to play, it takes an abundance of practice. I stand by what I said, the Sharks can win the trophy.
They highlighted the Waratahs’ one great weakness in Durban – physicality.
When a team matches the Tahs’ pack physically it gobsmacks them. The Sharks did this and won handsomely. The Waratahs like any other side in rugby relies on a strong forward performance from which they can attack and defend from.
When they don’t have it it tends to frustrate them and causes them to act rashly. Nothing goes according to plan and their perfect game plan becomes neigh on impossible to perform.
Matching the Tahs’ physical presence is key to defeating them and few teams have accomplished this. But the Sharks have.
Ah, but there is a flip side to this coin. The Sharks have the very same weakness to their game.
Jakeball’s sacred and most obsolete rule is physically dominating the opponent. If this doesn’t happen then the team looks lacklustre and Jakeball crumbles. If there is one team that can accomplish this, it is Cheika’s men.
Power would be the common denominator. The Waratahs possess the likes of Will Skelton, Jacques Potgieter and Wycliff Palu. The Sharks have power galore in Bismarck du Plessis, Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel, Marcell Coetzee and Tendai Mtawarira.
The Sharks came out on top the first time, but this won’t be Durban it will be Sydney and one does not simply “walk into Mordor”.
The final between the two prominent sides would be one of the greatest in the rugby arena. Who has the stronger pack? The Waratahs certainly have the better back line, the Sharks have the better lineout. The scrum is a gamble. Israel Folau will break the defence, but will Steyn’s 60-plus metre cannon reign supreme?
But most importantly, it will be rugby versus Jakeball.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.