A few comments on the weekend’s semi finals …
The Sharks looked pretty comfortable in the soaking wet conditions at the Shark Tank, and given that has not stopped raining for more than an hour or so in Durban for a few weeks now, one can understand them adapting better, but the Bulls were out thought, out played, and out muscled. And many of the players reacted like spoilt rich kids …
Juandre Kruger was in a petulant mood all game and the shocking swinging arm from Morne Steyn to finish it off summed it up. Good to see he was eventually cited for that as he deserves a suspension …
The game must have sorted out one issue for Heyneke Meyer, though … Pat Lambie just has to be the Bok EOYT fly half. And I would suggest leaving Zane Kirchner at home … All of Jaco Taute, Louis Ludik, and Joe Pietersen are better fullbacks.
Based on their recent form, the Sharks are going to be very, very difficult to stop in Durban this weekend …
In the curtain raiser, the WP u21’s, much like their senior side, used their Get Out of Jail Free card via a last minute try by Pat Howard in the corner – scored from a sensational little steal in the middle of the field by WP’s Most Promising U21 Player, Josh Katzen …
My oath, but Elton Jantjies picked a bad day to leave his kicking boots at home! The Lions were up 13-6 with 20 minutes to go, having left 9 points on the kicking tee, yet still managed to lose the game …
Great belief and “Gees” from the WP side though …
They will be concerned about the all Bok Sharks front row though … WP were smashed in the scrums by the Lions … JC Janse van Rensburg is massively powerful on the loosehead, and would not let the Boks down should they require a new face in the squad … Plenty of work to be done by Wp on that front, and they will be praying for the rain to stop …
WP certainly upped the ante in the last 10 minutes. Louis Schreuder and Joe Pietersen were on fire, adding proper impact, with Juan De Jongh responding with a classy break. One feels that they are going to have to run at the Sharks, not just absorb pressure …
Horrifically schoolboy type error by the Lions to gift WP the chance to use their most potent weapon – the rolling maul – from a lineout in the 22. The pass back into 22 and Taute’s kick into touch basically gave WP a sniff of victory, rather than closing out the game …
Bring on the final …
