Sharks must use Stormers gameplan as blueprint for rest of URC season

The Sharks are still having their teething problems under coach John Plumtree, however, their performance in their 16-15 loss to the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship this past weekend was encouraging.

It will be best if Plumtree and his coaching staff build on that performance because, for the first time this season, they had a cohesive system in place and were competitive throughout the match.

The Sharks set the tone from the start of the outing, dominating possession for much of the game, and they had the Stormers shocked because of their physicality. They were strong in the physical collisions and the breakdowns.

‘Smashed us’

The pragmatic approach the Sharks implemented against the Stormers worked; they didn’t go to Cape Town to outplay their opponents, instead, they bullied them, playing in their faces. The sheer power the Sharks displayed on Saturday caught the Stormers coach John Dobson by surprise.

“They had a different plan that we weren’t expecting. They had a contestable and power game that I wasn’t expecting,” said Dobson in his post-match press conference.

“Their maul game, that’s what put us in the most trouble. When we were perhaps tired and poor, they were excellent, they smashed our runners off…they really smashed us. They were physical, and we’ve had that situation with the Sharks in the past,” he said.

Plumtree has stated that they want to play running rugby with style, but that has not worked out yet as the players and coaching staff, to a certain extent, are still figuring it out. The style of play Plumtree wants to see needs players that will be comfortable with that game plan.

Saving the season

To salvage the season, which is in a dire state, Plumtree will have to use the tactical approach from the Stormers game as the blueprint because the players were confident with it. Traditionally, South African players will always relish being physical.

The Sharks are rooted at the bottom of the URC points table as they have lost seven of the eight games they have played. The confidence of the players is low at the moment, and the energy around the organisation is not positive. The Sharks need to win games, and with the physicality they showed against the Stormers and if they can nail their basics, their season can be revived.

Plumtree’s side will host the Lions at Durban’s Kings Park on Saturday in their next URC clash.

If they plan on playing running rugby against Ivan van Rooyen’s team, which plays for 80 minutes, they might be on the losing side. However, if they bully the Lions and stamp their authority in the game, they might have a good chance of walking away with the full points on offer.