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Christo Buchner
Johannesburg – It is the team that has scored the fewest tries to date in this year’s Super 14 against the one that has leaked the most when the Sharks take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.
One team apparently does not know where the try-line is, while the other can’t keep teams away from it.
The Sharks have only been able to score 12 tries in their 8 games to date, while the Lions have conceded 43 tries.
However, the Durbanites have conceded only 18 tries, with only the Stormers (9), Crusaders (12) and Brumbies (17) conceding less.
It’s the Sharks’ attack that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of their supporters. They have not been able to get a bonus point for four tries in any of their matches to date.
The most tries they have scored in a match is three, and that has happened only once.
With only five games remaining and a full haul of points required in each one of them for the team to come close to the semi-finals, the Sharks will have to map a way to opponents’ try-lines. An attacking approach is therefore required.
While the Sharks are performing well on defence, coach John Plumtree is still not happy with that aspect of their game.
“Teams are crossing the advantage line too easily against us and we are missing too many individual tackles. If you don’t score a lot of tries yourself, you can’t afford your defence not to be up to scratch. We’ll have to place a lot of emphasis on that in the last five weeks,” said Plumtree.
Johannesburg – It is the team that has scored the fewest tries to date in this year’s Super 14 against the one that has leaked the most when the Sharks take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.
One team apparently does not know where the try-line is, while the other can’t keep teams away from it.
The Sharks have only been able to score 12 tries in their 8 games to date, while the Lions have conceded 43 tries.
However, the Durbanites have conceded only 18 tries, with only the Stormers (9), Crusaders (12) and Brumbies (17) conceding less.
It’s the Sharks’ attack that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of their supporters. They have not been able to get a bonus point for four tries in any of their matches to date.
The most tries they have scored in a match is three, and that has happened only once.
With only five games remaining and a full haul of points required in each one of them for the team to come close to the semi-finals, the Sharks will have to map a way to opponents’ try-lines. An attacking approach is therefore required.
While the Sharks are performing well on defence, coach John Plumtree is still not happy with that aspect of their game.
“Teams are crossing the advantage line too easily against us and we are missing too many individual tackles. If you don’t score a lot of tries yourself, you can’t afford your defence not to be up to scratch. We’ll have to place a lot of emphasis on that in the last five weeks,” said Plumtree.
