The Sharks ran the Bulls ragged in their shock 29-19 triumph in Saturday night’s United Rugby Championship derby.
It may have been a case of John Plumtree using the tools at his disposal against the high-riding Bulls. The Sharks were shorn of most of their Springbok stars, and knew they did not have the fire-power to take on the Bulls up front (few teams do).
So, they turned to the one thing they do have in abundance: pace and fire-power on attack. In the face of the expected Bulls forward onslaught, it proved the difference.
Even Bulls coach Jake White complemented the Sharks for the way they used their strike-runners: the likes of Jordan Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am, Ethan Hooker and Jurenzo Julius.
“They’ve got like sevens rugby players at the back there, and once they made line-breaks, it was not like we could catch them,” White said.
“And generally what’s happened against other teams is that we’ve had the pace to either scramble or catch them from behind. The one time we got put away, and Devon (Williams) got caught by Yaw Penxe from the side ... That generally hasn’t happened.
“So, they scored long-range tries, and the reason for that is that they outpaced us. There is no substitute for speed …”
That is quite the sobering admission from the Bulls mentor. And it is one that Plumtree should pay attention to.
Jordan Hendrikse scored the Sharks’ second try but Julius played a key role in the build-up. ‘The Boogieman’ has become a menace to rival defences with his line-breaking ability.
He showed on Saturday how devastating he can be when unleashed on a regular basis. He is only growing in confidence week in, week out.
Bok centre Lukhanyo Am was also back to his vintage best in the midfield. He was solid defensively and had there some silky touches on attack. He underlined his class once again. The display will please Bok and Sharks fans in equal measure.
Another key player who stood out in the Sharks’ attacking masterclass was always solid loose-forward Hooker. He often knits attacking plays together.
Penxe also enjoyed some superb runs and off-loads.
Siya Masuku was remarkably composed at flyhalf. He outshone Bok Willie le Roux in a rare poor outing for the Bok veteran.
While the sloppy Bulls contributed to their downfall, there is no doubting the impact of the Sharks’ attackers and the style of play.
That they never let up even when the Bulls were on the front foot speaks volumes for their self-belief.
The blueprint used by the KZN team on Saturday could be applied against rival teams with a similar bent to the Bulls. But it could also work against other teams.
The only question is whether Plumtree will be brave enough to persist with such an attack-oriented style of play over the long term.
Or will he revert to a more conservative approach once the big-name players come back?
The Sharks are in a prime position to secure a home play-off in the URC competition for the first time. The coach may feel it better to err on the side of caution considering the stakes.
That would be a shame, however. After all, which rugby fan wouldn’t like see that Sharks attacking talent tear into rival teams every week?
There’s blood in the water … and it’s feeding time.