Showdown at the Kings Park Corral | Moonstone
Showdown at the Kings Park Corral
By Paul Kruger on 24 May 2012
Hoe Maak hulle dan somme?
Waar is die goeie ou dae toe ‘n haker nog gehaak het en ‘n vleuel nog gehol het? Los nou maar eers vir Piston van Wyk uit hierdie gesprek uit.
Skynbaar het die klem op “multi tasking” die spesialis speler in die niet laat verdwyn, as mens na die statistieke kyk wat weekliks oor die Super 15 gepubliseer word.
Die feit dat dit gebaseer is op 13 weke se spel maak dit nogal sinvol, maar ook nie. Dit is interessant dat Nathan Sharpe byvoorbeeld 65 lynstane gewen het teenoor Andries Bekker se 52. Wat die statistiek nie vertel nie, is dat Bekker verskeie wedstryde weens beserings misgeloop het. Dalk sal die gemiddeld per wedstryd meer betekenisvol wees.
Die sukses van ons plaaslike spelers met die wen van omkeer besit moet dalk opgeweeg word teen die hoeveelheid strafskoppe wat hulle afstaan. ’n Strafskop teen jou span is immers dikwels ook ‘n vorm van besit afstaan, is dit nie? Die syfers, met strafskoppe in hakies agterna, verskaf dalk ’n beter beeld.
Tiaan Liebenberg 29 (15)
Bismarck du Plessis 26 (14)
Interessant genoeg het Adriaan Strauss byvoorbeeld 19 keer besit omgekeer, maar sy naam verskyn nie op die lys van spelers wat die meeste strafskoppe afgestaan het nie.
Sou mens hierdie selfde beginsel toepas op die statistieke oor balle gesteel, teenoor strafskoppe afgestaan, sien jy dat Coenie Oosthuizen 9 balle gesteel het, maar 16 strafskoppe afgestaan het. So ook het twee sterk aanspraakmakers op ‘n plek as stut in die Bokspan, Dean Greyling en Werner Kruger, albei 18 strafskoppe afgestaan. As mens faktore soos kraamverlof (kan jy dit glo!) en beserings in ag neem, kom dit amper op 1.5 strafskoppe per wedstryd neer.
Nee wat. Totdat hulle nie die statistiek meer betekenisvol aanbied nie, hou ek maar by my eie “gut feel”. Dit is in elk geval geborg deur SA Brouerye en veel lekkerder as die koue pampoen wat opgedis word as statistieke.
So verneem ek uit die perd se bek dat Gatiep en Meraai ook nie glo in statistiek nie.
Round Fourteen Coming Up
The show case game of the weekend, from a South African perspective, is most likely the showdown at the Durban Corral between the Sharks and the Stormers. The original fight took place in Tombstone, Arizona, and while the Stormers are relatively comfortable at the top of the log, the Sharks could find themselves down a hole from which they will not be able to climb, should they lose. Pundits point out that the Sharks are on an upward curve, while the Stormers have yet to convince that they are more than just the best defensive side in the competition.
Having said that, they have managed to overcome all but one obstacle this year – the sign of a side with a winning culture. The visitors set themselves a target of 69 points at the end of the knock-out phase. To reach this rather ambiguous goal, the men from the land of the passion gap will need to put their best foot forward. In fact, their best 30 feet.
The Sharks are back at full strength in front of their partisan home crowd, and must be the favourites to win this one. They still have a bye waiting as well, and a nine point swing could have a major impact on the Super 15 log.
In Hamilton, NZ, the Bulls take on the Chiefs, a team who surprised friend and foe this season. I got the impression last weekend that the Bulls were not on par with the mental attitude required to beat the Highlanders. If they somehow secretly believe that two wins overseas equals “mission accomplished”, then that same problem will hamper them this weekend. And next weekend, suffering from jet lag, they face the current log leaders at Loftus. I suggest that this alone will be more than enough motivation for the Pinkies and their Brains.
Only one point on the log separates The Cheetahs and the Waratahs. The visitors to Bloem have only one more bonus point, that is all. Both teams only won a third of their matches, so it could not be much closer. The Cheetahs should pull this one off, if for no other reason, then because they owe it to their loyal home crowd.
Laat hy val waar hy wil ou Grote!
PK the DJ.
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