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Louis Schreuder reveals secret behind Sharks' winning ways in New Zealand

By Alex McLeod
Sharks captain Louis Schreuder. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

The Sharks may have kept the Crusaders winless in front of their home fans for the first time in Super Rugby since July 2016, but skipper Louis Schreuder is still disappointed that his side didn’t come away from Christchurch Stadium with a win.

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“It’s still a draw for us, it’s not a win,” the 29-year-old told RugbyPass en route to Hamilton ahead of their clash with the Chiefs this weekend.

“We still feel as though we should have closed that game and we should have won it in the end.

“I think we made some crucial errors at the end to let the Crusaders back into it.”

His feelings are somewhat understandable.

The South African side led the match from the 36th minute onwards, but a converted try under the posts to Crusaders first-five Mitch Hunt after the full-time siren was enough to salvage a 21-all stalemate.

But to say it was a failure on the Sharks’ part to not secure a victory would be a disservice to the magnitude of the effort it requires to walk away from Christchurch without conceding defeat.

Besides, it’s not the first time in recent memory that the Sharks have enjoyed success over Kiwi opposition, a rare luxury in a competition where seven of the last eight champions have come from New Zealand.

Last year, the Durban-based franchise won three of their four matches against the New Zealand franchises during the regular season, with only an 86th minute Ihaia West conversion to a Ngani Laumape try denying the Sharks victory when they fell short to the Hurricanes in a 38-37 loss in Napier.

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Outside of that result, they thrashed the Blues 63-40 in Auckland, and pumped both the Highlanders and Chiefs in front of their home crowd at Kings Park.

Last Friday’s draw adds to their slender losing record against New Zealand teams, as did their 26-7 thumping of the Blues at home earlier this season.

In fact, the Sharks have the best win rate of any overseas side in New Zealand throughout the 24-year history of Super Rugby, having claimed victory on these shores 21 times.

So, what makes the Sharks tick against the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders when every other club from Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan appears to struggle against those sides?

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Akker van der Merwe scores for the Sharks against the Blues. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

“For a young team, as we are, it’s just the mental approach that we had all week,” Schreuder said regarding his side’s result last week.

“Against a quality outfit like the Crusaders – actually, any outfit in New Zealand – you have to up for it mentally.

“I think our preparation really went well, we knew we had to be up for it, so I think the boys’ mental approach [prevented us from losing].

“That’s one thing we’d been lacking and been inconsistent with this season, so I think we got it down last week.”

The visitors will need to be at the top of their game mentally this week as well, as they are set to come up against a Chiefs side on the precipice of elimination from play-offs contention after an underwhelming campaign so far this season.

Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown said last week that his side needed to win five of their remaining six games, and after drawing 31-all with the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday, their desperation for a win will not have diminished.

The consequence of that game’s result isn’t just restricted to the Chiefs, though.

Not only do the Sharks need to win to overtake the Bulls as the top-ranked South African side in an ultra-competitive conference where just four points separates first from fourth, but an unbeaten tour of Australasia is also on the line.

Prior to their draw with the Crusaders last week, the Sharks downed the lacklustre Waratahs 23-15 in Sydney, and should they beat the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium on Saturday, they will achieve the incredibly rare feat of leaving Australia and New Zealand without defeat.

No South African side has ever toured both Australia and New Zealand unbeaten, and the only team to do it from the African conference was the Jaguares when they overcame the Rebels, Brumbies, Blues and Chiefs last year.

In order to accomplish the unprecedented feat, Schreuder said he and his teammates need to stay consistent in their preparation.

“We can’t have up and downs like we’ve been having this season, and I think it’s been out downfall for the past two seasons,” he said.

“We play one week, we play with a whole lot of intensity and aggression, and then the next week, we lack an intensity and aggression, among other things. You’ve got to be switched on and mentally up for it.

“You know as a player and as a team, you have to be up for it against the Kiwi teams, otherwise you’ve got a good chance.

“For everyone, all the South African boys, for the Sharks boys at least, it’s just a mental thing about being up for the challenge, and obviously liking the physical side of it, matching yourselves against the best.”

Vital to their chances of victory is young playmaker Curwin Bosch.

Capped twice by South Africa, 21-year-old Bosch has been an influential figure on-field so far on their tour after usurping previous incumbent pivot Robert du Preez.

Coming into the starting line-up at first-five for the first time this year against the Waratahs after being primarily deployed at fullback, Bosch tore apart the New South Welsh defence with ball in hand, before scoring all 21 points from the kicking tee against the Crusaders.

“A focus for us against the Crusaders last week was to play the ball in our half, or between the 10s at least, making them come from deep and not giving them soft exits, so I think he really did well,” Schreuder said of his halves partner, who he believes is better utilised at first-five rather than fullback.

“When we went for points, most of the kicks he put over, so we kept eyes on their ill-discipline and got lots of points, so I think he’s really grown in the last few weeks, he really knows his responsibility, and he’s playing well.”

No doubt Bosch’s performances have brought him to the forefront of Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus’ World Cup plans for this year, but Schreuder insisted that despite his side’s promising outings abroad, his mind is firmly entrenched on the ambitions of the Sharks.

“I just concentrate on the team now while I can contribute to the team,” the one-test halfback said.

“Being captain, I need to lead by example. When a team plays well, the individual will get praised as well, so that’s my main focus.”

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

25 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

25 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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