Some (admittedly rather sketchy) details are emerging regarding the experimental team the Sharks are likely to send to Witbank to face the Pumas this weekend. John Plumtree has confirmed that John Smit will lead the side from tighthead prop.
Smit joins Jannie du Plessis and Ruan Pienaar as the only first-team regulars to make the trip up to coal-mining country. The weaker nature of the opposition has forced Plumtree’s hand somewhat and his goal for this match is to give his fringe players a run out to see what they are capable of doing. For Smit and Pienaar, adjusting to life in new positions, it represents the ideal opportunity to hone some new skills in a low-pressure match situation.
Smit will start at 3 and I guess Jannie du Plessis will be on the bench. Although the latter could well start at loosehead, it would probably make more sense to play Barra Mthethwa in the number 1 jersey and keep the Springbok as cover, in case anything goes wrong in the front row. I’d be pretty keen to see Craig Burden start at hooker, with someone like Dylan Rutherford going along as cover. Joe Snyman and Alistair Hargreaves should be the locks and I have it confirmed that Justin Downey will start at blindside flank. Skollie Ndlovu will likely be his foil on the openside and you can pick the other loose forward from any of Warren Whitely, Jacques Potgieter or Mike Rhodes.
Len Olivier will no doubt start at flyhalf, with Ruan earmarked to take over at half time. Charl McLeod should be the scrumhalf and Riaan Swanepoel is sure to be one of the centres. Andries Strauss is likely to be in the mix somewhere as well and Chris Jordaan, Lwazi Mvovo and Wes Bodmer should make up the back three.
This is a purely speculative 22, then, but it may not be too far off.
1 Barra Mthethwa, 2 Craig Burden, 3 John Smit (capt), 4 Joe Snyman, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 6 Skholiwe Ndlovu, 7 Justin Downey, 8 Mike Rhodes, 9 Charl McLeod, 10 Len Olivier, 11 Wes Bodmer, 12 Andries Strauss, 13 Riaan Swanepoel, 14 Lwazi Mvovo, 15 Chris Jordaan.
16 Dylan Rutherford, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Jacques Potgieter, 19 Warren Whiteley, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Luzuko Vulindlu, 22 Dumi Matyeshana
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Man, and this game could just not have been 2 weeks sner???
Then I could have watched it live!! Damn…
BTW does anyone still know any sites that show the games live?
I think (hope) he will start with Ruan ahead of Len Olivier. Either one will be good enough, but I feel if he is taking ruan he should play ruan at 10 for the whole game.
let’s get RP settled in this position and over with.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
Okay so i thought wrong then.
“John will play tighthead prop against the Pumas and I will use Ruan Pienaar as a flyhalf in the second half,” said Plumtree.
Halfway through the season when we haven’t got a settled flyhalf then Plumtree mustn’t moan about it.
Ha ha ha… I doubt that 40 minutes against the Pumas is the highlight of the process of settling in…
@NickyB (Comment 1) : Depends were you are. Which country?
were = where
It’s still early.
New Zealand
@Nicky (Comment 7) : Warm up games or proper games?
Doubt the warm up games will be shown anywhere.
Nicky and Nicky B… aren’t we lucky to have two such lovely ladies
No warm up!!!
The proper games u can catch on sky!
There use 2 be a dude from christchurch that chatted on the sharks website, should ask him!
@Nicky (Comment 10) : Thought so.
Okay OKay i registered myself twice!
I 4got my password, the remembered it again!
@Nicky (Comment 12) :
Hey! You invited then deleted me of facebook!!!
Ur weird!
Oh and congrats on the kid!
@NickyB (Comment 14) : I did?
Sorry man… I’m a serial inviter of people
From time to time I need to trim the old list back. Please don’t take it personally.
Oh – and yeah, I am weird
I really dont take anything serious, seriously!
rob you just took my list and changed a couple.
i’d like to see the following line up. 15.Chris jordaan 14.Odwa 13.Strauss 12.Riaan 11.JP 10.Frans 9.Charl 8.Keegan 7.Downey 6.Ndlovu 5. Hargreaves 4.Sykes 3.John/Jannie 2.Skipper 1.Deon
i’m looking at this game from the point of view “what happens if we lose a key player to injury?” who will take over? if ruan gets injured frans will be 10 and he will need to link up with charl. if ryan jean or jacques what quality loosies are in the wings. stefan, what if his age finally catches up. jp needs a chance to clear the rust so he doesn’t perform like he did in last years s14. and john needs a trial at tight head.
actually i prefer my team to start as a lot of players you have probably won’t see s14, so putting them in would really waste a warm up game. yet mine are subs and may just be needed to start.
Why bother calling this a Sharks side even ?
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 20) : the wildebeest are now called the sharks, so they can call it a sharks team.
So let’s see how close Rob’s team was.
15. Len Olivier
14. Lwazi Mvovo
13. Luzuko Vulindlu
12. Andries Strauss
11. Chris Jordaan
10. Monty Dumond
9. Charl McLeod
8. Warren Whiteley
7. Justin Downey
6. Skholiwe Ndlovu
5. Johan Snyman
4. Alistair Hargreaves
3. John Smit ( Capt )
2. Craig Burden
1. Melusi Mthethwa
Replacements
16. Frik Venter
17. Wiehahn Herbst
18. Steven Sykes
19. Nikolai Blignaut
20. Rory Kockott
21. Ruan Pienaar
22. Riaan Swanepoel
I got the pack mostly right
So Frik Venter is back in Durban
@robdylan (Comment 24) :
WHO is Frik Venter?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 25) : You mean you don’t know? Evrybody knows Frik Venter.
@McLovin (Comment 26) :
For Friks Sake I have no clue.
Personal Details
Full Name Christopher (Frik)
Surname Venter
Height 181cm
Weight 112kg
Birth Date 18 April 1982
Birth City Pretoria
2008
Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Div)
Valke (Vodacom Cup)
Valke (Absa Currie Cup Promotion/Relegation)
2006
Medicover Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
Connaught ,Ireland
2005
The Sharks (ABSA Currie Cup Qualifying Round)
Natal Wildebeest (Vodacom Cup)
Natal Wildebeest (Vodacom Cup)
2002
South Western Districts U/21 (Bankfin Under 21)
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : I’m always amused by some people’s nicknames. How did Christopher become Frik?
Why not just name the kid Frik if that’s what your going to call him.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : one of the most amazing things about this oke is that he is equally comfortable ANYWHERE in the front row.