The Sharks XV will take on the Cheetahs Vodacom Cup team in the curtain raiser to today’s Super 14 clash in Durban. Louis Ludik will start at fullback in a strong Sharks XV outfit.Since there’s been no official announcement, I’ve needed to use my contacts within the squad to try and piece together the starting 15. I think I have it right, but there might be a few positions that aren’t 100% accurate.
Pat Cilliers will captain the team from loosehead prop, with Baby Boks Kyle Cooper (hooker) and Wiehahn Herbst (tighthead) joining him in the front row. The settled combination of Jandre Marais and Anton Bresler continue in the second row, with Justin Downey, Lambert Groewald and Luvo Lusaseni making up the loose trio.
Ross Cronjé will be at scumhalf, with a certain Jacques Venter picked as his partner. This may well be the same Venter who up until recently was playing Varsity Cup rugby for the TUT Vikings. Jean Stemmet and Jerome Pretorius are the centers, with Rosco Speckman and Mark Richards, both of whom played for the under 21s last year, joining Ludik in the back 3.
Expect to see wholesale changes in the second half, though, as there’s a big squad and coach Sean Everitt will want to give everyone a run.
Sharks XV
1 Pat Cilliers (capt), 2 Kyle Cooper, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 4 Jandre Marais, 5 Anton Bresler, 6 Justin Downey, 7 Lambert Groenewald, 8 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 9 Ross Cronjé, 10 Jacques Venter, 11Rosco Speckman, 12 Jean Stemmet, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 14 Mark Richards, 15 Louis Ludik
That looks like a really good team, just not sure who ross cronjé is
Very good side that. VC could be ours this year.
On a different note: Reds 27 – Crusaders 6 (58min)
I hope he gets through the game ok. Good luck to Ludik and the rest of the squad.
@war1 (Comment 1) : Me neither, but Rob reckons he’s cute
where’s Lambie, good luck Ludik, score a brace
yes good luck ludik it looks like a very strong sharks team just hope we get bonus 5 we need that before we go on tour
Reds 41 – Crusaders 13 (76min)
this might not be right… hearing something about Lambie being at 10…
interested to see how stemmet does. We need some depth at inside. Hop pat does play fly cause he has all the potential to be a star there.
@JJR (Comment 9) : i think Pat will play 10
Right place to blood the young guys, give ‘em an opportunity in voda-cup first, then CC and finaly S14…not that they’d do it that way…
Where oh where is Riaan Swanepoel?
@Fido (Comment 12) : Nursing a injury
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Please let that just be a silly rumour. The guy has talent, but as FTL said he should be blooded through the system. As a previous poster noted, we all saw what happened to Gaffie.
So I take it Ludik is 100% then and this is just to get him back into action, he should then go on tour also…so we’re getting some depth at full back….very good
@rhineshark (Comment 14) : Don’t worry, this is for voda-cup, not S14
@rhineshark (Comment 14) : Lambie at 10 for the Sharks XV in the warmup game… not for the Sharks in the S14!!!!
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Jeez, must go to Specsavers
Almost had a coronary – all this waiting is getting to me on a slooow Firday afternoon.
@rhineshark (Comment 18) : you’re telling me. Bring on the game!
Sharks XV match kicks off in an hour. Now if only someone could be there to give us updates
@FireTheLooser (Comment 15) : Fires, Yip think this is to get Ludik some game time. Hope he goes on tour. Would be good to see Lambie play FH.
Good under 21 representation.
@Salmonoid (Comment 21) : yup… 10/15
will this be televised by any chance?
@rekinek (Comment 23) : fat chance
Wow! Almost more excited abt the XV line up than the Sharks one. Com on boytjies show your talent!!
we’re leading 10-0 after half an hour
@robdylan (Comment 26) :
Sean everitt for sharks currie cup coach!! And give there boytjies a go in the currie cup as well, well i can dream cant i?
@robdylan (Comment 26) : nice
@war1 (Comment 28) : I’ll dream with you
ok – it’s 17-0 with half time approaching.
Lambie is playing 10, but otherwise the team is as written above… except the centres are switched!
Try to Stemmet, try to Ludik. Two convs and a pen to Lambie
@robdylan (Comment 31) :
howcome we don’t have Vodacom Cup pool. Isn’t VC on SB
@robdylan (Comment 31) : is Lambie on the park already?
@rekinek (Comment 33) : what position?
@rekinek (Comment 32) : nope, cos nobody watches it and nobody cares
@rekinek (Comment 34) : he started at 10.
sounds like we’re giving them a torrid time in the scrums
@robdylan (Comment 35) :
the arti says that jacques Venter started at 10. And I think when the side was released originally Ludik and lambie both were on the bench.
@robdylan (Comment 35) :
Well if the VC side gets the results and the big boys dont, we wont have any choice but to be interested.
Good luck to Sharks tonight. We have to win this one.
@rekinek (Comment 37) : this side was never released anywhere
But yeah, looks like my information about Venter starting was wrong
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) : exactly. I love the Vodacom Cup myself, but I’m afraid it’s not a widely-held view
@robdylan (Comment 40) :
i am seeing things 
@rekinek (Comment 42) : did you read the arti? I was given the side by one or two of the players. There was never an official announcement
Hows that score coming on?
@Salmonoid (Comment 44) : it’s now 20-0. Seems lots of changes at half time. Jacques Venter (he does exist!) now on at ten and he kicked a penalty.
@robdylan (Comment 45) :
Thanks.
Thats me for the day, have a goode one all. Time to make preperatiuons for the game
Any change in the score, Rob? How are you getting updates btw?
@rhineshark (Comment 47) : I’m updating as I get them… still 20 nil, as far as I know.
I have a friend at the game.
Thanks. Good to have friends in the right places
Final score 27-0
last try was by Mark Richards
@rhineshark (Comment 49) : I have friends in so many places that the law of averages works in my favour from time to time
Great stuff! Now let’s hope our Sharkies can emulate them.
@robdylan (Comment 50) : who won
@Jarson’s (X + V) (Comment 54) : nevamind
@robdylan (Comment 43) : busted – just checked the team
but i could have sworn i saw it somewhere
@robdylan (Comment 50) :
@rhineshark (Comment 2) : Hey man…if you’re gonna give away scores, first give some sort of warning.
I wanted to watch that game later today
Now I can’t read the rest of the blog, because I’m sure more of you will comment on that.
That’s pretty cool though, I like that one of the weaker teams are starting to show their stuff and even more glad that it’s against the crusaders. I’m tired of crusaders dominance. I hope they loose a lot more games this year…go reds.
So…?
Left the Lions to become a Vodacom cup player? Hmmmm
Why do I have 5 stars under my name?
An Rob has 3 silver stars….lol
Oh I see now there is like a points system…
It seems post earn you a lot of points…
Well it seems the you up and coming CC players are catching up to me with some speed…seems I might get demoted during the S14…lol
Are there vodacom up players as well?