The Sharks coaches have hinted that changes should be kept to a minimum this week for Friday night’s game against the Pumas at ABSA Stadium. One player who is sure to be included in the match 22, after returning from injury, is big loose forward Willem Alberts.
The 120kg monster was one of the Sharks stand-out performers in an ill-fated and underwhelming Super 14 campaign. His partnership with Jean Deysel was a thing of beauty to behold and while the Sharks have done an admirable holding job in the loose forwards in the absence of both players, Alberts’ return, followed (we hope) by Deysel’s the following week, should go a long way towards restoring the brutish edge to the pack.
Alberts will probably play off the bench this week, with another regular starter, Bok winger Odwa Ndungane, also poised to return to the squad. In his case, though, slotting him into the side is far from straightforward, with Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen and Louis Ludk combining superbly in the back three against the Blue Bulls. John Plumtree has already confirmed that he intends to retain the key axis of Charl McLeod, Steve Meyer and Pat Lambie at 9, 10 and 12 and with captain Stefan Terblanche operating at outside centre, it is quite unlikely that the run-on backline (or, in fact the forward pack) will contain any changes at all for Friday’s match.
Continuity and momentum will be key as the Sharks face a tricky away fixture in Bloemfontein in round 4. Tinkering with the side now, I feel, would be a mistake and it’s crucial that the team really gets into the groove against the Pumas and scores a good bonus-point win ahead of the Cheetahs game.
Probable Sharks team: 15 Ludik, 14 Pietersen, 13 Terblanche (capt), 12 Lambie, 11 Mvovo, 10 Meyer, 9 McLeod, 8 Daniel, 7 Rhodes, 6 Botes, 5 Hargreaves, 4 Sykes, 3 Herbst, 2 Burden, 1 Cilliers
16 Cooper, 17 van Staden, 18 Skeate, 19 Alberts, 20 Kockott, 21 Dumond, 22 Ndungane
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I hope that Plum does keep the backline from the Bulls game, they did a superb job on attack and defence.
Looking forward to see the big man coming back into the team.
overrated!!
@wpw (Comment 2) : Overrated, like the WP / Stormers every year.
@SharksRTB (Comment 3) :
I concur!!
@wpw (Comment 2) : I must be honest, I didn’t think too much of him when I heard he had signed with the Sharks, but he showed that the buzz about him was true. I’m hoping he has a cracker of a Currie Cup season.
@wpw (Comment 2) : Alberts is the best eightman in SA, dude. Much better cleaner at the rucks, much better a defender and far better at breaking the advantage line than either Spiesie or Dwyntjie.
Hi Everybody!!!. Sharks were great over the weekend!!, that’s more like the way i remember the Sharks playd when they are on their way to be the best team in the Currie Cup again.
Finishing was our main problem over the last few months of bad sharks rugby and things are looking up again.
I think because Plumtree signed a 3 year exstension and the players now know where they stand, they are hungry for success again!. Things just feel more in place and the uncertain feeling we had a few months ago about whether the coach are going to leave or not is now gone.
We are slowly but surely moving into the right direction again, that’s a great feeling to know THE SHARKS ARE BACK IN TOWN!!!.
I’m really excited about how the team is looking these days. I’m almost dreading the return of the Boks. Bismark, then we will loose a guy like Kyle cooper and Burden will see no game time…again. I wonder what Plumtree will do when Adi comes back. Stefan is captain, but Adi is a better 13.
I guess it’s a good thing that the guys playing right now are showing some real competition for permanent places in the team. The trick now is to keep everyone happy otherwise we will start loosing players…again.
@wpw (Comment 2) : You are going to swallow those words
@Letgo (Comment 7) : thing is – will this team without boks be good enough to beat other teams with the boks.
i got excited when i read the title thinking it was about the flasher girls. but i realised i had read a “t” at the end of the title.
@try time (Comment 10) : good one TT haha!!
i saw W A at the local spar on the week end and he has major strapping on the ankle still ,but seems to be walking with ease.
@rhineshark (Comment 5) :
Thank goodness you’re not a Bok selector!!
@wpw (Comment 13) : thankgoodness you’re only a wp fan!!
@Letgo (Comment 7) : I think that with JPP being included in the boks squad for the return leg of the tri-nations we will probably see old Stef moving to wing with Adi (once fit) slotting back in at 13.
@rhineshark (Comment 5) : Agreed, a true 8th man, not spectacular, but gets the job done properly.
@wpw (Comment 13) : @rhineshark (Comment 5) : i have to agree on spies. spies is great against the smaller unions, but his poor defence puts the boks under a lot of pressure against strong unions.
i think rob had inside info because his team is exactly the same as that announced, right down to the numbering.
Looks potentially a well balanced side…..
……especially if you swap Mvovo and Lambie around !
@try time (Comment 17) : oh sorry rob put odwa in instead cos he doesn’t like dries.
@ruggabugga (Comment 14) :
Says the newbie with only one gold star!!!
@try time (Comment 16) :
Spies is one of the most overrated players in SA.
He has been absolutely no where this season.
Take him out of the Bulls team and he is shite.
I’d prefer Vermeulen and Kanko ahead of him.
@wpw (Comment 2) : Do you need a hug?? It seems you are screaming for some attention.
@wpw (Comment 20) : Dude i been here for over 2 years ,im a reader not a writer,also a very slow typer
@Farlington (Comment 22) : its a wp supporter thing
@Farlington (Comment 22) :
Not at all bru.
Don’t need a hug, especially not from a fellow dude!!
@wpw (Comment 25) : Mabye farlington a chick wp!!
@ruggabugga (Comment 23) :
Bro, I’m just pulling your leg man!!
@wpw (Comment 27) : never a problem wp, i sincerely wish i could type close to what i am trying to say,then i’d be on here all the time btw how many comments needed till i get my second star?
@ruggabugga (Comment 26) :
Well in that case: HUBBA HUBBA!!
@wpw (Comment 29) : haha ,do you stay near newlands?
@wpw (Comment 20) : you have only one star.
@wpw (Comment 25) : Wow so defensive…
Keep your pants on mate, it was just a question not an offer. 
@try time (Comment 31) : and its silver. so gold beats silver.
@try time (Comment 31) : yes tt but he got a BIG shiny star mabye teachers pet type him?
@Farlington (Comment 32) : are you a chick??
@wpw (Comment 21) : agreed. i can’t add anything to that.
hehehe
You guys are versin!!
@ruggabugga (Comment 34) :
i’ll keep my gold. worth more than silver at the moment.
Kanko was disappointing last week when he came on. when he got the ball it was a bit of jp’s hesitation and to the ground.
@Letgo (Comment 7) : Bismarck ?! Bite your tongue!
@try time (Comment 10) : Flasher girls are conspiciously absent from this site . . . Rob can at least organise a Flasher Girl Gallery for us
@ruggabugga (Comment 12) : I hope you WA wasn`t ordering a pie when you saw him!!
@Original Pierre (Comment 40) : nah! just a few groceries,in durban north you see quite a few of the players and cricketers