The loss of no fewer than 11 of his players to a Bok training camp this weekend, coupled with the fact that two of them are carrying injuries after Saturday’s hard-fought win over the Bulls, may be a cause of concern to Sharks coach John Plumtree as he plans to win the Currie Cup for the second time in only three years.
After a poor Super 14 campaign, which saw the stocks of several Sharks Bok hopefuls fall, the black and white is again flavour of the day with the national selectors and a superb Currie Cup campaign has seen the likes of Pat Lambie, Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo emerge as genuine contenders for the green and gold. With Plumtree opting to give his battle-weary troops a few days off at the start of this week, losing virtually half his squad just as his preparations are about to get underway in earnest is hardly ideal.
Then again, it’s not like the coach really needs to do all that much with this team ahead of the final. They already know how to do what they need to do and I’m sure the focus will be on mental preparation, fine-tuning the game plan and managing the players’ bodies to ensure they can be as close to their peak as is possible after a long season. The Bok management has given the assurance they there will be no hard physical work involved at the camp, which is good, because Plum would have a serious sense-of-humour failure were Lambie or Alberts to be sent back crocked a few days before the most important game of the year.
Bismarck du Plessis and JP Pietersen are the only injury concerns at this stage. The Bok hooker picked up a hand injury against the Bulls (aside from the nut injury inflicted by the cowardly Derick Kuun), but there is no indication at this stage as to how serious it is, or whether he’s in any danger of missing the final. JP Pietersen is probably unlikely to play, but with Odwa Ndungnae in great form and Adi Jacobs champing at the bit to return to the squad, I doubt the Sharks coaches will be too concerned either way.
The wp players are at the camp to aren’t they?
@Ben (Comment 1) : they are… but only 7 of them, I think
How many sharks then?
OK. And how many WP players are out for camp as well? (I didnt say are camp, I said out for camp)…
@Ben (Comment 3) : umm…. you did READ the article, right?
@robdylan (Comment 5) : lol yes I did just forgot you said 11
my bad
@Ben (Comment 6) : no stress bud
@robdylan (Comment 7) : lol bissie has got a nut injury you say
JP won’t be such a big loss
@Ben (Comment 8) : well, Kuun blikked him in the balls… then again, I don’t think KLuun is strong enough to hurt Bizness…
hope bismark is alright by the final we gonna need his physicality to dominate province.
@robdylan (Comment 7) : why is jp unlikely to play? Did he hurt his hammy again or was it not 100percent going into the semi? I know he came of after like 10 min or something because of his hammy
@robdylan (Comment 10) : derick knew it was the only way he could make bissie fall! I HATE derick kuun
@Charlie (Comment 9) : We have depth on our wings. But JP has a habit of putting in a few big tackles. Although, in the last S14, he let in far too many soft tries. That’s why I want him to play. I’d want the tackle side of his game to get back to where it used to be. I still want a S15 title.
@Charlie (Comment 9) :
Super stoked I got my tickets today, I understand that there are still single tickets available in dbn while woodburn (PMB) has got a large block of tickets to sell- for anyone who hasn’t got yet.
@rugbypedia (Comment 14) : need him there ,because he brings a lot of aggro to the team as well ..he is very competitive (wont allow habana or jean div to intimidate him .. or schalkie for that matter
!!! )
South African Rugby Union (Saru) spokesperson Andy Colquhoun gave the assurance that the players would not be involved in physical training sessions.
“There will be discussions about game plans and the logistical planning for the tour will be done,” he said.
Do they really have to all go to Jo’burg for what sounds to me like a meeting? Can’t the just do it on skype?
@RuckingFun (Comment 16) : MAKE A NOISE AT THE GAME!!!
@RuckingFun (Comment 16) : wish I didn’t stay so far away from durbs
Nah! Bissie has balls of steel! No injury there!
JP haven’t been part of the CC success this year for the Sharks IMO…
@bergshark (Comment 19) : always do, plus thers gonna be at least 50 000 sharks supporters in the crowd, gonna be madness!
@Ben (Comment 20) : I know the feeling
@McLovin (Comment 18) : And why do they have to do it now? Can’t this wait? Rather get together on 31/10, and let those involved in the final concentrate on that only. Now you pull players from the squads preparing for the final, who you don’t even know yet whether they are going to be touring, because the touring squad will only be announced after the final. Makes no sense whatsoever
@robdylan (Comment 24) : how far are you?
@Ben (Comment 26) : I’m in England
@robdylan (Comment 27) : lol your not that far!
@ Greg, if the final followed the weekend after the semi’s it would have been much better so a week get’s actually wasted for the finalist and Bok management in preperation time
@Ben (Comment 28) : where are you?
@Greg (Comment 25) : Dude, since when does anything SARU does ever make sense?
Hey Charles, Adi hasn’t been part of the Sharks’ CC success this year either…
@robdylan (Comment 30) : I stay in rustenburg
@rhineshark (Comment 31) : Yeah, but we live in hope
@McLovin (Comment 18) : there will be serving muffins…
oh well. I do think it’s a waste of time , maybe not so much waste but the timing not the best for the finalists. Though one must remember that the first game is on the 6th of Nov. So it’s a week after final.
for the uncapped players it must be a huge thing – so they must be excited.
@Ben (Comment 33) : THE SHARK contingent in Rustenburg is really getting bigger………….
)
(Lets hope the Luiperde stay in the CC
At least then once a year we can see the Sharks play