Sharks lock Alistair Hargreaves is in doubt for this weekend’s crunch local derby against the Lions. The big former DHS second-rower injured a shoulder against the Stormers on Saturday an is unlikely to recover in time to face the Joburg side.
Former Stormers and Toulon lock Ross Skeate, who has played two games for the Sharks XV in recent weeks after being out for a few months with injury looks likely to replace Hargreaves in the squad, although it’s not currently clear whether he will replace Hargreaves in the starting lineup, or come onto the bench with Gerhard Mostert making the step up into the number 5 jersey.
More on this as we get it, as always.
I reckon Gerhard and Sykes would be a great combo, and then ease Skeate in from the bench…
I think this year we have 4 very decent locks in Big Al / Sykes / Skeate / Mostert
Only problem is next year once Skyes leaves we short on quality depth in the enforcing dept.
Big Al / Skeate play the same sort of game so Sykes will be a huge loss…just as he really established himself as a quality lock.
But on this article, hope Big Al gets well soon cause he has been immense last year and this year.
@Barrel (Comment 2) : Defnitely we will feel Sykes’s loss, but we have Bressler that can make a step-up too.
@Ice (Comment 3) : Bressler still has a lot to learn and is not @ that level @ all yet.
We must not fall into the same category as the Lions and think players are haead of where they actually are.
Pat Cilliers was a back up to the Currie Cup but they play him as a Super Rugby player @ the Lions and they losing.
My point is the Lions bought that sort of category player and thought they would perform.
Bressler is the same player @ the minute. He is back up in the Currie Cup.
He has toplay and get years of experience beofre he is a quality Super Rugby player.
@Ice (Comment 3) : Bressler is also the same type of lock as Al and Skeate.
@Ben (Comment 5) : oops…
@Ben (Comment 5) : Didnt Sykes start on 5?
Can’t wait for Skeaterboy to return. He was looking really good last year.
I hope the powers that be are looking out for quality hardmen in that lock position…
We have Al / Skeate / Bressler who are all the same typr of player and only Mostert who is an enforcer…
we need to be looking to places in the UK and France for ex Saffa’s to come back and ply their trade @ the Sharks…
@Ice (Comment 7) : Nope Sykes is a number 4
What about Daniel Adonga – that guy is big enough to be lock, not?
@Ice (Comment 11) : 1.97 @ 110kg (so far)…
@Barrel (Comment 9) : Been a while since we last had a frenchman in the side…
@Ben (Comment 10) : Ben – I am pretty sure that Sykes started out as a 5 lock…let me go and check…
Glad to hear the return of Skeate. The guy has a lot of experience and will bring that to the field.
@Barrel (Comment 4) : The fact that all the okes you mention play for Rovers have *anything* to do with your assessment of their pedigree?
And it’s Bresler with only one “s”.
@Ben (Comment 5) : @Ben (Comment 10) :
Sorry Ben – I was right – Sykes played both 4 and 5….apology accepted…
Wow with Skeate back that’s even better news! Imagine in a few weeks time when we have a forwards lineup that has players like Skeate, the Du Plessis brothers, Alberts, Deysel, Kankowski, Sykes, Hargreaves, Beast – some of the biggest, fastest and most brutal forwards in the country! I’d hate to play against any of them!!
Sharks team to face the Lions:
1 Beast
2 Smit
3 Van Staden
4 Sykes
5 Mostert / Hargreaves
6 Daniels
7 Alberts
8 Kankowski
9 Hoffman
10 Potgieter
11 Mvovo
12 Bosman
13 Jacobs
14 Pietersen
15 Ndungane
Bench:
16 B Du Plessis
17 J Du Plessis
18 Skeate / Mostert
19 Deysel
20 McCleod
21 Terblanche
22 Ludik
Slightly different from the one I posted yesterday, but if they play like I know they can we should put 50 points past the Lions!
@Ice (Comment 17) : Oh did you mean start of his career as a number 5? Thought you meant the last game.
Great news that Skeato’s back, but hope that Ali gets better soon.
@Ice (Comment 17) : That is besides the point anyway, Sykes and Mostert are enforcers. Skeate, big Al and Bresler are not. So we will be left with one enforcing lock. Catch my drift?
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 19) : This is your dream team for the weekend, right? I couldn’t find any posts on the actual team for the week.
@King Shark (Comment 23) : How I would love to see Deysel and Alberts playing side by side again. Preferably Deysel going in on the low side and Alberts over the top on a Lions player.
@Ben (Comment 20) : Yes – cant people read at the age of 24??
Surely Mostert could be trained to be an enforcer?
@Ice (Comment 25) : So Mostert can take over from Sykes…then Dan Man can come in as next in line? he plays flank and lock..
@Ice (Comment 25) : Haha Ice can’t you read? Mostert is an Enforcer!
@Ben (Comment 27) : Read 25…if you can!
“Surely Mostert could be trained to be an enforcer?”
He already is one. Why do you want him to be trained to be one?
@Ben (Comment 29) : I meant 26! LOL
@Ice (Comment 26) : I ain’t worried about enforcing and stomping the heads of sissy pussycats this weekend. I’m just mindful of the fact that with all of the penalties we are inevitably going to be awarded, how many of them are actually going to go through the poles?
@Viking (Comment 24) : Break ‘em in half you say?!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 31) : Apparantly only about 40% if the past two weeks are anything to go by.
@Ice (Comment 30) : You say I can’t read but at least I can type!!! Hahahaha
Ask Rob, I spent years criticizing Ali at every chance I got but the boy has really stepped up over the last 2 years, he has put on the right kind of weight and is a bladdy nuisance on opposition lineout ball, hope for your guys sake that he gets over his injury quickly.
Welcome back Skeato!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 31) : Enforcing and stomping? Never mind, we have enough medical cover!
Careful, though, bear in mind that pride does come before a fall
Hi all,
i personally think that weve got enough in the lock department. Bresler will come through for us in the next 2 seasons i believe. rather we concentrate on getting a lock that can get our lineout ball, than worry about an enforcer (not that an enforcer is not needed)
a few guys named our backline as planless etc. if you go and have a look, i believe its because JLP starts out too deep and keep hold of the ball too long before passing, something a kicking flyhalf tends to do, and a “trick” learned at the bulls i believe. and thats enough to hamper any backline. i feel he has got potential, as he was a running flyhalf, changed into a kicking one… the one thing i cant stand is his defence… he really has to work on his commitment on defence.
I personally think having bresler and mostert playing together would work ,bresler is a tough player and tackles better than any lock in our ranks .
Play this forward pack and it would be dynamite ,unusual ,but awesome, nice to dream haha
Van Staaden
Smit
Beast
Bresler
Mostert
Deysel
Alberts
Daniels
Guys did I miss something somewhere? Did we sign a new player? Who is this Daniels oke?
@Ben (Comment 40) : it is Daniel multiplied ie. Super Daniel.
@Ben (Comment 40) : yip, jack daniels, he is from the US…
@VanWilder (Comment 42) : Can you drink him from a glass?
@Talent (Comment 39) :
Talent…It’s DANIEL without the “s”….
@Ben (Comment 43) : if you can sqeeze him in there…
he is a good friend of Mr Morgan, Captain of some team in the us, and johnny Walker…
@VanWilder (Comment 45) : I love their cousin, Jameson.
Skeate, looking forward to see him play some big rugby again, he hasn’t really played that much for us, so looking forward to that. Hargreaves won’t be playing this weekend, so lets put Mustard on the field and bench Ross, good depth. Deysel is training with the Vodacom Cup team, so Wolla will be SupeRugby after the bye, which is good timing from our perspective. Sykes is a tough guy, but he is replaceable, not too worried about his departure from a depth perspective, but he is an ‘yster’. We really need to beat the Lions hansome like, go into the bye happy, and come back firing.
@Ben (Comment 46) : They all have a Red Heart…
But I dont like their step uncle – Sir Ricky Louw…he has no Bols and shouts for the Bulls..
@Ice (Comment 48) : You can say that again!
@Ice (Comment 48) : 2 part Captain, 2 part Ricky Louw = Captain Ricky Louw = great night parading behind the boerewors curtain.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 50) : Eish – I’d rather step in a Rusty Nail! Now THAT equals a good night parading on Dubbans beach front!
@Ice (Comment 51) : Damn Skippy, the only way I can go to Loftus and watch a game is to have just enough blood in the alcohol stream, you know, just so I can blend in… Unless of course I’m in a box and I can sepereate myself from the revolutionaries… Classic chirp about the nail!
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 52) : Howzit going DD?
news in is hargreaves out for 3 weeks
@sharks_lover (Comment 54) : Sheit…
Skeate back is great news. Now I just hope that Plum gives us all a huge present and picks Deysel as well for the weekend, thoigh I doubt that he will.
@Ice (Comment 55) : Indeed. We seem to be hitting the injury wall quite hard, eh?
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 57) : Damn – to Key players too!
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 52) : I have only ever braved the Loftus stands for the Lions tour two years ago. The rest of my “Lo(ftu)s Lyf” has been spent in a losie, similarly trying to pickle my liver, learning the words to De La Rey.
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 59) : I lie. And the first re-entry match between the Boks and the English in the early 90s.
@Ice (Comment 58) : There has to be a “reason” for all of this, at this moment in time. Just have to have faith, I guess! All will be revealed in due course!
@Ben (Comment 53) : Ben howzit mate, I’m looking forward to getting back online fully – my new notebook has a factory fault, and kippy now sits without proper comms – I don’t enjoy this cellular as a computer – eish I like the big screen and proper connection too much. Hopefully next week I can be back properly!
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 60) : no other way to do it! The PPC box is really a good one, often go when its The Boks or Sharks there… Sadly Loftus is closer to me than KP – try go to KP at least once a month – was there for our loss to The Stormers… Back to rugbu quick – looking forward to Mostert getting game time, sorry that it is injury forced though.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 62) : I’m good thanks. Where abouts do you stay? Will we see you next Thursday in Joburg?
@Ben (Comment 64) : I sadly won’t be in JHB next week, I am based in Ermelo during the week believe it or not, have road contracts and construction that keeps me tied down here… Would be good though to catch up with the guys over a beer – keep me posted on more events.
@robdylan (Comment 16) : absolutely nothing @ all mate…im just mentioning ‘big known’ players in general that have moved on or lack the quality…dont mix club and province as people should not mix bok and province…
@King Shark (Comment 13) : especially a french lock…olivier roumat…