Richie McCaw has failed to recover from his troublesome foot injury in time to be named to lead his Crusaders side against the Sharks this weekend, while the news for big Sonny Bill Williams is better.
Williams, who together with flyhalf Dan Carter and centre Rob Fruean formed an “axis of evil” that masterminded a first-half demolition of the Sharks at Twickenham earlier this year, returns to the number 12 shirt after missing out for the last two weeks. Another returnee from injury is wing Sean Maitland and his selection will pile additional pressure onto the Sharks who are already up against it after a grueling two-day travel itinerary which may see them go into the game somewhat off their peak. Maitland, after all, was one of the key beneficiaries of the space created by Williams at Twickenham and was a constant thorn in the Sharks’ side as a result of the good angles he tends to run.
There’ll be no respite up-front either. Matt Todd, the young open-side flank who has deputised so ably for McCaw this season, will again look to dominate matters at the breakdown as he is named in the number 7 shirt. Kieran will continue to captain the team from number 8 in McCaw’s absence.
We expect the Sharks side to be named a little later today.
Crusaders – 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (capt), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Kahn Fotuali’i, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Ryan Crotty/Brent Ward.
I’ve got a feeling….
A winning feeling…
Jitters!
A sharks winning feeling…
If anyone was wandering
Ohhhh getting excited!!!
@franshark (Comment 4) : Knowing you, I knew that!
How does Meyer Bosman compare size wise to Sonny?
@Uli (Comment 7) : Well for starters – he’s bi-ceps are the size of Bosmans waist…
wikipedia
Meyer Bosman
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 97 kg (210 lb)
Sonny
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight 108 kg (17 st 0 lb)[3]
@Ice (Comment 8) : rofl, He is still scared to take on Lomu in a boxing match , hehe
according to wiki, we will have a slight advantage in the lineout’s with those two as jumpers
hehe
sharks to take it in Nelson.
If Bosman plays anything like he did last we should have an interesting game!
@Megatron (Comment 12) : Although i know you are not serious – let’s make it serious and say ‘from Mega’s lips” and then you can blame yourself for the Saders loss?
Go Sharks
Crusaders apparently ready to ‘unleash’ on the Sharks this weekend.
@Uli (Comment 9) : Bosman has gone up to 100kg since he has joined The Sharks; check sharksrugby.co.za
@JJR (Comment 17) : They always Add a few to the profiles…like woman subtract a few…
@JJR (Comment 17) : in that case, Meyer can without a doubt take him on.
@Ice (Comment 18) : no way! hehe
lol im about 5 kgs heavier than meyer and 10 cm shorter …feel small
@Talent (Comment 21) : issit you, Ricky???
Anyone can take down sonny bill williams
robert erbeshon and that cheetahs centre showed the saders midfield whose boss 
@Ice (Comment 18) : Never
; according to what Plum told us on off season (Stef gained 6kg of Muscle); Stef should be around 100kg; but the profile still says 95kg. I rate when the Currie Cup profiles come out Michalak will be 82kg; whereas the toulouse website said 80kg. Always happens when new signings join The Sharks; they gain muscle mass quickly. Mark Steele rocks!!!
@Ice (Comment 22) : Nice one
@Muzi (Comment 23) : Pretty sure The Sharks have watched that game video to prepare for this game. They did exactly what anyone could tell you. Play Banana Defence, which stops SBW from giving the good offloads and come from his blindside and force him towards the forwards…he can’t do anything!!! Obviously close the gap withour rushing up too fast; if you let him run at you one on one he will def. be looking for the offload after contact, because you have to go low to get him down. Go Sharks!!!!
@Muzi (Comment 23) : I reckon studying the Cheetah / Saders game might not have been a bad idea…and off course our second half against the Saders…
@JJR (Comment 26) : The saders cheat!!!!!!!
those forward passes are not inside passes sonny bill williams is damn good BUT he aint no jonah lomu…nail him once and he is toast just do not give him respect tackle the living day lights out of him 
@McLovin (Comment 16) : they were looking to unleash on their opponents the last 4 weeks
@Ice (Comment 27) : You sharkies have nothing to worry about…oupa stefan is on form also bosman they drilled meisie kind at loftus….just call brendan venter he was the mastermind after all
thats a pretty awesome Crusaders team i have to say… if we manage to win, we would certainly deserve it. Its going to be tough.
Can anyone remember our weekness in our previous game in london?
i remember that they had success attacking the channel inside our flyhalf with their wings… i dont think michalak will let that happen.
my opinion: its going to be a wet, close encounter with penalty kicks at goal winning it… i hope lambie brings his kicking boots with.
@Ice (Comment 22) : hahahaha! no ricky is about 10 cm shorter than me!!
@JJR (Comment 24) : and that is amazing considering it is during the season!
@BR (Comment 29) : eeeew
@Megatron (Comment 12) :
W
T
F
?
MEGAAAAAAA someone stole your username.
The crusaders high risk rugby will let them down at some stage ,lets hope its now! Not sure we will see to many SBW offloads
@Talent (Comment 36) : Thats the all blacks blueprint for the world cup in a final all defences are tight a centre has no room to flick pass and look good for the cameras
@BR (Comment 29) : They won 3 out of 4 & unlucky to have lost the one they did over the last 4 weeks?
@Muzi (Comment 37) : It also means theyll play a brand of rugby we can dominate *tight defense,forward dominant & tactical kicking*boom
@Talent (Comment 39) : Exactly we will use the skop and jag tactic basically what the bulls are good at let’s hope morne or butch have their kicking boots on
@Talent (Comment 33) : I know; just shows how hard The Sharks train; super running Fit and gaining muscle mass no problem IN SEASON…Crazy!!! The Sharks rock man!!!
I have been stuck on weight for a year or so now; maybe i should go train with The Sharks for 2 weeks and gain 5kg, HE HE.
@Talent (Comment 36) : Interesting to see if SBW still tries those offloads when it is Wet…we will see how the weather looks. Personally i don’t want the wet; Sharks don’t really adapt their gameplan too well when it is Wet. Plus, it is a bladdy boring game with all those Kicks and scrums.
I reckon they eat horses .Just about what you HAVE to eat when you are that size and doing that much exercise, the amazon is being cut down to feed the sharks players salad :<
@Ice (Comment 14) : i am quite serious actually…
@McLovin (Comment 38) : and not one of them were with a significant margin
@JJR (Comment 41) : Ill bet that the only players who dont gain muscle mass are those springboks going to the world cup, the ones open for drug screening…
Spies will get smaller at the world cup haha
@JJR (Comment 42) : Wet shouldnt bother the Sharks ,we play in humid weather which is worse .
If it is wet it may come down to kicking and we have more and better kickers than the saders! Their set piece may give ours a horrid time ,thats why I WOULD START WITH J SMIT, imo he is better at scrums and L.O than Bissi
@BR (Comment 45) : Winning is winning. Just repeating what they said.
@JJR (Comment 41) : there’s only one way to gain 5kg of muscle in two weeks mate and I’m pretty sure Steelo doesn’t advocate it…
@McLovin (Comment 47) : I would say unleashing on a team means to give them quite a hiding
@BR (Comment 49) : Agree.
@Talent (Comment 36) : Is that you Divvie?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 51) : make the lolling stop
@Megatron (Comment 44) : How do we get in contact with Megatron? Someone definitely hijacked his account