Allister Coetzee has named a fairly youthful side to take on the Sharks in what should be a very tough encounter at DHL Newlands on Saturday evening.
The last clash between the sides will still be fresh in the minds of both teams as it was just a few weeks ago that the unfancied Sharks played the Stormers off the park in the semi final of this year’s SupeRugby competition. Most on this site would have ‘believed’ in their side (that quote from Stefan Terblanche springs to mind) and it is for this reason that the Sharks would in my opinion hold a slight psychological advantage.
The WP team has a number of changes due to Bok call ups as well as injuries to key players. Duane Vermeulen is not ready just yet and will more than likely be involved next weekend. His place at number 8 is filled by Canadian import Jebb Sinclair who should offer some valuable experience at the back of the scrum.
Deon Fourie moves to openside and has been named as captain for the Currie Cup season.
Here is the team:
15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Deon Carstens.
Subs: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Brok Harris, 18 JC Kritzinger, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Gary van Aswegen, 22 Damian de Allende.
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The SupeRugby finalists are definitely favourites for this one!!
Oh and to the likes of Pokkel, Villie and a few others, you will finally get to see the legend that is JP du Plessis!
“Can you tackle Duane Vermeulen?”
Nee meneer, hy’t ‘n eina
@Die Kriek (Comment 3) : I thought he’d be back by now?
so they wont be overwhelming favorites as people have mentioned.
@Die Kriek (Comment 4) : he knew we will tackle him back into a crutch condition again so he chickend out
stormers without 8 players, sharks without 17
@sharks_lover (Comment 7) : who cares
@Megatron (Comment 8) : Hey go back to voldy and Continue your trouble making there, dont do it here
and im helping people out that think the Sharks should be favourites, OH wait ur A stormer, but soon will tell me ur a Kings supporter, oh wait he dont support rugby he just here to antgonise, thats our transvestite
@sharks_lover (Comment 7) :
I agree with Megatron.
There is a thing called ‘depth’ which is something the Sharks have an abundance of.
Also, we’ve had much more injuries than you guys this year but you don’t hear us bringing that up all the time…
Sharks team have been announced.
@wpw (Comment 10) : Dont agree , you dont have more injuries
And trust me it’s brought up all the time,MAybe not by you but just look at all the press
when the Super15 started the Sharks played without atleast 13 players, if you want i can go name them for you, and we had 90% of our matches as away games, Yet when we beat you guys in Durban the press waas full of the Stormer injuries?????????
you had 4 loose forwards out and 1 lock, thats it So sorry boet I have not used it as an excuse now either , just sayign there are reasons the Sharks should not be seen as favourites
@wpw (Comment 10) : tell you what, you start naming you injuries and i’ll do the same. you might be shocked as to what you find
@sharks_lover (Comment 9) : where did i say “i’m a Stormer”?
the team that walks on the field is a TEAM…no lousy excuses…
on the one hand you’re gloating about “SharksBoks” – geez, how pathetic – and on the other you’re bitching about losing 14 players…
@wpw (Comment 10) : Whats with playing Sinclair, is he here on a long term contract, if not then they are stuffing around playing him now when the game time / experience gained will be invaluable for an up and coming youngster..
@Megatron (Comment 14) : Are you going to Joburg for the jazz festival?
@Salmonoid (Comment 15) : with carr, burger, vermuelen, koster, kolisi unavailable they extended his contract to Currie Cup…
the Sharks are the last union to question anyone about using foreigners that one should be just clear.
@Salmonoid (Comment 16) : joie of jazz? NO, i’m going to Newlands for Boks vs Argies
sharks_lover and megatron, please will the two of you rather just leave each other alone? Thanks.
ok
@Salmonoid (Comment 15) :
He is staying for the Currie Cup.
We signed him because we’ve lost Schalk and Carr for the entire season and Koster is also still unavailable.
@Megatron (Comment 17) : Yes, but we’re not The Sharks, we’re Sharks supporters and we complain about the same thing when the Sharks do it, so we can complain…. or point it out. We are experts on the matter.
@sharks_lover (Comment 7) : How do you count 17? I count 14.
And for the Stormers with all their injuries 10.
I think this one will be close.
No favourites before the season started.
@Letgo (Comment 23) : Oh no, just saw Joe has stayed in SA, so make that 9.
@Letgo (Comment 23) : were you complaining the time JMH and freddie played your team to wins and cups?
@sharks_lover (Comment 13) :
Here’s the list:
Schalk: season
Duane: half season
Koster: half season
Carr: Half season
Joe P: 3 games
Grant: 2 Games
GvA: Season
Habana: 1 game
Aplon: 1 game
Poolman: 3 games
Kitshoff: 3 games
JDJ: 1 game
JDV: 2 games
Fourie: 4 games
Your turn!
@wpw (Comment 26) : you win hands down. We have basically no injuries.
Tim – 6 weeks
Steph – 1 more week
Kyle – season
I can’t think of any others
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
Ag it’s a moot point anyway.
We still finished top of the log despite our injuries and lost a home semi final which is unforgivable.
Damn Sharks!!
@wpw (Comment 28) : will you okes play the same kak boring rugby in the Currie Cup too?
@Letgo (Comment 24) : you have 10 Boks Right??
you have 3 injured Kyle, Whitehead and PSDT
you have Ryan and Freddy thats just left for their reasons,
and you have 3 players being rested this weekend, that actually now makes 18
So is Grant still here or did he rock off to Japan again?
@robdylan (Comment 30) :
Rob thats sticking the knife deep in 
@robdylan (Comment 29) :
Juan Martin Hernandes played for the Sharks? I thought we only paid him to be injured on the sideline.
@robdylan (Comment 27) : Sykes, Lambie, Deysel, JPP….And that is just off the top of my head.
@wpw (Comment 21) : Fair enough, but if he is not going to be around for next years Super comp then I think you guys are wasting an opportunity to give someone (I have no idea who, but there must be guys with potential somewhere) a good run that will reap rewards at some stage.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 35) : Kankowski….WPW counted people that were injured for a single game, I am sure there are more Sharks that were injured for one or more games.
@Bite me (Comment 34) : We seem to have a history of those; Hernandez, Hoffman, Hall… hey! I see pattern! Quick, tell Streauli to stop buying players whose surname starts with a “h”!!
@Culling Song (Comment 38) : Epi is spelled with an H?
If only Marius Joubert was injured so often. Can’t we get Heimar or Wandile on the bench if you are looking at next year’s Super competition?
@robdylan (Comment 28) : lol Rob the injuries spoken of is when the Super 15 Started
When the Super 15 started the sharks had the following injuries and they varied during the season
Odwa
Jpp
Lambie
Beast
Deysel
Alberts
Kanko
HArgreaves, it was halfway through the season that he and Skeate decided to leave the Sharks, they were on the injury list till then
Skeate
Hoffman
Bismark during the tour
Ludik
PSDT
Whitehead
Jordaan
Sykes
redelinghuys
thats just off the top of my head, some of these players were injured, recovered and got re-injured ,
@Dancing Bear (Comment 39) : The “H” rule only applies to injury-prone players. Still figuring out the suspension-prone player rule…
@robdylan (Comment 29) :
I think we will probably play the same brand of attacking rugby as we did in the SR tourney!!
Aplon, GVDH, Joe P and the world’s greatest 13, JP du Plessis!
@Megatron (Comment 17) : Not questioning the use of foreigners, Im well aware of the Sharks use of them and I have no problem with that. I also wouldnt have any problem if Sinclair is still going to be around for next years Super Rugby competition, if not, then I think some or other promising player is missing out on some good experience in a lesser, but still competitive, environment.
@wpw (Comment 43) : Grant still around?
@Dancing Bear (Comment 37) :
Hey DB,
Have you met up with KSA Shark and family yet??
When you do please ask him how his ‘get rid of Plum’ group is coming along??
@JarsonX (Comment 45) :
Nope.
He’s off to Japan
I would not be too confident of this game, the Sharks MVP, Brok Harris, is only playing off the bench
@wpw (Comment 47) : So Francis is your 1st choice flyhalf then
@wpw (Comment 2) :
I feel so blessed to eventually see the saviour of Bok rugby in action!
@Pokkel (Comment 50) :
@wpw (Comment 46) : At this rate we are only going to see KSA here again sometime late next year.
@Salmonoid (Comment 45) : no youngster is missing out at WP, the youngsters are koster, carr, kolisi, armand, tyrone holmes. now i don’t know if you expect WP to draft their U19 and Varsity Cup flankers just to say “a youngster is getting an opportunity for good experience in a lesser, but still competitive, environment”.
@Megatron (Comment 53) : Of course some local is missing out if a foreigner is playing. Yes look at all structures, it could be u21, varsity cup and how about club rugby.
@wpw (Comment 46) : hehehehehehehehehe
@Dancing Bear (Comment 55) : Hi DB, trust all is well. When is your race at the Olympics.
@Salmonoid (Comment 56) : I missed the start!
Hope all is well with you….
@Bite me (Comment 41) : Wandile not playing that great, he cant even make the under 21 starting 15
Sammy
I’ll raise you one Fred Michalak.
People in glass houses and all that…
@Salmonoid (Comment 54) : Didn’t Tony Brown and that Fijian winger play for the Stormers in quite a few matches?
@Dancing Bear (Comment 60) : Not to mention the Natalian Peter Grant.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 61) : Or the Natalian retread Deon Carstens who is starting ahead of a very promising youngster at the Stormers.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 61) : dont forget the young aussie flyhalf and the hooker from the brunbies etc etc etc
@Salmonoid (Comment 55) : whatever…
@sharks_lover (Comment 63) : We could go on and on and on….The beautiful thing about the Stormers is they just keep feeding us ammunition.
Anyone ever noticed that whenever someone does not have a response, the immediate statement is “WHATEVER!!!”
Where is Elstad? Injured again??
@Dancing Bear (Comment 63) : ja as if oupa terblanche playing until he was 44 wasn’t stalling a youngster and debilitating for the sharks midfield… hehehe
geez, john smit was blocking the best hooker in the world and the likes of dale chadwick…
why did the sharks buy the CLEARLY-over-the-hill marius joubert, for his YOUTH?
@Megatron (Comment 68) : Touched a nerve did I?
So predictable….. 
@wpw (Comment 59) : Like I said no problem playing a foreigner if he is going to be around for Super rugby next year, if Sinclair will be around next year, as Freddy was, then it makes perfect sense but if his contract ends with the Currie Cup then Im not buying into it…unless he scores the winning CC try in the final in extra time.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 60) : The Fijian winger was a ploy by Rassie to get an annual holiday in Fiji, in the guise of having to go over there to find the guy and bring him back to SA to take up his duties.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 61) : Epi Taione, JMH, ANDY f,cuking GOODE…
@Dancing Bear (Comment 70) : For a Kings supporter, he sure does all the fighting on behalf of the stormer fans
@Dancing Bear (Comment 57) : Bummer missing out on a gold medal because you were late for the start.
All well thanks.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 70) : keep looking for imaginary nerves, the point is the stormers YOUNG lossies are all getting experience or injured, now for Salmonoid to suggest that they should get a club player to fill in at currie cup is just inane
@Megatron (Comment 72) :
I really irritate you don’t I? Too funny, you are so easy…..
@sharks_lover (Comment 74) : “fighting” you call this fighting tl tl tl
@sharks_lover (Comment 73) :
It is not a supporter of anything, nothing more than stirring shit, trying to get under people’s skins. I am sure he supports the Sharks on a Stormers website somewhere. 
@Megatron (Comment 75) : hehehehehe, you are the gift that keeps on giving….
@Salmonoid (Comment 74) : Didn’t want a gold medal that said London on it anyway!
Lmao @ Megatron.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 77) : you give yourself too much credit. don’t be lus i’ll give you attention some time too…i was talking to salmonoid before you inserted yourself and quickly claimed that you “irritate” me…
indeed you were late.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 79) :
@Dancing Bear (Comment 78) : ah yes… he’s awesome on that website!
I can’t believe the Stormers picked Laurent Cabannes instead of giving their young looses a chance
@Megatron (Comment 82) : Yet you continue to respond to my every post…..
As I said before, the gift that just keeps on giving….
@robdylan (Comment 86) : I am glad the Sharks buying has slowed down , and they looking more at giving the academy youngsters a chance to prove their worth
@sharks_lover (Comment 87) : check my post on the sharks team announcement thread… 15/22
@Dancing Bear (Comment 87) : yes, that’s how a blog works…now when the initial poster randomly claims some sort of hold on the basis of a mere response then you know some take this here platform more seriously than others..
hold on to your fluffy thoughts dancing one if they keep you warm at night
@Megatron (Comment 89) : You’re right, you do take this platform far too seriously….
@Megatron (Comment 17) : I’ve taken quite a liking to the Canadian. The standard of rugby here is far above what he must be used to but he’s stepped up. Looking forward to watching him play.
@Megatron (Comment 75) : Why not, do you or the big wigs at WPRU evnen know whats going on in club rugby in CapeTown. Rumblings from the clubs on this very matter would sometimes suggest not. You mentioned Varsity cup earlier – it may be good to remember that Joshua Strauss was playing VC rugby and was totally overlooked by WP.
Furthermore is Jebb Sinclair, nice guy that he is, actually not more of a club player anyway?
@Salmonoid (Comment 93) : lol…
@Salmonoid (Comment 92) : I wouldn’t pick Jebb Sinclair in my club side… he’s rubbish
@Megatron (Comment 93) : @robdylan (Comment 94) : After watching the game Im even more convinced that someone needs to look at whats going on in club rugby in Cpt.
@Salmonoid (Comment 96) : never watched the game, you reckon a club 8th man would be better than sinclair?
@Megatron (Comment 96) : Watch the game. Maybe he just doesnt like playing against the Sharks.