The Sharks will face an almost unchanged Western Province team this weekend, with coach Allister Coetzee making one injury-enforced change, with Rynhardt Elstadt ruled out of rugby for the next few weeks and Tyrone Holmes returning to the side of the scrum.
The other changes all relate to the bench, where Coetzee suddenly found himself with one less prop after Frans Malherbe was summoned to New Zealand to join the Springbok squad, with Tom Botha taking his place on the wood. In better news for the team, Joe Pietersen is back in the selection frame and is sure to get a few minutes off the bench, as he replaces young Pat Howard in the reserves.
According to Sport24.com, Tom Botha is a former WP U21 star and a member of the 2012 Vodacom Cup winning squad, and will make his debut should he take the field of play, which is sure to happen.
Demetri Catrakilis has been getting a lot of media time this week regarding his proposed move to the Kings, and Coetzee seems adamant to continue playing the youngster and potentially keeping him for Super Rugby action next year, but the decision of Elton Jantjies next week is sure to influence the young flyhalf’s decision.
Western Province 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Damian de Allende, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Deon Carstens
Substitutes: 16 Steven Kitshoff, 17 Tom Botha, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Helmut Lehmann, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Joe Pietersen
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Did you know the Sharks have won the last 3 games between us??
You guys are definitely favourites!!
In fact, I can’t see you NOT scoring a bonus point victory!
@wpw (Comment 1) :
I read that even Allister Coetzee is saying that the Sharks are favourites, with us having your number..
Looking forward to a good match, with a return to winning ways for the boys in Black and White..
@wpw (Comment 1) : Yes but you guys are peaking now and we’ve lost our last game.
@JarsonX (Comment 3) :
Brok Harris is our starting tight head! BOOM!
I rest my case!
@wpw (Comment 4) :
Can’t argue with that, unless we find that Marius Joubert is in our starting team, then we are sure to have a draw!!
@wpw (Comment 4) : But you have JP Du Plessis!
@JarsonX (Comment 6) : comment of the day
@JarsonX (Comment 6) : @robdylan (Comment 7) :
Hahaha! Good one!
@JarsonX (Comment 6) : @robdylan (Comment 7) : @wpw (Comment 8) : he was the goods though against the bulle, 1st time i saw glimpses of the HendrikP “hype”
@Megatron (Comment 9) : this is true.
@Megatron (Comment 9) : @robdylan (Comment 10) :
Even a broken clock is right twice a day!
Red Hot, Richard at this rate there will be a journo gig down here for you in CT
@wpw (Comment 11) :
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 12) :
LMAO!!!
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 12) :
Been thinking about a change of scenery…
I’m good at making a hype of someone, and then they fail EPICALLY!! (See Heyneke Meyer article)
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) : would you mind hyping up Allister Coetzee quickly?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) :
That Meyer article… Classic stuff.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) : I’m still of the opinion that was a well written article
Tom Botha played u19 rugby for the Sharks
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 18) :
Thanks..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 20) : and I am too.