Sharks coach John Plumtree has told Beeld’s Christo Buchner that while he was impressed with his team’s performance over-all on Saturday, the inability to control many of their own lineout throws is a massive concern ahead of the final this weekend.
While Western Province, mercifully, will be without lineout kingpin Andries Bekker this weekend, they will nevertheless have the almost-as-dangerous Eben Etzebeth towering at the front of the set piece to disrupt this key source of possession and while the Sharks have generally looked quite safe when the ball is thrown to Anton Bresler in the middle, it’s at the front particularly that things have tended to go wrong.
An unexpected semi-final loss by the Sharks under 21 side, though, has opened an interesting door for Plumtree, with there now being nothing stopping him including young Pieter-Steph du Toit in his match 22 for the domestic show-piece on Saturday. Du Toit has been in good form for the juniors since returning from ankle surgery and is considered more of an out-and-out lineout specialist than any of the senior locks, while still able to mix it up in the physical stakes.
“Our lineout was was far from good – and that is one of his [do Toit's] strong points,” Plumtree told Buchner. “That’s one aspect of our game that we’re definitely going to have to improve ahead of the final. Pieter-Steph is going to play a big role for us in Super Rugby next year anyway, so we may just as well involve him in the final.”
Including du Toit, perhaps as a bench option, could create some interesting problems for Plumtree, particularly if he plans to start with Steven Sykes in what would be the latter’s final game for the Sharks before joining up with the Kings next season. Jandre Marais has been a stand out player for the Sharks all season and while he is no less physical than du Toit, his somewhat more mature body seems less prone to breakdown than the 20-year-old’s. With Beast Mtawarira expected to start, though, it’s quite likely that the Sharks may opt to drop a prop from the squad in order to include du Toit as an additional utility forward.
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We need to keep our team simialr to the semi. let the boks play impact roles
“Our lineout was was far from good”
@Dunx (Comment 1) : Agreed. Let Beast come off the bench. And Alberts too. Plum clearly learnt from last year’s mistakes and didn’t disrupt the team too much in the semi so why do the same for the final??
Starting XV:
1 Chadwick
2 Burden (lineouts)
3 Du Plessis
4 Bresler
5 Du Toit (lineouts)
6 Coetzee
7 Deysel
8 Daniel (captain)
9 Rienach
10 Lambie
11 Mvovo
12 Whitehead
13 Jordaan
14 Pietersen
15 Ludik
Bresler & PSdT played a couple of S15 games alongside each other I see.
Anyone know who the 2 jumper and who the 4 jumper was?
You’d imagine having Pieter-Steph du Toit as a 4 jumper would be ideal for him personally.
I think starting Steph-du toit isn’t a great idea. He hasn’t featured for the senior side and throwing him straight into the mix and it being a final is a huge ask. He has pace on his side as well so why not bring him on for the final 20? Fresh legs.
*hasn’t featured for the senior side in this years currie cup
@hendrikp (Comment 3) : I only recall Bresler playing at 4 in SR, hence he’d be the number 2 jumper.
@jerryclive (Comment 4) : I agree with you. I don’t think Plum will start him. It would be a huge risk.
Problem is, where do you bring him on? it actually doesn’t make any sense to have him on the bench alongside Sykes and Alberts… unless you plan to bring him on for Bresler? There’s no way he can be used at 7 while Alberts is there. Unless they move Keegan to 6 and Alberts to 8
@jerryclive (Comment 4) :
Has started 5 in a row now for the U-21′s. I think considering he’s got SR experience, and his apparent form at U-21 level, you wouldn’t have too many worries starting him.
I’m thinking Meyer will take him on the EOYT. You heard it here first.
@jerryclive (Comment 4) : Good point, however, if we have lineout trouble early on Plum may be tempted to bring him off the bench early and then we don’t have a lock replacement for the rest of the game…
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 6) : No, no he played 5 in the knockout games for the Sharks with Alberts at 4.
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 10) :
He (Bresler) did play in the 4 jersey though when PSdT was in the starting line-up (versus the Cheetahs & Bulls).
Funnily enough he only took a couple of line-outs in both games combined. Mostly they threw to Ryan Kankowski, with the odd ball going to Bresler.
He also came off injured before half-time in both games he started. Wow!
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : this is what concerns me a bit.
1) I don’t see Steph as a great lineut option at senior level. I mean, I have yet to SEE him do that.
2) I worry about his conditioning
@robdylan (Comment 12) :
Will be interesting to see what Plumtree does! He tends to make sound decisions so if he does start with PSdT, you’d expect him to perform pretty well in the line-out.
The injury thing is definitely a concern though, even more so with Kankowski not in the side. Can’t afford to lose players to injury early on at this stage.
Only change I’m expecting for WP is Joe Pietersen starting at fullback, with Aplon moving onto the wing and Gerhard van den Heever onto the bench.
@robdylan (Comment 12) : Bench role then?
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 14) : it depends.
On contribution alone, I’ll back a dropping for Sykes this weekend.
I cannot call for Steph ahead of Jandre, though. Jandre is a BEAST who performs every week.
Our lineout has been a headache for a number of years now, irrespective of who the throwers (including Barney and Bismarck) or jumpers have been.
@rhineshark (Comment 16) : Time to employ Victor Matfield’s services as a consultant?
@robdylan (Comment 15) :
4 Marais
5 Bresler
18 Du Toit
If the forwards are struggling to win their line-outs then Burden (or Cooper) can start over cooking their throws straight to SuperPat for some Lambie magic
@robdylan (Comment 15) : thank you, there shouldn’t even be a discussion of Steph starting, I’m finding it hard to even contemplate him on the bench ahead of Peet Marais, who’s been superb for Sharks
I know which Prop I’d drop.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : I think we all know that, mate
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : I’d like to know which prop and why ?
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 17) : Yes, I reckon he could add a lot of value. Plus he could learn to speak English. Win-win all he way.