Well guys – I’m afraid that’s it for the Sharks for just over a month.
Super Rugby will carry on this coming weekend – but for the Aussie and Kiwi teams only (there was a reason, but I can’t remember it). The SA teams, including the Sharks, will be back in action on 1 July, which seems a long way away. Stupid system.
Things around here will inevitably be a bit quieter, although we will, of course, still discuss the upcoming international action.
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Junior world cup starting tomorrow too, SA-A and Boks starting next week….so plenty of rugby, and we all know how much those teams would suck were it not for the Sharks.
It’s good from a Sharks point of view. In a month’s time Pat should be okay to play again (hopefully) as well as Am (also hopefully). Bosch would be back from his Junior World Cup event. I think we’d have a full strength side with lots of options from a coaching perspective.
And when will Andre E be back?
Is there any news on Pat’s recovery? Also can’t remember a time frame for Am’s rehabilitation, how longs does a fracture like that normally take to heal?
Hey Rob wrote a article sent to admin
@DuToit04 (Comment 3) : he’s good to play now, I believe
@HeinF (Comment 4) : 6 weeks or so
@Poisy (Comment 5) : got it, thank you
@robdylan (Comment 6) : You can never trust a kiwi but they said hes only good for the last game against the Lions…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/91892371/six-match-super-rugby-ban-for-sharks-centre-andre-esterhuizen
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 9) : As I understand it from the past, it is a ban from all rugby for six weeks. The way I see it since the Boks specifically said they did not consider him due to the ban, he would have played Bok rugby if not for the ban, so the Bok matches would count toward his ban.
I believe the Kiwis play Super rugby this weekend to accommodate the Lions tour – now that is going to something worthwhile to watch.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 9) : Can’t trust the Kiwi…AE is available for the Bulls game…from next week he can play again…
With the Sharks guaranteed a playoff spot it will be interesting to see how RDP manages his team selection in these last couple of round robin games. Surely with this break he will look to work towards his full strength side…assuming no international injuries
@SheldonK (Comment 13) : We should be fine on the injury front if Kobus Wiese, Breyton Paulse and Ashwin Willemse had to select the Bok team – not a single Shark in their starting 15,
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 14) : Cant say they too far off at the moment to be honest. Beast and DuPreez on the bench perhaps but nobody else there
@robdylan (Comment 6) : @SheldonK (Comment 13) : Our plucky yet resilient Sharks XV team play three games before the Bulls game, entertaining the giffons at home and then two tough games away to the leopards and cheetahs.
will be interesting to see which SR squad layers are given game time in the Super sport rugby challenge aka src and who gets time off to heal injuries or placed on special fitness or technique programmes
we are in a interesting space, we have a spot in the playoffs, def away, most likely in in NZ, possibly in sa to the lions, unlike in oz. no one understandably gives us a chance of go all the way due to travel and limitations of our team. but that does mean we cant.
im not saying theres a clear system to implement between now and two months from now when we are under the gun in a quarter final in mordor (or the snoek tank), but thats gotta be the goal of the coaching staff, all our energy need to go into a tactic that they believe gives us the best chance of success, and if it fails then we tried. maybe the whole sr squad goes who are not at the boks goes on a additional preseason type program or just a re inforcement of skills and tactic and counter tactics.
@revolverocelot (Comment 16) : Which SR players do u feel need game time? Perhaps a backline of 9. Claasen 10. Van Rensburg 11. Nkosi 12. Deysel 13. Sithole 14. ?? 15. Smith would benefit us in developing guys and maintaining their momentum
@SheldonK (Comment 15) : Well then your concern about international injuries is unfounded.
They do see starting spots for Kolisi, Malherbe, Ginger and Leyds,
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 18) : Based on the first practices (blue jerseys in the photos on the Bitou Rugby Club FB page). Of the overseas based Boks only Kitshoff was there.
15 Andries Coetzee
14 Dillyn Leyds
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Jan Serfontein
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 Elton Jantjies
9 Ross Cronje
8 Warren Whiteley
7 Jean-Luc du Preez
6 Siya Kolisi
5 Franco Mostert
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Ruan Dreyer
2 Malcolm Marx
1 Beast Mtawarira
Frans Steyn will come into play as he arrives next week, Thor might not as he only arrives a few days before the test. Not sure when Hougaard arrives
@Baylion (Comment 19) : Not the worst combo. Although concerns about the midfield combo. The tight 5 will be up against a big test so possibly going with good combos where possible is best
@Baylion (Comment 19) : Jeepers, imagine Ross Cronje starting a Bok game, I would never have thought. That would be something special and would be a massive feather in the cap of his coaches and team at the Lions.
Jr.Boks 10 – 5 Fr.u/20
15mins.
Weather: Rain & slippery
Yellow card Jr.Boks 11 for a trip….18mins.
Our scrum owning the French in the eet is slightly unexpected, but very welcome.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 24) : *wet
Another yellow against our 1….27mins.
13 vs 15 and France scores.
Jr.Boks 10 – 12 Fr.u/20
Thank goodness for the rain, French flair nearly scoring a try but passed ball is lost 5m from our tryline
Finally back to 15….38mins
Half-time
Still Jr.Boks 10 – 12 Fr.u/20
I know it’s slippery and all but, If this is the future of our rugby, I’m going slit my wrists. Shocking skills levels, poor discipline, sloppy defence and no leadership. Actually, now that I think about it, that describes SA rugby as it is already.
2nd half under way….and we start by knocking a simple kick-off
…subsequent scrum translates to an easy try for France.
Jr.Boks 10 – 17 Fr.u/20
43mins.
Let’s see if they have “character”.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 31) : Very disappointing game thus far….last year we tried playing a bunch of runway models who couldnt front up, this year we’ve gone back to the Neanderthals, who cant think.
Big skilled players will always beat small skilled and big unskilled opposition.
We still cant figure that out.
Penalty conversion Bosch.
13 – 17 Boks trail.
47mins.
Drop goal France.
13 – 20 Fr.u/20
50mins.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 35) : I can’t see us doing that EVER
We might win this game through brute force and some luck but I can’t see them challenging for the cup if this is how it’s going to go for the rest of the tournament.
Clearly the jr.boks are dominated by streamers and bulls player…..dumb slow lumbering rugby. So many stupid mistakes.
Drop goal France.
13 – 23 Fr.u/20
55mins.
Emile’s lightie kicking Bosch’s arse today.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 40) : The back three are especially useless and that’s saying something
Fr. 18 year old flyhalf running the game with his boot.
Fr. playing as a team with structure….Baby Boks playing like a bunch of egotistical individuals thinking they’re back in high school impressing girls on the side line. Garbage all round.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 42) : Shockingly poor.
Should’ve selected the 2016 Lions u/19′s and sent them and their coach over.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 43) : Well summed up – that’s exactly how it looks
@FireTheLooser (Comment 44) : Jip
French deserve to win here, and we don’t deserve to be on the field….I really hope we dont face England, they will wipe the floor with us.
Penalty kick Bosch.
16 – 23 baby boks trail.
62mins.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 47) : I dont even want to think about this lot facing England.
Just a few minutes to go any EVERY SINGLE IDIOT kicks the ball away!
Try jr.boks
21 – 23 Fr.
Conversion to come on full time
23 all draw
Full time
Augustus just about the only one that can hold his head high.
Bad luck Frenchies! Deserved to win.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 54) : They sure did
That all sounded vaguely missable…
@pastorshark (Comment 56) : Would rather have watched paint dry.
@pastorshark (Comment 56) : I was actually pissed off with myself afterwards for watching all of it.
Mvovo called up to the SA A squad, together with Ruan Ackermann. To replace Mapoe and JLdP
@Baylion (Comment 59) : I like Mvovo but really not sure that he’s currently better than van Wyk.
@JD (Comment 60) : I would have liked van Wyk or Nkosi to get this opportunity before Mvovo
@Baylion (Comment 61) : Mvovo’s playing his best rugby at fullback….a Stephan Terblanche type conversion.
Wing he hasnt shone in ages, far be it from the national selectors to see what is patently clear.
@JD (Comment 60) : @Baylion (Comment 61) : There were 3 wings, 4 centres and 1 fullback in the squad. Mapoe, a centre, moves up…they don’t need another wing so Nkosi or van Wyk. They don’t really need another centre. The only fullback is Gelant and he has been shocking in the last two weeks for the Bulls. And so they picked Mvovo as a fullback. Fair enough…
@pastorshark (Comment 63) : I accept your explanation
@Baylion (Comment 64) :
@pastorshark (Comment 63) : I’m afraid the new additions won’t do more than holding tackle bags. Hoping for their sake (Mapoe & JLDP) I’m proven wrong, but have seen some exciting talent demoralized after a “call-up”.