There’s a welcome return to to competitive rugby for Sharks stalwart Deon Carstens, as he is named to start at loosehead prop for the Wildebeest against Griquas in the curtain-raiser to the Sharks-Blues game at Kings Park on Saturday.
Kees Lensing and Skipper Badenhorst have more in common than their Namibian passports this week. They will occupy adjacent seats on the bench as the Wildebeest name a more mobile pack than the one that has been stuffed two weeks in a row. The full set of ELV’s are being trialled in the Vodacom Cup this year, placing huge emphasis on mobility and skills among the forwards.
Sanity has prevailed in the loose forwards as well, with Jacques Potgieter making way for the quicker Skholiwe Ndlovu at open-side flank. Justin Downey, himself no slouch for a big man, is on the blind-side, while Big Nik “Shamako” Blignaut finds himself at the base of the scrum this week.
In the backs, Frank Wagenstroom gets another chance at right wing after an uninspiring performance against the Pumas that saw him dropped last week. Andries Strauss is again at outside centre, allowing last year’s u21 partnership of Tiaan Marx and Riaan Swanepoel to operate at 10 and 12 respectively. Poor bloody Strauss just can’t catch a break, it seems; he’s far too slow to play 13 and it will show.
Look out for the return of oft-injured scrumhalf Scott Mathie, named on the bench. Also among the substitutes is loose forward Shaun Pammenter, who has just returned from a stint as crew member with Team Shosholoza in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Here is the team:
15. Danie Dames, 14. Frank Wagenstroom, 13. Andries Strauss, 12. Riaan Swanepoel, 11. Henno Mentz, 10. Tiaan Marx, 9. Neil de Bruin, 8. Nikolai Blignaut, 7. Justin Downey, 6. Skholiwe Ndlovu, 5. Nolen Clarke, 4. Alistair Hargreaves (Capt), 3. Robbie Harris, 2. Jody Jenneker, 1. Deon Carstens
Replacements
16. Skipper Badenhorst, 17. Kees Lensing, 18. Schalk van Jaarsveld, 19. Shaun Pammenter, 20. Scott Mathie, 21. Lwazi Mvovo, 22. Dumisani Matyeshana
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eish… š³
I expect NOTHING from this team…
Pammenter? Im pretty sure he is a Westville boy.
The only thing the Wildebeest are suited to is NOT being associated with the Sharks.
at least they’ll only lose by 10 this week. I hope.
Bloody Westville clowns are everywhere these days š Are they being released early on good behaviour, or something?
Robbie Harris, the blonde oke or who is this? See Carstens is back too, great stuff.
Go Kees and go Danie, keep the plattelanders’ names high!
But it’s Griquas…perennial VC “ACHIEVERS” – a word the Beeste seemingly can’t comprehend.
Pammenter??? š³
Was he bullied quite a bit at school? š
Rob, for you Tshwane school-boys, being “released early from school” means passing matric before your 30’s.
Fish is in fine form… if only he’d try his hand at writing ABOVE the comments line š
Robert Lee Harris… definitely not blonde.
I was thinking of Pat something or the other, that blonde chop. Still injured I guess, whe is he due to return?
Hey – I put in 2 original masterpieces while you were partying your Sunday away.
This is just a crazy week. š³
Pat Cilliers. He should be back in a week or two.
He’s a good kid. Harris is a trier, but Pat is a superstar in the making. I suspect he will migrate to loosehead over time, though. Pity
that you did… sorry Fish. I don’t want you to feel unappreciated š
trouble is, this is not a TEAM, its just where Sharks on the comeback trail get match practice, and others on the edge of selection can keep their hands in
Spyker
I have never thought of it that way but there is quite a bit of possible truth in what you say.
spyker… I wrote an article a few weeks ago. Let me go try find it for you
here we go:
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2008/02/20/go-get-em-beeste/
good article, thanks RD
who knows if the money will be enough, i dont beleive it will
a group of players need to create teamspirit and that’ll be really hard
if any two or three key guys can be yanked out at any time.
i hope for their sakes they pull it off
me too. They came so close in 2005, but they had a better core of players then… guys like Gouws, Immelman and co that added some continuity.
Now they are just making wholesale changes to the team every week.
they have some great guys there now, it has to be the team thing thats letting them down. the names Gous and Immelman are not ringing a bell, mind you i never saw the 2005 Wildebees team playing and wasnt online then
So good to see Deon back – looks like he will go on the away leg with the Sharks. Good news!
Also glad to see Scott back from injury.
Hope they have a better game this week. Really expected more from them.
cant believe i couldnt remember who Gouws was RD, but i do now…solid 8thman who even captained the sharks on occasion…sheez, glory is brief for some guys, he deserves to be remembered
Perhaps a name change is in order… I mean… a wildebeest is not exactly the most intelligent and revered of animals now is it…
Its reputation has certainly taken a dent thanks to this lot anyway. š