Western Province are set to pay the price for Bok coach Peter de Villiers’ “All-WP” selection policy. The pain will start in Durban at 19h10 on Friday night.
de Villiers has called up the core of the Stormers team that battled so bravely in the Super 14. Among the forwards, key men Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits, Andries Bekker and Schalk Burger are with the Boks. In the backline, the situation is even worse with every eligible member of the Stormers backline called up for Springbok duty. Only Sireli Naqelevuki is not there; hardly surprising, since he’s Fijian. Even the reserve scrumhalf, Bolla Conradie is with the Boks.
This leaves new WP coach Alistair Coetzee with a number of selection headaches. The Stormers tight five lacked credible depth in the Super 14. The WP tight five in the opening rounds of the Currie Cup will hardly be worthy of the term, with Brok Harris likely to be at tighthead and Schalk Ferreira on the other side of the scrum. Rookie hooker Deon Fourie will probably start, given the insane decision to release Tiaan Liebenberg (he’s heading to Toulon – anyone heard of them?) Adriaan Fondse will partner Ross Skeate at lock, hardly a combination to strike fear into the hearts of opposing packs.
AJ Venter will probably play at number 8 and add some much needed experience to an otherwise green back-row. Francois Louw should be at blindside and he did some good work in the Super 14. Rookie Pieter Myburgh will probably wear the number 6 jersey.
It is much the same in the backs. New recruit Willem de Waal will join Wylie Human as the only player in the backline with reasonable experience. Allister Siegelaar will be at scrumhalf and expect Dylan des Fountain to be one of the centres. The rest of the backline will contain lightweights like Morgan Newman, Luke Titus, Joe Pietersen, Terry Jacobs, Gio Aplon and Zhahier Ryland. All very exciting players, but mostly inexperienced and none of them much bigger than your average hobbit.
The Sharks, in comparison, are actually looking pretty good. Craig Burden will be the inexperienced man in a tight five comprising Deon Carstens, Jannie du Plessis, Johann Muller and either Steven Sykes or Albert van den Berg. Burden himself has completed a Super 14 campaign and will have experienced backup in the form of Skipper Badenhorst, never out of his depth at this level. Pat Cilliers will be on the bench, giving the Sharks the clear ascendancy in the tight five.
The potential loss of Jean Deysel is a blow, but the Sharks have Super 14 stalwarts Jacques Botes and Keegan Daniel available in the loose trio, as well as a host of promising youngsters including Blignaut, Rhodes, Downy and Potgieter.
In the backs, Rory Kockott and Brad Barritt will dictate matters from halfback, while Andries Strauss will come into midfield to partner Springbok Waylon Murray. JP Pietersen and Henno Mentz will be the wingers, with Stefan Terblanche in the last line of defence.
Province will start to come back into the competition once their youngsters pick up some experience and will, of course, become a lot stronger when their Boks return in September. Friday night in Durban, though, is going to be a long one for the,.
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now THAT outta get the banter going 😉
Must say – I am looking forward to seeing the Sharks take WP out!!
Go my Boys!!! 😀
What sort of front row are the Stormers going to have???
I suggest the Sharks employ Rob’s “scrum, scrum, scrum” tactic of the Chiefs match….
How the hell is this news?
It is a fact the Province boys will get whacked, I just hope AJ bitch-slaps some backstabbers from guppy-ville to make the game interesting and worth watching from a WP point of view!
IN anycase, supporting the Boks is just like supporting WP these day, so at least WP will win once this weekend! 😈
Please let them win because if they dont I think the psycholigical scars will haunt them for the rest of the campaign – especially after reading this article.
Lets just hope that the ball is kept away from those “hobbits” in the backline – they have a way of making some look foolish grabbing at fresh air.
😆 😆 😆
@MorneN (Comment 4) :
You notice how the players who are not making the grade in the Bok set-up , are for the most part from the WP? 😉
@Dive Pass (Comment 7) :
Last time I checked Spies played for the Bulls 🙂
@Salmonoid (Comment 5) : I was hoping someone would pick up on that angle…
@Dive Pass (Comment 7) :
And I will take not making the grade and still winning, to making the grade and not having won a title in over 10 years… 😈
Luke Titus, Joe Pietersen, Terry Jacobs, Gio Aplon and Zhahier Ryland…
Oh my gawd 😯
@MorneN (Comment 8) : ha ha ha! I dare you to go say that on RW….
Oh wait, you already did! Got the claws out of your eyeball yet? 😉
Pity Deysel is not playing….would have loved to have seen him over shadow AJ to show the charging of the guard in the same way AJ did with Tiechmann in 1999 Currie Cup final.
Mind you,all those fekkers are lightning quick
Sounds like I’ve got something to look forward to on Friday night!
@Dive Pass (Comment 13) : Deysel hasn’t been ruled out yet…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 15) : Bulls are likely to name a pretty strong team, though…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 15) :
To be quite honest I really feel the Currie Cup loses its sparkle without the Boks….I am interested but not excited
@robdylan (Comment 17) :
That’s Saturday’s something to look forward to!
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 19) : ah – I see.
What’s up with Ernst Joubert, BTW? When will he play again?
@Dive Pass (Comment 18) :
Sounds like the Boks will be allowed to play after the tri-nations though
@robdylan (Comment 20) :
Not sure. He was injured pretty badly in the warmup match vs Namibia, then played 4 Super 14 matches and was injured against the Reds again, and out ever since. I will ask him when he expects to be back but I’m not sure right now.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 21) :
So September and October’s matches should have a sprinkling of Boks then…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 22) : thanks. Starting to think I shouldn’t have picked him in my team 😉
@robdylan (Comment 24) :
I’ve sent him a message, let’s see what he says. I think he must be close to fully recovered because I think he is training with the team.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 25) : phew! Hope so.
Please don’t mention Skipper!! 🙄
Maybe Province can sign him as a replacement for Liebenberg?
@robdylan (Comment 24) : Rob,
Thats the good thing with a 26 man squad…I can carry a couple of short term injuries. So picking Deysel and Joubert shouldn’t be a bad thing!
@Villie (Comment 28) :
Unless they are out for the whole season, like AP for the Lions…LOL!
@Villie (Comment 28) : yeah… it’s almost like the oke who designed it knew what he was doing 😉
@robdylan (Comment 30) : I doubt it hey 😉
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 29) :
Is he still suffering with that buttocks injury? 😆
Maybe he should join WEE PEE?? 😆 😆 😈
@Villie (Comment 32) :
The First injury he had was a back injury (not backside injury…). Not sure what the 2nd one was.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 33) : he should take it easy over the weekends 😉
@Villie (Comment 32) : @robdylan (Comment 34) :
Shame on your guys for making Andre the butt of your jokes…
@Dive Pass (Comment 35) : you’re over-ANALysing this… 😉
the sharks are currently watching all the replays of how easy it is to tackle aj, from the 2008 s14 archives. especially the palu one, and keegan has being given the task of executioner. brad however knows keegan will mess up so he is already practicing against some lambs they brought back from nz that were being abused by kiwi rugby players. the kiwis are still denying the sheep were underage.
@try time (Comment 37) : AJ Who? 😉
@robdylan (Comment 36) : hey if i am going to get bust for mixing dive pass’ vowels up i think you should be for your specific capitalisation. fair is fair.
@robdylan (Comment 38) : yeah did he play for the sharks this year?
A nothing game..the usual coastal loud mouths about how fantastic their rugby team is whilst residing up in Jo’burg with their Sharks and Province bumper stickers and cuddly toys on the back windscreen..YAWN!
When is a real team playing like the Lions 😀
@robdylan (Comment 38) :
The guy who Jenna Warlock married….thinking about we should have known years ago her would end up at WP, look at the type of pictures he has posted of himself on his website.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 41) :
Where did the Lions end up again in this year’s Super 14? 😉
@Dive Pass (Comment 43) :
I believe a respectable last… 😈
We are working on a 2 year plan starting with this seasons Currie Cup and then we will work our way up too Super14 infamy(sp) 😉
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 41) : the lions make all opposition look real. i enjoy watching the lions supporters driving around durban with dummies hanging from their mirrors and bumper stickers saying this is my 4th car this year, the others were stolen outside ellis park. why else does auto and general sponsor the lions.
@try time (Comment 45) :
Dummies 😆
Eish….
Lions and Bulls are meant to be going at each other this week… leave the coasties alone to fight our private meaningless battle 😉
@try time (Comment 45) :
Thats a mighty long bumper sticker..old news though
@robdylan (Comment 48) :
Apologise Robd, I leave you coastal oaks to battle it out 😛
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 49) : I reckon you lot can take the Bulls
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 49) :
Nice coastal rugby player on your avtar….by the way 😉
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 49) : exactly brighter people realise bumper stickers are short and to the point, but seeing that you noticed that you are probably a closet sharks supporter. jz’s corruption case is old news, but it is still news. isn’t ellis park called that cos “hulle het ellis gesteel”.
@Dive Pass (Comment 51) :
ha-ha true but dare I say it originally from …?
@try time (Comment 52) :
You right I am actually a closet Sharks supporter..just ask Robd.
I actually wish we could move away from Ellis to a nice smallish staduim out Midrand way..oh well I’ll wait till Iv hit the European lottery one day, then buy the Lions and build a lekker staduim out west.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 53) : I taught you well 😉
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 53) : you don’t need to win the euro lottery to buy the lions, they are so in debt you could get them for R1. you’ll need the euro million to keep the debt collectors from lynching you.
What is the prognosis on Deysel? If it is broken hand this could spell the end of his season.
Has the team been announced? Does anyone know if there is a minimum number of “Quota” players that must be in match day squad?
@try time (Comment 55) :
😀
true and very worrying
@Ragged (Comment 56) : welcome to the site, ragged.
Just a friendly word of advice… we don’t use the word “quota” around here. They’re all just rugby players.
Apparently Deysel’s hand is still swollen and we will only know more tomorrow
Cant wait to beat the stripes out of WP…
@blackshark (Comment 59) : where’s your fantasy league team, kwagga? 😉
I predict – Sharks 68 – Province 17 (or should I say double u pee…hahahahahahaahahahaahahahaahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha)
final touches robbo…the team will be in your inbox tomorrow.
@blackshark (Comment 62) : Can’t wait
Would like to see this one if WP klap you arrogant lot. Maybe sticky this one. 😈
@PaarlBok (Comment 64) :
Hey Rob you eventually got a bite!!
@PaarlBok (Comment 64) : IF’s don’t count – we ARE going to klap you.
@Dive Pass (Comment 65) : took nearly two days!
@robdylan (Comment 67) :
Ja you chase to good posters away with this kind of kak you dish up. 🙄
@PaarlBok (Comment 68) : hey – I think I know some friends of yours 😉
@robdylan (Comment 69) :
Friends your arse. I’ll just do my talking on the tipping, like in the S14. 😉
@PaarlBok (Comment 70) : the intention of this piece was to get some banter going…
@robdylan (Comment 71) : Maybe we should all sit around the fire and sing Kumbaya… 🙄
@blackshark (Comment 72) : ok. I’ll play guitar
@robdylan (Comment 71) :
Oh well you get that. 😳 Anyway no hard feelings and best of luck to you lot. We dont have anything to lose in this game but the Sharks everything. Some of that young WP lot is a hell of a talented and if they can push the Sharks over the cliff, that will be nice!
@PaarlBok (Comment 74) : I take nothing for granted anymore, dude… trust me.
You planning on joining the fantasy league?
@PaarlBok (Comment 74) : No hard feelings PB dude…all is fair…
The game won’t be too easy…we’re not expecting to WALK all over you…we might have to break into jogging mode now and then 😆
Black Shark you can kiss Robs arse while he is playing the guitar. 😉 You sound like a his gatvlieg anyway. One ping and the other pong.
@PaarlBok (Comment 77) : we’d make a dynamite doubles team for the Beijing Olympics 😉
Dont worry, nly joking, where is my provinces friends, look like they run away. ➡
@robdylan (Comment 78) : They do table-tennis doubles 😯
@blackshark (Comment 80) : ok, seriously… you didn’t know that? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 81) : I didn’t actually 😳 …only watch and attempt to play the other version…the one with the large “concrete tables” you can run on.
@blackshark (Comment 82) : ah. Quite envious… I’ve always been KAK at that one
@robdylan (Comment 83) : i’m afraid i’m not much better than you then…
Fight fight fight fight
No dude,just trying to be as corrupt as i can be before i leave this company.
We all know Joe Pieterson is gonna make Barrit his bitch , dont know how he is going to do it from the wing but he will.
@PJLD (Comment 85) : Where ? where ? 😯
@PJLD (Comment 86) : you just gotta BELIEVE!!!
and pass the crack pipe… you’re hogging it 😉
Was pretty close. WP sure gave you lot a fright! This thread make some good reading on a monday. 🙄
@PaarlBok (Comment 89) : you guys still lost the game. Remember that…
And AJ played much better than he did for us than he did in the S14.
He must be stoked now that he plays for a team who actually won a trophy this century.
I think Ragged was have vivid mental images on Friday night of taking part in the CT gay parade in his birthday suit…. 🙂
@wpw (Comment 91) : oh please. That’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel. AJ only looked half decent because we managed to play a lock at blindside. It’s the only way we could have possibly found ANYONE slower than AJ.
in fact, I reckon the WP okes should reel their collective necks in a little this morning. You guys had us on the ropes and you choked in quite spectacular fashion. Sure, we played like shit, but guess what:
WE WON THE GAME.
Think AJ fit perfectly in the WP bill. We need a player like him, thats for sure. Lock or loosie.
Nearly a train smash for the Sharks… 😳
Rob
Yes, you won the game Rob. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I would however be really worried if i were a Sharks supporter.
You don’t have a flyhalf and you are pretty thin at lock and at hooker.
@wpw (Comment 97) :
Again we repeat….it doesn’t seem to be sinking in… how much more worried should WP be?
@wpw (Comment 97) : I’ll just take the criticism from where it comes… we’re doing enough soul-searching as it is without needing to take pot-shots from supporters of a team that we beat playing the worst rugby we’ve dished up all season.
@Dive Pass (Comment 98) : Teams to watch…Cheetahs & Bulls… 👿
we were kak… you guys were BEATEN BY KAK… 😉
No need to get all defensive Rob.
The reason for my change in attitude is due to the shite I read on this site about Wee Pee and the pansie supporters (from Sharks supporters)
I suppose I’m a bit sensitive nowadays… 😳
I don’t know why Double U P and Toothless Sharks are fighting who looked the worst…that was clkearly the LIONS…
By far the worst team in the CC thus far….
Its OK Rob, this is suppose to be a banter thread, remember?
You better watch out for Boland this weekend, maybe a 50 point thrashing?
Time you lot start to realize papernames mean zip these days.
Oh jinne you all are sooooo touchy these days…
A bunch of drama queens….
@Hmmm (Comment 105) :
😆
Seeing that all & Sundry wants to buy a hard lOOseforward
Why is Frans Viljoen not yet in DeBBen?
@PaarlBok (Comment 104) :
Go Boland Go Big!
Cheetahs have a whole bOOk on Sharkfinsoup!
😈
Boland surely are going to surprise a few. 😎
@PaarlBok (Comment 109) :
Yip- most likely the Cheetahs!