Three team announcements in one handy thread!
First up the Bulls. Frans Ludeke has named all of his returning Boks, including Bryan Habana, in a formidable looking starting line-up. Pedrie Wannenberg and Wayne Julies have both been dumped from the squad, which sees Pierre Spies at eighthman in a pacy loose trio. Marius Delport is back at outside centre, while Guthro Steenkamp is one of three front-rankers on the bench.
Bulls to face the Sharks:
15 Tiger Mangweni; 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana; 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Jaco Engels.
Reserves: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Juandré Kruger, 19 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Dewald Potgieter.
Lions coach Eugene Eloff has had to do some re-shuffling in his team, as Willem Alberts is out injured and Janno Vermaak suspended. Ernst Joubert comes in at 8, but Baywatch Grobbelaar retains the captaincy. Chris Jonck is at scrumhalf and former Free State and Bulls winger Trompie Nontshinga gets a start on the left wing.
In a bizarre move, there is no scrumhalf cover on the bench.
Lions to face the Valke:
15. Jaco van Schalkwyk, 14. Michael Killian, 13. Jaco Pretorius, 12. Doppies la Grange, 11. Trompie Nontshinga, 10. Earl Rose, 9. Chris Jonck, 8. Ernst Joubert, 7. Franco van der Merwe, 6. Cobus Grobbelaar (Capt), 5. Gerhard Mostert, 4. Anton van Zyl, 3. Lawrence Sephaka, 2. Willie Wepener, 1. Heinke van der Merwe
Replacements: 16. Ethienne Reynecke, 17. Ross Geldenhuys, 18. Derick Minnie, 19. Justin Wheeler, 20. Walter Venter, 21. Louis Strydom, 22. Rayno Benjamin
The Valke have also named their team, with coach Rudy Joubert forced to reshuffle his forward pack thanks to a bout of flu. Former Sharks Wouter Moore and Jody Jenneker both came down with the sniffles this week and as a result, neither player will start. New Sharks signing Len Olivier continues at flyhalf, while Johan “Spear Tackle” Swartz is back from his three-week suspension.
Valke vs. Lions:
15 Johan Jackson; 14 Dewald Pretorius, 13 Ernie Kruger, 12 Hanno Coetzee (capt), 11 Johan Swartz; 10 Len Olivier, 9 Poerie van Rooyen; 8 Sean Plaatjies, 7 Johan de Bruin, 6 Warren Perkins, 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Ruhan van Jaarsveld, 3 Nico Pretorius, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Gavin Whittingham.
Reserves: 16 Jody Jeneker, 17 Frik Venter, 18 Wouter Moore, 19 Reg Muller/Emile Verster, 20 Gerrie Odendaal, 21 Showan Smith, 22 Jeff Perkins.
Tweet
shit, but that’s a strong Bulls outfit.
Only real weakness I see is at outside centre. Oh, and hooker.
WeePee:
WP team
15. Conrad Jantjes
14. Tonderai Chavhanga
13. Gcobani Bobo
12. Jean De Villiers (C)
11. Sireli Naqelevuki
10. Peter Grant
9. Ricky Januarie
8. Luke Watson
7. Francois Louw
6 Schalk Burger
5. Andries Bekker
4. Adriaan Fondse
3. Brian Mujati
2. Schalk Brits
1. Wicus Blaauw
Reserves:
16. Deon Fourie
17. JC Kritzinger
18. AJ Venter
19. Nick Koster
20. Bolla Conradie
21. Joe Pietersen
22. Wylie Human
@PaarlBok (Comment 2) : thanks – I’ll update the thread
@robdylan (Comment 1) : Yes it is a strong team…it won’t be easy…but we’ll take these guys. Go SHARKS!!!
@PaarlBok (Comment 2) : Ok…looks like the Sharks are the only ones talking about resting the Boks… Bring on ADI and BEAST… 😡
Marius Delport? Kuun?
Sharks will walk this one.
@MorneN (Comment 5) : let’s just hope Big Skip brings his A game
Why was Julies dropped? Was he bad? I don’t rate Delport as a center, let alone a player, at all.
Their bench doesn’t look so hot though… 😐
@blackshark (Comment 8) : you’re right… I wonder why they have so many props?
@molly (Comment 7) : he didn’t really set anything alight…
@molly (Comment 7) :
Like someone said on Keo, he is like Jan Harm van Wyk without the pace…
Kak funny.
@MorneN (Comment 11) : Or like Jorrie Muller without the…
oh, nevermind 😳
@blackshark (Comment 4) :
Cant think my WeePee can rest their Bokke now. Its a make or break one. 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 1) : 12 and 13 look bad
@PaarlBok (Comment 2) : Nice to see Grant back !
@Sauce (Comment 14) : Wynie has actually been playing some decent rugger of late.
I still reckon Brad and Frans will ahve the measure of them, though.
Let’s hope Magic Fred turns up, not Awful Fred
Doppies will cover scrumhalf….
Where is Ludik?
Is Joe not available for the LIONS….has he already been released?
Would not have finished thie season?
@Hmmm (Comment 18) : injured
@Hmmm (Comment 19) : he is in France, dude… you should follow the news 😉
Crap…the Bulls team look even better than the one that has been on form the last couple of weeks…
@Hmmm (Comment 21) : wait till you see the Sharks team 😉
@robdylan (Comment 20) :
Yeh I knew he was leaving the LIONS…but I thought he’d at least finish this season at the LIONS…
Now we lost Willem and Joe…
And Joubert is not the 8th-man they are and he has also not had any game time for about 7 months…
We are fortunate that he would be playing 3 games against the bottom 3 sides which might just be enough to get him into form…
Would have loved if Joubert could come on at 7 to strengthen an already strong loose trio with Joe at 8!??!
@robdylan (Comment 22) :
It will be very similar to the team that played in the S14…and if they play anything like they did back then they won’t be scoring 5 try bonus points any time soon…
I’d play the current team and just strengthen the side with a few Bokke…e.g. Odwa/Ruan/Beast/Adi maybe Steyn (def no JPP)
@Hmmm (Comment 23) : or with Alberts at 8. That oke is a freak, man! If you don’t want him, please send him our way
@Hmmm (Comment 24) : JP is injured anyway.
Looks like it will just be Jannie, Ruan, Frans and Odwa coming in this week. Bismarck on the bench
@robdylan (Comment 25) : No he is injured that is why I did not include him…
If he was not injured I’d go for Grobler/Joe/Alberts with Joubert off the bench….
@robdylan (Comment 26) :
Fortunately…
Oh how could I forget Bismark…
That is a good choice…Frans will have to up his game though…the backs you been playing have been doing their business…
Would be great if you can find space for Jordaan in the side still…
@Hmmm (Comment 27) :
But now we have neither so I guess I should stop wishing for things that are not going to happen….LoL
@Hmmm (Comment 28) : Jordaan AND Swannie
@robdylan (Comment 30) :
Oh yes def Swannie…he has really injected some must need go forward in the Sharks midfield…
Ok gotta run…
Later…
I swear Hmmm just posts comment after comment so that he can look at his avatar more times. 🙄 😛
Doppies and Walter Venter has played number 9 in the past (not at CC level though) so the 2 of them is our scrumhalf cover
@KSA Shark © (Comment 33) : Then you admit it is worth looking at?
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 34) : Hey Walter!! The Lions are making a bigger mistake here than what the Sharks did with Ruan and Frans. They will just confuse those guys bigtime. If that is possible. 😈
@Silver Fox (Comment 35) :
We don’t really have an option, we don’t have a 3rd scrummie at the Lions at the moment…a few years back we had 9, now we have 2.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 36) : Just teach that Vermaak to behave. I like his abilities, though not his inclination to play dirty. Sort of like our own Kockott. They both are very in your face type of players, but needs to keep their discipline.
@Silver Fox (Comment 37) :
I don’t think Vermaak is dirty, I’m sure this was his first yellow card and he has been with us 3 or 4 seasons. Loffie’s excuse was that the Cheetahs punched Vermaak at the preceding ruck and he lost his cool and retaliated, but that is still stupid.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 38) : he should have been red carded, according to the rules (which the refs don’t seem to apply consistently)
@robdylan (Comment 39) :
Agreed. He was lucky.
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 40) : still think his action cost you that game, though
howzit everyone….back from the Land of the Low Grey Cloud
@klempie (Comment 42) :
Hey Klempie.
Excuse my ignorance. Low Grey Cloud ❓
@KSA Shark © (Comment 43) : He’s being disparaging about my home. I think I’ll ban him… 🙂
Low Grey cloud and high mud level.