The Sharks have named a veritable International side for their Absa Currie Cup match taking place this Saturday in a top of the table clash with the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
Sharksrugby.co.za reports that nine of the starting XV (and a further three on the bench) have current or past Test experience and certainly some of those who have been uncapped, like Jean Deysel about whom coach John Plumtree recently said, “has Springbok written all over him”, may well go on to represent the country at the highest level.
Interestingly, the only South African backline player named in the New Zealand press in a Super 14 “Team of the Tournament” earlier this year – Bradley Barritt – is the only non-capped International in the Sharks’ backline.
Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, outside centre Francois Steyn and wing Odwa Ndungane are back from Springbok duty in the Vodacom Tri Nations in a boost to the backline, while Jannie du Plessis is the only forward in the starting line-up to have represented the Boks last week.
To counter the obvious physical threat posed by the big Blue Bulls’ side, Plumtree has loaded his bench on a 5:2 ratio forwards to backs, including Bismarck du Plessis who will add his own brand of power, with another returning Springbok in JP Pietersen named in the Number 22 jersey. You have been warned – this is not going to be a game for the faint-hearted!
Sharks Matchday 22
15. Stefan Terblanche
14. Odwa Ndungane
13. Francois Steyn
12. Bradley Barritt
11. Waylon Murray
10. Frederic Michalak
9. Ruan Pienaar
8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel
6. Jacques Botes
5. Johann Muller ( Capt )
4. Alistair Hargreaves
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Skipper Badenhorst
1. Deon Carstens
Replacements
16. Bismarck du Plessis
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Steven Sykes
19. Albert van den Berg
20. Skholiwe Ndlovu
21. Rory Kockott
22. JP Pietersen
Tweet
As expected No Beast, No Adi. 🙁
This is gonna be a cracker. 😎
@McLovin (Comment 2) :
Those are the games that are normally let downs. 🙁
Flip I hope our expectations are met.
it’s a strong team – actually, very pleased to see both Albert and Sykes on the bench
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : Think you’ll be ok without them. Got some decent replacements.
What happened with Kanko? I didn’t hear anything more about him being injured.
kanko adi smitty will be ready next week
thats exactly the team i posted on keo a week ago accept for albert and hargreaves
i had albert starting
and the only other change was jordaan or swanepoel as sub and not Skholiwe Ndlovu
I can only presume that there is no Lions thread up cause it will be hijacked by Hmmm..or is cause we r playing minnow teams ❓
🙁
now when smitty , adi and kanko is back
man a decent looking team again
@molly (Comment 6) : clavicle…. picked up the injury in the Lions game, although I suspect he hurt it before and just aggravated it in that game.
He might should be back next week
@sharks_lover (Comment 7) : I seriously doubt John will be fit by next week
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 9) : http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2008/09/03/bulls-lions-valke-all-named/
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
a dedicated thread..
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 14) : you wanna write one?
hell be there rob boet but i reckon he will be on bench
and slowely get worked back in
this will prolly be team against cheetahs
15 stefan
14 odwa
13 adi
12 barritt
11 jpp
10 steyn
09 ruan
08 daniel
07 deysel
06 botes
05 muller
04 hargreaves
03 jannie
02 bismark
01 carstens / beast
16 smitty
17 albert
18 kanko
19 beast / carstens
20 cockott
21 murray
22 freddy
@robdylan (Comment 15) :
Yea I think I do..I’m no writing master but I’ll give it a bash.
Very strong Sharks team by the way.
Hope you can stick it to the cows..The CC is going to get very interesting from here on in.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 17) : lovely!
@sharks_lover (Comment 16) : SL, according to reports from Durban, Smittie has only just started training again and is HORRIBLY unfit. I really don’t expect to see him back much before the semis. I hope I’m wrong, of course.
Bring it on!
I guess Adi really needed to rest so I’ll take Steyn at 13. It’s only the Cows anyway. 😎
I expect the Boks to slot in perfectly. Check the firepower on our bench…so if we don’t kill them in the 1st..we’ll definitely make it official in the 2nd. SHAAAARKS!!!!!!!!
Good luck to the Guppies.
Really a very strong side with the best centres pair they have.
JP is on the bench why? ❓
Waylon is out of position on the wing.
And why Tendai was not considered? Plum wants Matwarira to be rested after the TN tiredness, I suppose.
PRRROOOOOVVVVIIINNNNNNCCCCCEEEEEE!!! 🙄 🙄
Gonna be a great battle , looking forward to see Deysel vs Spies.
@Pokkel (Comment 23) : yeah…
@Pokkel (Comment 23) : you’re also a Depche Mode fan?
@Die Jood (Comment 21) :
🙄 You bang that anti-Adi drum all you like. 😆
We are clever enough to know you are sooooooooooooo wrong. 😛
howzit everyone….back from the Land of the Low Grey Cloud
@robdylan (Comment 25) : I only have their last album
@klempie (Comment 28) :
I have a few. GOOD MUSIC. 😎
@klempie (Comment 28) : The last one is good. It’s their best since Violator
@robdylan (Comment 30) : Anything before the last one is a bit before my time RD. 😉
@klempie (Comment 31) : How old are you? 10? How do you manage to be so cynical? Teenage angst? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 32) : 😆
@robdylan (Comment 32) : 😆 😆 😆
@Pokkel (Comment 23) : Although they are not direct opponents here, I also think that Spies will serve well as a measure stick for Deysel, especially since Spies are nearing top form again. If Deysel comes through here, and I strongly suspect he will, he would really prove to be the talent that I think him to be.
@Silver Fox (Comment 35) : While both the Bulls and the Sharks are fielding strong teams here, I just have a lot more confidence when reading the Sharks’s teamsheet. That could however only prove that I am a Shark supporter.
Gooo Shaaarrrkkksss!!!!!
@robdylan (Comment 30) : Nothing wrong with “Construction Time Again”.
@Baldrick (Comment 37) : pick up the crane 😉
@Baldrick (Comment 37) :
“Music for the masses” my personal favourite.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : although that is also brilliant, I actually enjoyed Black Celebration more.
@robdylan (Comment 40) :
don’t have it 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) : ah – you must get it!
@robdylan (Comment 42) :
might JUST get it today.
A mate is leaving this place and has given me his music collection of just over 4k CD’s 😎 Is dumping it onto a hard-drive for me as we speak. More than 1 TerraByte worth.
MUST be in there somewhere 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 43) : I’m sure it sounded like music to your ears when you got those good news… 😉
I need to upgrade my music collection. 😐
@blackshark (Comment 44) :
Are you ready and packed for your trip to KP?
Lucky Bastard 😉