John Plumtree has acknowledged that the loss of Juan Martin Hernandez for the Super 14 is a massive blow to his side’s aspirations.
The Sharks coach has confirmed that neither Ruan Pienaar nor Guy Cronjé will be fit to train for at least the next month, leaving him few options at pivot. Monty Dumond has apparently impressed the coach at training, particularly as his conditioning is top-notch. The Sharks are, however, understood to be scouring the globe for a suitable flyhalf option.
This is not as simple as it seems, however. All the good pivots are, as usual, tied up in contracts, either locally or abroad and finding someone that will offer more than Dumond may well prove prohibitively expensive – if not completely impossible. Any mercenary brought in at this late hour will presumably also need some time to acclimatise to the Sharks structures and game plan, adding further to the risk.
Dumond is understood to be a favourite of Currie Cup backline coach Grant Bashford. With the introduction of Hugh Reece-Edwards to the mix, though, it is possible that the players shares may fall once more. Bashford will play the roles of skills coach this Super 14, while Reece-Edwards, it is rumoured, is being groomed to take over as head coach for the Currie Cup.
In the same interview with Christo Buchner from Beeld, Plumtree went on to blame the Sharks’ semi-final defeat in the Currie Cup on the fact that his Bok contingent came back from the Tri-Nations campaign unfit. It’s just the latest in a string of factors Plumtree has brought up (none of which includes his own gameplan) but may well have some merit. Certainly, one wonders how a player like Ryan Kankowski could possibly have benefited from three months of carrying tackle bags when he could have been playing in the Currie Cup.
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i suppose bringing back someone like scott spedding would not be a bad idea, isn’t reece just a backline consultant?
@war1 (Comment 1) :
WHO?
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 2) : he was in the academy, good young player, did not get a look-in with butch there
@war1 (Comment 3) :
Ohhhhhh, me only knows the big guns.. 😈
What happened to Len Olivier? I actually thought he was better than the Cronje brother. He played good rugby at the Valke, acouple of years back.
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 4) : steve meyer might be another good option
@boepie (Comment 5) : montaubaun in france
@boepie (Comment 5) :
Boepie – I was one of the 1st people that said the Sharks must sign him. If they utilised him, he might have been halfway there already. Instead …well ja.. now he’s gone.
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 8) :
Having said that – I hope they realised what shit they made
There’s always Naas Olivier!!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 10) :
he did not play badly for the kwasse, but way too small I think. BTW – is he not playing for Cheetahs now? Suppose back to no 1 no 10..
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 11) : he is now, since Monty is no longer joining them.
Who wants to help me compile a list of all the tens that have left Durban in the past 5 years?
@wpw (Comment 10) : Naas Olivier had a great season with Griquas last year….he’s not ALL that bad.
@robdylan (Comment 12) : ok, we can start with scott spedding, steve meyer, len olivier, butch james
@robdylan (Comment 12) : is wesley bodmer still around?
ok, so let’s start with the imports we’ve had…
Fred, Tony, JMH
Then the Bok flyhalves…
Butch, Frans (!!!), Brent
@war1 (Comment 14) : You can add Frans Steyn and does Luke Watson count? He always used to hang out in the backline LOL
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 8) : Too bad. I really liked him, and with a bit of work on his kicking, he could be a great asset to any team.
@war1 (Comment 15) : he’s a wing… and his knee is stuffed
will only be able to play again in a few months
@Pokkel (Rugby’s over, back to fishing) (Comment 13) : I agree, Naas is really not bad, and tough on defence, for a smallish guy.
@boepie (Comment 18) :
I agree 100%
in terms of promising youngsters…
Brad Barritt, Steve Meyer, Tiaan Meyer, Scott Spedding, Dauw Steyn, Andrew Binikos, Tiaan Marx, Ignus Prinsloo
andrew borgen.
come on… I know there must be more…
Spedding is playing for Brive now and doing well, as far as I can make out. Steve Meyer is still with Perpignan, I think.
@robdylan (Comment 19) : im thinking of andrew borgen
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Ignus.. 😯
Wes Dunlop is at least back – playing for the Sharks XV this year
@robdylan (Comment 25) : well, if plum is looking overseas, thats where he must look,
@Pokkel (Rugby’s over, back to fishing) (Comment 27) : you know him?
@war1 (Comment 29) : agree, one of those two would be the best option, if either can be had.
But looking overseas is the wrong move, IMO
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 21) : I was a bit p-ed off that the lions missed out on him. Instead they stuck with “Injury” Pretorius and Louis Strydom…..
@robdylan (Comment 30) : No, just feeling sorry for him because of that family name.. 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 31) : agreed
hi all… happy new year to all! okey, this thing could go one of 3 routes.
1. We buy a gap-stopper from overseas. A has been or golddigger from a club in france or england.
2. We could pay the BIG bucks and buy back our own in the form of Peter Grant from the Stormers. (they already have De waal, the aussie and a few others).
3. Or we could invest and buy a youngster with a big future in front of him in Francois Brummer. With regular gametime in the big leagues he could shine! Bulls already have Potgieter and Steyn!
The LAST thing we must do is buy Derick Hougaard!! and i`m sure if, for the right amount, he would want to come back…
@VanWilder (Comment 35) : the aussie is back with the brumbies, but wp do hav lionel cronje now
@Pokkel (Rugby’s over, back to fishing) (Comment 33) : He’s a BIG boy all right. Got stuffed around by the Sharks and went off to SWD. Now he’s playing for SK Walmers in the Cape.
@VanWilder (Comment 35) : 1 – but who?
2 – might work, but is he really that good? I’m in two minds
3 – what’s wrong with Pat Lambie, if we’re going to go that route?
@boepie (Comment 32) : Len didn’t fit in at the Sharks because of a whole bunch of issues that had little to do with his on-field performances. He’s a lot happier in France and I wish him the best of luck there. He’s already playing a lot better.
@robdylan (Comment 37) : at my 1st category Derick Hougaard… its really not that far fetched. He made his money over there, why not come back and try for a springbok jersey and a world cup?? but i really dont hope so!
2- i`m with you there… is 27 or 28 hey? only got 2 years of SA rugby here before going overseas to retire…
3- lambie a fly?? didnt know that!! i really like him, better than brummer, but i think brummers got more XP at the moment…
@VanWilder (Comment 35) :
Firstly, the Aussie was on a short term contract and has returned to the Brumbies.
Secondly, Peter Grant is NOT for sale.
And lastly, Derrick Hougaard is contracted to Sarries at the moment!!!
Next?? 😈
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 2) : he came from the krugersdorp valley, i get pissed with his dad often 😆
@VanWilder (Comment 39) : Lambie was a 10 at school, from what I’ve heard
@willa (Comment 41) :
Ohhhhhh…one of your connexions!! 😀
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 43) : no, just met his dad at my local pub, but two boys from my street just joined the academy
@willa (Comment 41) : excellent… so tell Mr Spedding to get his boy back from France, ASAP 🙂
@willa (Comment 44) : oh? Names?
@wpw (Comment 40) : I hope you guys are just having me on with this Naas Hougaardt business.
Monty isn`t so bad lets rather stick with him!
@robdylan (Comment 46) : no, met their parent randomly and they told me, cause i had the jersey on
I might be missing something here altogether…but why not stick with Monty. Everytime he played last season he was pretty impressive and his game was always level. None of this hot or not stuff. And like they said his conditioning is good. I vote to give him a change…my other vote would be to get Butch back, but I’m not sure if his knee has mended yet and how fit he’ll be.
Just my 5 cents 🙂
@Nita (Comment 49) : agreed about monty, butch is still badly crocked and he still has 2 or 3 years on his bath contract
@Nita (Comment 49) : I agree with you. Monty is our man, at least until Ruan is fit, confident and keen to jol 10
@Nita (Comment 49) : @war1 (Comment 50) : With you on that.
Cant actually believe that Im now actually glad that Frans is not with the Sharks anymore or else he would be plying flyhalf – no questions asked.
@Salmonoid (Comment 52) : correct. And what a disaster that would be
@robdylan (Comment 42) : That kid’s got talent. I can’t see why he won’t do well in any posision in the backline.
@boepie (Comment 54) : ja, but I worry about throwing a 19-year=old in at flyhalf in the Super 14. Pat isn’t built like Francois Steyn either. I’ve seen bigger guys (like Geoff Appleford) permanently screwed up by being thrown into senior rugby too young.
@robdylan (Comment 55) : That’s true, but look at the Aussies, tey’re constantly introducing 18,19 and 20 year old boys to senior rugby, with huge success, but the difference is that they do it the right way. They make sure the player is mentally mature, at a younger age. They’re gonna do very good in 2011 wc, as well as 2015, because of that. The result is that you get a 21 year old player, with lots of experience.
@boepie (Comment 56) : look, I think you are onto something, but it’s Pat’s physical size that worries me. I’m sure he’s up to it mentally.
@robdylan (Comment 53) : @boepie (Comment 54) : @robdylan (Comment 55) : @boepie (Comment 56) : @robdylan (Comment 57) :
I miss the good ol’ days when fans from other teams came on here to be greeted by tongue lashings and a generally unwelcome atmosphere. Since we started softening up on all the Province parasites things have only gone downhill in here… 😕
@robdylan (Comment 57) : The best thing to do would be to play Monty at 10, and maybe introduce Lambie in the last 10 mins, if the Sharks are in front, and systematically give him more gametime. By not putting too much pressure on him right away, he might find it easier to adapt. The Cronje no9 didn’t do too badly when he got his chance. But it might differ from player to player.
@klempie (Comment 58) : Wait till the S14 starts then there would be no more ‘mr nice guy’ 😈
@boepie (Comment 59) : totally agree with you. thats what the kiwis did with dan cater. 10min at the end of the game and gradually gave him more game time. i think Dan started about 12 games of the bench before making his full debut even though everyone wanted him to start from the first game.
@klempie (Comment 58) : the pot has to boil before u can stir…. 🙂
@boepie (Comment 59) : @VanWilder (Comment 61) : you are both spot on. Whatever happens, Lambie needs to be a fixture in the match 22 for as many games as possible. This kid is a rare talent and we need to start priming him to play a key role in the Currie Cup squad.
@VanWilder (Comment 62) : guys like klempie don’t get that… he will dive straight into any situation waving his spoon for all he’s worth 🙂
@VanWilder (Comment 61) : Those guys (Kiwis & Aussies) look much better after their players, and manage them much better than us. That’s why their players have such long careers.
@robdylan (Comment 63) :
Well if all goes well he might make the Bok EOYT and Divvie will play him at 10, 12 and 15.
Brilliant!!! 😆
@Pokkel (Rugby’s over, back to fishing) (Comment 60) :
@VanWilder (Comment 62) : If you stir fast enough you can make it boil.
@robdylan (Comment 64) : ..and banging my drum. 😎
@boepie (Comment 65) : agree. i will never forget how the selectors messed up gaffie du toit`s career. played really well for the griquas, gave him his first springbok start, messed it up big time and was never the same player since. i really do believe, even if we let him start from game one, he still will end up a great player, but would rather like to see him get in to the system gradually.
@wpw (Comment 66) : my opnion, i would not play him at centre. and anyone who`s seen him play can tell that he`s got so much time on the ball, if you compare him to JL Potgieter, JL looks like his rushing everything, his passes and kick. But Lambie on the other hand looks really calm with ball in hand. he makes it look easy.
@klempie (Comment 68) : maybe if you stir with a stick of dynamite??
@wpw (Comment 66) : ai carumba.
@VanWilder (Comment 70) :
Lambie does always look as if he has time on his hands thats why I want to see how he goes as a cricketer.
Isma-el Dollie should be available. 🙄 😛
@VanWilder (Comment 70) : It was more a case of Gaffie being publicly humiliated for the Boks failures by Mallett than being stuffed around as a player.
That was reprehensible and the Teichmann-Skinstad RWC 1999 mess brought Mallet down in many’s estimation.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) :
But he doesnt like sleeping away from home.
On a serious note.
This is where the NZ draft system would come in handy.
How many halves do the Stormers have? Pietersen, De Waal, Grant any others? At least one of those will get minimal if any game time. Why not draft one to the Sharks?
Bye people – Have a good weekend! 😀
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 78) :
Bye.
My weekend is over 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 79) :
When did you have Christmas, September?
@Salmonoid (Comment 80) :
Hehehhehe.
Nope my Xmas was on Xmas day. It was weekend here then 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 81) : hey there …you been scarse…get a blackberry..then we can hear from you more often…
Sorry..very rude of me…Happy 2010 to one and all!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 81) :
How was the Gammon, did it have a honey or appricot glaze, and did you have the leftovers as cold meats or on sarmies.
@Salmonoid (Comment 84) : Its already 2011 in the desert.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 83) :
😳 and the very best to you and yours too.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 82) :
Nope just a bit more relaxed now so have time to get on the net for a change.
@Salmonoid (Comment 84) :
You either read kette’s FB statuses or you were cracking a joke not realising you got the nail smack on the head. 😛
Had a Green Gammon. Was glazed with lemon and honey. Left overs were on Rolls the next day but after being heated in the Microwave. 9can’t stand meat that is supposed to eb warm when it is cold)
@Salmonoid (Comment 85) :
Only 1431 over here now. The Arab new year was on 18 December. (1 Muharram 1431) 1 Muharram 1432 will be on 7 December 2010. (There years are 11 days shorter than ours. 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 88) :
Damn, I was trying to make you jealous at what you (suppoedly) had missed out on. I thought pork was a no no.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 88) : You making me hungry!!!
@Salmonoid (Comment 90) : That’s why its “Green”!!! 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 89) : Cool, in a few hundred (576) years you will be able to warn Frans to kick the damn ball out.
@Salmonoid (Comment 90) :
It is but on occasion it can be smuggled across the border 😀 Had kette’s mom here so we thought it a special enough occasion to go for an “Egyptian veal” run. 😉
@Salmonoid (Comment 93) :
Hehhehehehe
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 92) :
Bought a green Gammon by mistake, had to check the internet to see what Green gammon was. Turns out it is a Cured leg of pork but not smoked. where is regular gammon is smoked and cured.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 92) : 😀
@KSA Shark © (Comment 94) : Did Kette’s Mum bring the pudding??
@Salmonoid (Comment 73) : Lambie was a superb age-group cricketer as well. But cricket is a stupid sport compared to rugby, so I’m happy he made the right choice.
Cheers all..have a good weekend!
@Salmonoid (Comment 93) : never wanted a Delorian so bad in my life 🙂
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 98) :
Yeah she did, but we still had some left from last year. :hhhhmmmmmmmmm: great stuff.
@robdylan (Comment 101) :
I know that he had done it all at age group cricket but never saw him play. Weirdly when I first saw him play rugby it just struck me that he would be one of those players that would be great to watch batting.
@Salmonoid (Comment 103) : I fall asleep watching people batting, but maybe that’s just me 🙂
Delorian ❓
Must have something to do with an ancient army of beautiful woman commandeered by someone called Delores or have something to do with winding back time – I suspect the latter – if so, I agree, ad infinitum
Ok Good people
A good weekend to all.
@Salmonoid (Comment 105) : back to the future 🙂
@Salmonoid (Comment 105) :
Hehehhehe. The car that they time travel in, in the Back to the future movies is a Delorian. 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 108) : I got all 3 on DVD for christmas
@robdylan (Comment 109) : 😎
Guys & Plum, let sanity please prevail and stick to what we’ve got. And keep the long term solutions in mind! We (Sharks) have to start showing some sense in keeping and giving our flyhalf prospects/talents/incumbents the necessary backing/opportunities/game time. We do not need to go abroad to “buy” a flyhalf or to lure anybody with heaps of cash. Nobody wants to hear this but if the Sharks struggle this S14, but bleed youngsters for the future I am for it. Yes, by all means buy players where you are really thin. But look what predicament we have now. When all those flyhalves left the tank, everybody wished them well. Now there are suggestions that we should buy them back. See the irony? Thats the point I am trying to make. I can feel the stones being pelted onto me already 🙂
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 111) : JPS, the thing that I’m worried about is that Plum is now fighting for survival, rather than any thoughts about long-term planning. I reckon the oke just wants to get through the Super 14 without getting fire, because that would jeopardise his chances of coaching the Hurricanes next year, which is what he really wants.
OOPS I see Naas Olivier is out for the Cheetahs – knees injury…shame man