Sharksworld can (unfortunately) confirm the rumours doing the rounds that Bismarck du Plessis has been ruled out of this evening’s game as result of a neck injury.
We learned on Thursday evening that the fiery hooker had sustained damage to a disk in his neck – this in turn put pressure on a nerve, causing him to loose strength in his arm. It’s a pretty serious injury, but our information is that he will not require surgery and that it should come right provided he plays no rugby for a while.
Exactly how long that while is remains to be seen, but we’ve been led to believe that he might be out for the rest of the 2010 season. Sharksworld was asked not to break this story, in order not to further disrupt the team’s preparations. Since the news is all over Beeld this morning, though, I guess the cat is well and truly out of the bag anyway.
Running a website like this is often a delicate balancing act – we want to keep the fans informed as soon as we get any news, but also need to respect the wishes of the union, the players and, of course, our dark and shady sources. As a result, it’s inevitable that we will sometimes end up being scooped and I hope you can all live with that!
John Smit will move to hooker this evening, with Beast Mtawarira starting at loosehead and Wiehahn Herbst moving onto the bench. I’m sure all of us will wish Bismarck all the best for the speediest possible recovery.

Thanks Rob, asked you on another thread. Huge blow this. John will have to start at hooker and Beast at LH. Going to miss Bissy in the loose but of course not his penalties but really it is a huge blow to our chances.
THANKS ROBBO, you guys are the best, now we will believe the rumours….can’t trust those pta’ers as far as I can spit.
So Beeld’s version is absolute hogwash? Claiming it was a neck opp to remove a growth from one of the discs.
Hectic, so it’s a pinched nerve? (don’t know if that is what it’s called – senuwee wat knyp)
Terrible news. It is never nice when someone is injured. I hope he has a speedy recovery. I also hope that this does not have a negative effect on the Sharks tonight.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 3) : I heard it was a pinched nerve, but I see Harmse reckons he’s already had an op… To be honest, I’m not 100% sure which version is more accurate, but the nett effect is the same. He’s going to be out for a while
@robdylan (Comment 5) : Well thanks for getting the story up (sorry for whining about it).
We’ll probably just have to wait for Captain Black to reveal all tonight in the pre-match or post-match interviews.
❗ ❗ ❗ GO SHARKS ❗ ❗ ❗
@FireTheLooser (Comment 6) : it’s not like I’ll ever intentionally try keep you in the dark, or anything. But I always respect my sources’ wishes.
Surely you guys must have got just a little suspicious that something was up when Herbst wasn’t named for the Sharks XV, though?
Rob, I have a similar thing in my neck. Slipped disc in my C6/7 area. Have had traction a few times in hospital. Think Bissy will have some traction in hospital to pull the disc off the nerve. But I still get neck spasms from time to time and really not sure if he will play rugby after this. It will push that disc further out and he will require a op like Burger if he goes back to rugby. Well that is my experience. A real shame for him.
@robdylan (Comment 7) : Ummmmm, no, honestly thought it was just a backstop in case someone got injured before the game. 😳
Anyways, like the sand runs through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives ………… 🙁
that’s not good news. Bissy was hitting some amazing form in the recent weeks. 🙁
But most importantly I hope that he is gonna to fully recover. Good Luck Bismarck !
At least Megastront will be quiet for another week.
After his team played dress up with Schalk Burger’s baby sister and enjoyed tea from a plastic cup in her doll house, followed by mud cakes and air biscuits.
Big blow this.
What worries me a little is that Beast is a bit short on match time, so hopefully he manages to front up for the distance.
But, whatever the case, I still say Sharks by 6. And since Charlie isn’t on here:
GO SHARKS!!!

@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : 😆 😆 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) :
Didnt think of that, but actually quite funny.
Reminds me of when the Bulls used to quote Victor 75-14 to the Stormers.
Thats a terrible loss ! Get better soon Bizzy!
But in light of your previous post regarding Burden, it could also have been seen as the perfect opportunity, to leave John where he is and been performing relatively well and slot Burden in at Hooker ! Hopefully they’ll shift John to prop at some point and give Burden a good run !
@hannass (Comment 15) : Hoping for that myself. Would also like to see herbst given a run
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) :
😆 😈
Not good news for Bizzie and the Sharks!…Get well soon, big boy…we going to miss you 😐
Bad news. For Sharks, SA Rugby and my Superbru! And some Bulls supporters still trying to tell me its just to unsettle the Bulls! 👿 Geez they think alot of themselves!
This is a massive blow for the Sharks, and like Kanko, just when he found some sublime form.
I still got you guys down for a win tonight though.
So with John at hooker it means Burden will get no game time at hooker yet again.
We need John Smit on the field for the full 80 against the Bulls.
@Morné (Comment 19) :
Only because it isn’t possible to make a change to your SB picks. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 20) : unless they move john to 1 later on
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) :
Tell me about it! 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 22) :
Is Herbst a LH or TH?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) :
Hehe, true that.
This is a TRAVESTY, all my bragging about what the Sharks are going to do to the Bulls, am going to have to keep a low profile with some people 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 24) : he’s a tighthead
@Treehugger (Comment 26) : you should know better 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 28) :
couldnt help myself, lucky they nice Bulls supporters.
@Treehugger (Comment 29) :
😯 I thought those kind of Bulls supporters were extinct. 😛
Get well soon Bizzy 🙁
seeing as rthe word OUT appears in the heading, I’m hijacking this as the cricket thread. 😛
SA chasing 187 against India.
67/1 after 10 overs
Required RR 13.11
Kallis 42 off 38
Smith 23 off 20
76/1 after 12 overs
Smith SIX!!!!!!!!!!
94/1 after 14
Kallis 50 off 45
Smith 33 off 25
Required Rate 15.50
Kallis SIX!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) :
And ANOTHER SIX!!!!!!!!
Harbhajan makes a cock up of a Smith Run out. 😳 Smith survives.
110 for 1
Smith 35 off 27
Kallis 64 off 49
ANOTHER SIX for Kallis
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) :
and 3 balls later.
GC Smith run out 36 (28b 1×4 2×6) SR: 128.57
126/2 after 16
AB De Villiers 7 off 2 balls
Kallis 72 off 52 balls
@KSA Shark © (Comment 45) :
DeV has a Strike rate of 350-00 😆
JH Kallis c Jadeja b Chawla 73 (54b 3×4 3×6) SR: 135.18
128/3
16,3 overs
ABb SIX!!!!!!!!!!
AB 16 off 6 balls
Albie 0 off 0
136 for 3 after 17 overs
3 overs to get 50 runs. 😯 🙁
AB 19 off 9 balls
Albie 4 off 4 balls
144 for 3 off 18 overs
43 runs needed off 12 balls
Morkel SIX
to little to late????
JA Morkel c Harbhajan Singh b Pathan 12 (7b 0x4 1×6) SR: 171.42
163 for 4 off 19 overs
AB 30 off 12
Boucher 0 off 0
24 runs needed off 6 balls
AB de Villiers c Chawla b Nehra 31 (15b 1×4 3×6) SR: 206.66
2 balls to go 20 needed
ALL OVER
172/5 chasing 186/5
India won by 14 runs
I get the win points AND a 0.7 margin point 😎
much needed, sitting in 28th out of a pool of 42.
Only 13 of us picked India. 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 55) :
Sitting 14th now. 😎
Never thought I’d say this. C’mon Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!
😛 Milissa has picked every game to be won by a super over. 😛
SB so far
1 Wallywong 7.60
2 Mugabesapoes 7.23
3 H Highlander 7.20 (NOT BAD FOR A 1ST ATTEMPT) 😎
I think i might have forgotten to make my picks. Is this the second round of games/picks??
@wpw (Comment 59) :
No all still the 1st round
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) :
Aus v pak is the next game and that is the last of Round 1
You picked Aus to win 5 wickets or 11 runs
what are you doing to my beautiful thread? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 62) :
doing some renovations 😆
I hate being without internet access. Applied for an adsl line but the darn developer doesnt want to sort out the infrastructure/cables in our complex… 👿