The shark team to face the Valke in Nigel on Friday night has been announced. There are a few surprises to the team that was expected to run out at 6pm.
The backline sees quite a few new faces along with some very experienced players, with Stefan Terblanche leading the team from the back with other fullback Ludik filling the 11 jumper on the wing. Vodacom Cup wing Mark Richards completes a brand new and exciting looking back three.
SA Schools of 2009 player Piet Lindeque comes into the centres to accompany Strauss, with Meyer and Kockott completing the backline.
The pack has a much more familiar look about it, with Daniel, Rhodes and Botes making up the loosies. Hargreaves returns from Bok duty to partner young Bresler in the second row. The Beast, who is expected to play the whole Currie Cup with no Bok games for him in the next few months, joins Burden and Herbst in the front row.
The bench is packed with youngsters bar Dumond and McLeod who have a few caps under their belts.
The Sharks
15. Stefan Terblanche (Capt)
14. Mark Richards
13. Piet Lindeque
12. Andries Strauss
11. Louis Ludik
10. Steve Meyer
9. Rory Kockott
8. Keegan Daniel
7. Michael Rhodes
6. Jacques Botes
5. Alistair Hargreaves
4. Anton Bresler
3. Wiehahn Herbst
2. Craig Burden
1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements
16. Kyle Cooper
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Eugene van Staden
19. Justin Downey
20. Charl McLeod
21. Monty Dumond
22. Dwayne Jenner
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Nice to have Ludick & Meyer back.
I thought Rhodes was injured. Great to have him there as we need a hard hitting loosie whilst Alberts and Deysel are on the mend.
Any tell me about Van Staden and Jenner?
Not bad… I might just make an effort to go and watch the game.
And where is Stemmet? Injured?
nice to see Bresler in the mix, the only names I dont know are eugene van staden and dwayne jenner
Have the Baby Boks returned yet?
I think Hargreaves should be captaining. He needs the experience because Oom Stef isn’t playing next year.
Stef really should be making way for one of the younger guys to come through.
@lostfish (Comment 5) : That is a very young and inexperienced backline….having Stef there is probably the right thing.
Van Staden and Jenner, never heard of them 😯
@Pokkel (Comment 6) : Hargreaves should still be the captain!
@Pokkel (Comment 6) : The only inexperience is really Lindeque and Richards, Meyer just needs some game time but all the others have had Currie Cup and S14 experience.
I just hope that Lambie gets to start ahead of Stef if Lambie isn’t going to the Boks.
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 8) : true!!
@lostfish (Comment 9) : Can’t wait to see Lambie in the Black & White as well as in the Green & Gold. Give him a year or two and I bet he’ll be ten times better than Zane Kirchner and the Bok No 15 jersey will be his for the taking. That is if he hasn’t become a flyhalf or if Frans Steyn returns!
I must be the 6th person to ask this, but please, who is v Staden and Jenner?
Hargreaves is touted as the next captain can’t understand why he is not leading the side – allow him to ease into his future role !!
evening
Well i wish i stayed in Nigel just to see the Sharks play and my it must be very cold
Well not a bad team at all and a win we must its good to see the youngser get a game play, heard a lot about Kyle Cooper hope he matches up to the snr’s
@Farlington (Comment 2) : Well its cold in RTB so if i were you take sth to keep you warm mmm maybe OBS
😉
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 11) : give him time he’ll be better than F Steyn, Zane and Brent Russell
😉
Blanche’s age aside, he’s one of the fittest – if not the fittest player in SA rugby.
Can anyone tell me when last he missed a game due to injury?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 17) : it’s not possible to hurt Oom Stef. I’ve heard it said he doesn’t even have tear ducts,,,
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
😆 
😆 
😆 , I bet Schalk Burger has a Stefan Terblanche super hero t-shirt ( I heard superman is also considering swapping his Schalk shirt for a Blanche shirt 
)
Btw, Stefan had an almost 100% winning record as captain last year (I can’t remember if the Sharks even lost 1 game with him as captain)
I’d rather have Blanche as captain than Smit (Smit has become too big for provincial rugby it seems and puts the interests of the Boks before the Sharks – way to friendly with the opposition players)
@FireTheLooser (Comment 20) : semi-final against the Cheetahs…
Comon boys, its going to be very cold in Nigel, but all the more reason for you to run more, over the white wash that is. Give us a 50 pointer…. (Or am I being to ambitious???)
@chaz (For you Bro) (Comment 15) : Rustenburg is indeed cold. Going to the game tonight? I have 4 tickets for tonights game.
The valke are a club side. If we don’t win by at least 50, it will be an embarassment
@robdylan (Comment 24) :
Morning!
Are “warm up” games not really “experimental” to a large degree and there will be a lot of changes?
Last one I watched did not give much of an indication………..
@robdylan (Comment 21) : Still the best record of any Sharks captain.
Any idea when last he had an injury?
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 25) : well, you use a warmup game for one of two purposes:
1) to give fringe players a run to see how they shape
or
2) to give your first-choice combination a chance to gel and get some match practice.
I’m not sure which of these we’re aiming for with this team.
Q1: Is it televised?
Q2: If the answer to the first question is “No” is somebody going to Nigel to watch it ?
@robdylan (Comment 24) : i don’t think we will. Too many first choice players in this pack:
the players will be saving themselves , ble ble ble.. all the old stories…
@Pokkel (Comment 6) : Strauss led Sharks XV in Vodacom Cup he will be more than experienced for this clash.
ooops I am talking to myself – again 🙄 😀
Its great to see a Zululand Academy player comming through the ranks. Great Stuff.!
@Uli (Comment 32) : well, not one, but two.
Anton Bresler also came in through the Empangeni route