The Sharks have announced their team to take on the Crusaders at Twickenham on Sunday, the first Super Rugby game ever to be played in the Northern Hemishpere. The team will be lead by John Smit from the loosehead position.
The only change to the team is that of Jacques-Louis Potgieter who is playing in the flyhalf position in place of the injured Lambie.
The big changes are all on the bench where Eugene van Staden, Gerhard Mostert and JP Pietersen all return from injury.
The coach has opted to only fly over the 22 man starting line up as he can fly in any late replacement on short notice.
The team:
1. John Smit (Capt)
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Steven Sykes
5. Alistair Hargreaves
6. Keegan Daniel
7. Willem Alberts
8. Ryan Kankowski
9. Charl McLeod
10. Jacques-Louis Potgieter
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Meyer Bosman
13. Stefan Terblanche
14. Odwa Ndungane
15. Louis Ludik
Replacements
16. Eugene van Staden
17. Tendai Mtawarira
18. Gerhard Mostert
19. Jacques Botes
20. Conrad Hoffmann
21. Adrian Jacobs
22. JP Pietersen
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great news about Eugene. Can’t wait for deysel diesel to be back.
this team can win any game so let’s hope this is exactly what’s gonna happen.
Not a bad team, but those Crusaders will be a tough nut to crack. Good luck lads… you can do it. I just hope that we will have a strong support base at the game.
Im not sure about Smit at loosehead..
And then someone breaks a nail 5 mins before the game starts and then what? 🙄
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) : Neither am I.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 5) :
Captains run will be on Saturday..
If anything goes wrong, a player will be there in time..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : I said, 5mins before the game starts 😉
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 6) :
Look, Im glad Bismarck is there.. we seriously need him as that strong runner, defence and fetching ability.
I just hope John holds his own in the scrums..
GO SHARKS !!!
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 8) :
They don’t really do much on game day that will force injuries..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) :
But then again, with one Dup brother less on the field we can half our penalties!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 11) : Well you never know
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 5) : they will fly ruan from Belfast he can cover the entire bench
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) : Agree with you completely. Beast should be playing.
GO SHARKS 😈
We can do this
SHARKS FOREVER
@rekinek (Comment 14) : Just cant imagine RP squating down for a scrum
Beast and Eugene are gonna take them apart in the second half 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
Eugene must be raring to go?!
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Oh hell yeah! 😛
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 17) :
the other option is Frans popping into eurostar. He starts resembling a prop a bit.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Just behave yourself in the press box when the Sharks win!! 😉
You okes are dreaming. No Beast and no Lambie equals NO CHANCE !!! And deep down you know it.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Amen to that… Can’t wait to see it!
@Speed7 (Comment 23) : Don’t you have something better to do?
Who let you out of the kichen Shazi ?
Smit bleh.
@Speed7 (Comment 26) :
They evidently made the chain too long, eh?!!!
The crusaders were impressive but what title contenders have they won.
They played the blues and lost.
Won the brumbies that lost to the rebels.
Won a jetlagged highlanders team
Megatron is on troll duty that we like.
@Honey Badger (Comment 29) : 😉
@Charlie (Comment 31) : It is like the media and the stormers.
We are not going to get our asses handed to us.
We are problaby going to win a close game.
I am not a fan of JLP,but if we play the type of rugby thatshould win us the game,JLP is a perfect fit for it.
@Honey Badger (Comment 30) : megatrolls mom ,please can he come out to play ,he is always good for a laugh and so predictable??!!
Such a great team on paper. Crusaders aren’t a shoddy squad either. Never mind their recent games against underdone sides (jet lag & coaching issues etc), this will be a mighty clash. Hope Bismark is spending a bucket load of time this week throwing the ball in…
@ruggabugga (Comment 35) : 😆
My predictions:
– The Hoff will answer one of his man of the match questions as follows: “Kieran who?”
– JLP will surprise us all in his bid for the starting spot
– Meyer Bosman will finally start firing on all cylinders and run circles around their to centres
– Oupa will outrun both their wings and trample Dagg before scoring the try of the season
– John Smit to injure SBW with a try-saving cover tackle
Sharks by 15 at least 😀
@vanmartin (Comment 38) : Perhaps Beast can give us a drop-goal??
Listen people – with this team its do-able! We need to get that CC semi-final and final attitude back, and it’s a done deal….should I start writing a “moment like this” thing again for the boys?? 😉
With all due respect, you have to wonder what Smit is still doing there.
@Uli (Comment 40) : Leading his team.
@Ice (Comment 39) : There’s a song there somewhere!
@Uli (Comment 40) : If you showed all the respect due to him, you wouldn’t say something like that.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : @Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 20) : But it’s the Franks Bros and Crockett guys 😕
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 41) : Rather, weakening his team. He should do what is best for the team and sit on the side line. You can say what you like, the front row does not perform nearly as good as they do without him there. He is a liability there at the moment.
Don’t get me wrong I respect the guy and I think he is a good leader, but we have another very good leader in the team who in my mind leads by example, and that he has shown since taking the leader ship, the Sharks team perform much better under him than under Smit.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 43) : lol
@SharonvanWyk (Comment 42) :
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2010/10/14/a-moment-like-this/
@KSA Shark © (Comment 43) : You can’t fight it, there will always be polarizing opinion regarding Smitty. Fact is, he doesn’t miss his jumpers.At least, not very often. And because he is made from Captains cloth, he’s not one for taunting the ref or rising to opposition bait a la Bismarck; so he won’t have the camera on his bean every 40 seconds. Not saying Bismarck is not worth having in the team either, just that a lot of what Smit does the camera does not see. Different sort of players.
THat said, I still would not play Smit at either LH or TH. He is a hooker. And an exceptionally good one.
@rugbypedia (Comment 48) : So you are saying Smit does nothing then? Makes you wonder…..
@rugbypedia (Comment 49) : Yes,but he is not going to get a chance to find his jumpers(probably).
Sadly you can not bench BDP for him.
Beast should have started.
@rugbypedia (Comment 49) : I agree if anything he is best at hooker, he is a BIG NO NO at LH/TH. The whole team is under amerce pressure when ever he plays there.
@Uli (Comment 45) :
So who would you rather have coaching the team, Dick, Allister, Mitchell, Ludeke?
Good team. Smit scrummed well last week also remember we have Walsh as ref. Just about all refs respect Smitty. Beast is our trump card for later. 😛 Pleased to see JPP is back and Staden.
Now we must keep the discipline in this game. NO giving away easy penalties. Get our lineouts, first time tackles, good passing as well no handling errors and we could win this.
Stefan and Bosman have to be on top of their game here. That centre pairing of Saders are superb. Sharks can. Hoping like crazy.
GO SHARKS make us proud. 😎
Bissie messes with the throw-ins. Give it to John to take.
This is one game I think John has to start.
Go Sharks.
@Uli (Comment 45) : I have a grudging respect for what you say, and must admit to having felt the same way over recent weeks. It’s a dichotomy I am ill at ease with because I adore Smit, but do concede that we seemed to be much more “jelled” under Stefan. Perhaps it’s because John was out for such a long time, perhaps it’s because there’s an emotional tie to the man who led us to the CC… I don’t know what it is, but I do know that it makes me feel crap every time I consider this conundrum. You can’t take John’s incredible history and contribution away from him, he is a true leader, someone I admire and respect greatly. And I do think we need to give him the chance to play himself back into the hearts of those who doubt him at this juncture in time. It’s a tough one, this. And the only way I can get round not beating myself up over it is by straddling the fence and waiting for time to unfold its mysteries.
@Ice (Comment 47) : Brings a tear to the eye, that one!
We all are very confident and everything but what will your picks be on superbru? Me myself will go with the Saders although I do think the sharks have a chance but looking at our games against the Rebels and Chiefs is what have made the Saders an easy choice for me.
There have been upsets in this tournament, there have been upsets in previous tournaments… The Sharks haven’t hit their straps yet, but there are good signs and there are worrying signs – that is the beauty of sport. We have the ability to beat The Crusaders, and I believe the team believes that too.
This is going to be a test match, in a test match atmosphere.
Discipline, tactics, ball retention, defense, territory, all the classic foundations and pure hunger will see the winner home.
Who the winner is – is hard to call, but I back our men!
The Chiefs game was not great, what given the conditions, and yes sure we were not as aggressive as we are usually – we lost the game – we learn, we move on. It is up to the men on the field to decide who wins the game!
John Smit – I love him, he has played over 100 test matches and a huge amount of first class matches – he is the best Captain in world rugby, Richie McCaw is not playing and this gives The Sharks the advantage in the experience stakes, his ability in terms of sheer physical ability is not that of Bismarck’s or Beast’s – but he is a general, and you need to take your General to war – Beast scrums hard and carries the ball up… If we can keep up that style of play for a fresh Beast to come on we are in good stead.
I will not be surprised to see if we win, I will not be surprised to see if we lose – Crusaders VS Sharks is a possible 2011 Final.
Back your men, and back your coach – he selected John Smit strategically and we must believe that the tactic is best.
Sharks Forever
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 59) : Brilliant Post DD. One of the best I have ever read on Sharksworld.
Agree 100% there. WE don’t go to war without a Leader. NOT EVER.
GO JOHN YOU LEGEND.
Good luck to the whole team.
GO SHARKS. 😎
I must admit SBW and Freuen are going to be a hand full. I just hope we can take them down or else it could be a long night.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 59) :
Couldn’t agree with you more..
Good motivational comment that!