The injection of some “Bok beef” couldn’t come at a better time for the Sharks and while coach John Plumtree is making all the right noises about leaving it up to each individual as to whether he wants to play or not, the reality is, the team would be in dire straits without them. Two new players have been confirmed out after last weekend’s game against the Leopards, with a third also finally confirmed as being on the injured list.
Meyer Bosman is the most serious of these, having sustained a fracture to his cheek on Saturday night. The big centre-cum-flyhalf’s season would appear to be over, while Adi Jacobs, so impressive as Bosman’s centre partner on Saturday, has been ruled out for a fortnight or so with a hamstring strain.
The Sharks, in short, suddenly find themselves horribly short of midfield options and while Marius Joubert will now have an unchallenged hold on the number 13 jersey, replacing Bosman at 12 will be more difficult. The obvious solution is to rope Pat Lambie in, although Jacques-Louis Potgieter may well be required to show what he can do in that channel should Lambie not arrive back in time to be considered for this weekend’s game.
Alistair Hargreaves has now finally been confirmed as out injured, this despite some of the nastier rumours doing the rounds, with a stress fracture in his back causing all sorts of problems. We’re probably unlikely to see him again this year either, with Jean Deysel and Ross Skeate set to continue at lock.
In better news, though, both Ryan Kankowski and Craig Burden should come back into the picture this week.
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sorry to say it, but I think our chances of beating the Lions just nosedived… unless we can get a whole bunch of Boks back into the team ASAP… starting with Lambie at 12.
Man, I hate stuffing that kid around further. Perhaps even putting him at 10 with JLP at 12 and Fred on the bench would be better
Lambie @ 10 ,Joubert @ 12 ,Jlp/U21 @13 perhaps?
IMO Joubert will make a decent 12 and Jlp a decent 13
But is that not the word they are releast to play for their clubs ❓
and with that its bad news not good at all 😥 and must say don’t want to say it at all, but the SNOILS are hungry for the CC 2011 Title 😳
@robdylan (Comment 1) : Yup would also like to see JLP play at 12. Would be interesting.
@robdylan (Comment 1) : agree
Lambie at more or less any position when he puts his mind to it a Sharks Legend i tell you
@Ben (Comment 5) : agree
@chaz (Comment 4) : problem is not so much whether they’re released, Chazzie… it’s whether we’ll have enough time to get them integrated into the team. Most of the guys only arrive home tomorrow… That’s not much time.
ai jai jai … FL horror ….
How many sharks players came back on yesterday’s plane?
@Danman110 (Comment 10) : I believe it was only Smitty… not sure where I heard that though or if it’s right.
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Thanx, so if the rest of the guys land tomorrow they are going to be jet lagged and the forwards will have to learn the line out calls before Saturday sounds a bit thigh to me 😥
@robdylan (Comment 11) : ksa said so
@Danman110 (Comment 12) : they say to fly this way is not so bad as flying there, should be fine…..
@Franshark (Comment 13) : Let’s hope so we need the guys to be sharp to beat the Lions, wonder if Mitchell will rest some of his players.
@Danman110 (Comment 14) : yes
15. Jaco Taute
14. Deon van Rensburg,
13. Doppies
12. Dylan des Fountain
11. James Kamana
10. Burton Francis
9. Michael Bondesio
8. Warren Whiteley
7. Joshua Strauss (capt.)
6. Jaco Kriel
5. Michael Rhodes
4. Wikus van Heerden/David Bulbring
3. Jacobie Adriaanse,
2. Marin Bezuidenhout,
1. JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements:
16. Bandise Maku
17. Patric Cilliers,
18. Franco van der Merwe
19. Derick Minnie
20. Elton Jantjies
21. Alwyn Hollenbach/Butch James
22. Michael Killian
and in other Lions news ….
Manie resigned ….
http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/index.php/all-rugby/currie-cup/news-a-results/1511-lions-ceo-announces-resignation
If fred can’t get the best out of the backs,no one can!
@Zibbie (Comment 15) : Glad to see Cilliers and Killian getting a rest but Josh and Taute can do with a rest too they started about all the CC games to date.
@Zibbie (Comment 16) : This is probably fallout from the Guma-Tac deal just hope you can get a competent replacement.
@Danman110 (Comment 19) : Yes im worried about who will replace him . Sometimes the evil you know is better … but we will see
@Zibbie (Comment 20) : He’s not a big loss, but losing Serfontein was a big loss.
@Danman110 (Comment 21) : Yes agreed with that . and that makes me think something is happening .. not sure if its a good or a bad thing though …
@Zibbie (Comment 22) : Atleast Mitchell still seems happy.
@Danman110 (Comment 23) : it would take a big bomb to remove mitch …
@Zibbie (Comment 24) : He doesn’t even seen interested in a job with the Boks.
@Danman110 (Comment 12) : not like the current bunch know the lineout calls anyway
@robdylan (Comment 26) : And having one specialist lock in the starting xv ain’t helping much either if Plum doesn’t fix our set piece this weekend, I fear the cup is lost to us. You can’t expect to win a final with a crap lineout.
@Danman110 (Comment 27) : Exept if Bryce is reffing then it seems possible
I believe Sharks should continue with Pat Lambie at fullback.
26-man touring squad.
1 Beast Mtawarira / Dale Chadwick
2 Bismarck du Plessis / Craig Burden
3 Jannie du Plessis / Wiehahn Herbst
4 Ross Skeate
5 Anton Bresler / Alistair Hargreaves
6 Keegan Daniel
7 Willem Alberts / Jean Deysel
8 Ryan Kankowski / Marcell Coetzee
9 Charl McLeod / Carel Hoffmann
10 Frederic Michalak
11 Lwazi Mvovo / Louis Ludik
12 Meyer Bosman
13 Adrian Jacobs / Marius Joubert
14 JP Pietersen / Odwa Ndungane
15 Patrick Lambie / Riaan Viljoen
Unlucky: Kyle Cooper, Eugene van Staden, Jandre Marais, Sibusiso Sithole.
@Danman110 (Comment 27) : The Lions are playing with no specialist lock in the starting 15 this week. Rhodes and Wikus are both flanks.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 30) :
Johan Snyman the only specialist lock they’ve played all season. Franco vd Merwe has spent majority of his career as a blindside.
@hendrikp (Comment 29) : who the hell is carel hoffman????
@robdylan (Comment 1) : I totally agree with that. Fred hasn’t been great this season anyway.
@hendrikp (Comment 29) : I think Lambie can become a better flyhalf than he could a fullback. He’s probably just as useful in both at the moemnt, but if you consider his spesific talents, then flyhalf will be where he’ll be the best.
He should be Flyhalf for the Sharks and later on the Boks.
@shaniboi (Comment 32) : 😆 😆 😆
so Rob, can you predict what the team will look like this week?
A real shame Adi is injured right now. With him outside Lambie we could`ve had our first exciting backline in ages.
You guys think the Lions will start Butch at 12 or 10 this weekend? Could have a serious impact on our chances . . .
@Original Pierre (Comment 37) : according to the somewhat unconfirmed team sheet I’ve seen, Butch has been bracketed on the bench. They seem to be starting Francis at flyhalf with Jantjies rested completely.
@robdylan (Comment 38) : hmmm sounds like mind games to me . . .
But hang on, they`ve got the top spot already, maybe they`ll rest players for the semi`s?
@Original Pierre (Comment 39) : why wouldn’t they? Absolutely nothing to gain or lose from this match… well, rather, injuries to key players are what they have to lose. Nothing to gain.
@robdylan (Comment 40) : Correction; by playing Butch, the Lions stand to gain injuries to key Sharks players… 😉
I think Plum is in a tough situation…he isnt sure when his Boks will be back and what condition they are in. If he picks his Boks and they dont perform then he will be crticised for not sticking with the current side. If he doesnt pick his Boks and his current side lose then he will be crtitcised for not playing his Boks. So i think just for this week, let us as supporters just back whoever runs out of the tunnel on Sat and give Plum a break this week.
@Culling Song (Comment 41) : 😆
@SheldonK (Comment 42) : The current side hasn’t been performing for a while now. I don’t think there will be many who would blam him for making a few changes.
If John Mitchell on the other hand had players coming back from the Boks and he decided to drop a bunch of his players, then he might have been critisized.
I really think Plum is save.
@Culling Song (Comment 41) : eish… although it was his yellow card during the S15 game that allowed us to draw the match!
@Letgo (Comment 44) : I agree with you that the current side hasnt been performing. But i honestly dont believe it has anything to do with their talent or ability, they just seem to lack focus and determination.
@robdylan (Comment 45) : True… But it was the way he controlled the game that put them ahead to start off with…
@Culling Song (Comment 47) : Butch will make an impact in any game he plays…whether its a good or bad impact nobody knows.
@Culling Song (Comment 47) : that is true
@robdylan (Comment 1) : Rob,
I am with you on this. I hate messing our players about. Just don’t want us to keep moving Lambie into all positions.
Though if we are in a crisis then I am okay with that. Only then should we shift him for a game into 12. Would have liked to see Lambie back at 10.
I also wonder how much heart the Boks have to play this game? All the Bok players from every franchise must be hurting so bad from that loss against Oz. Their hearts and minds must still be in NZ wishing they were gonna be facing the All Blacks this week.
But we have a Currie Cup to win. We need to win this game to have a semi at home.
@Puma (Comment 50) : I agree about the boks ,they shouldnt continue the cc ,but for them it may do some good to iron out a few frustrations from a mental or psyche point of view.
Lambie is such a good player he would do well just about anywhere you played him becuase of his rugby brain ,just look at how quickly he has developed as a player and how quickly he adapts to positions . Sure he would be a good fullback ,and during the s15 as I watched him play there to accommodate Michalak I was convinced it could be his future position -the crusdaers game he and DC duelled it out with the boot and Lambie was making him sweat a lil bit 😉 however I still feel as if his best position will be at flyhalf