Sharks coach John Plumtree has included all of his available Springboks for this weekend’s semi-final clash against the Cheetahs.
Keegan Daniel will continue to lead the side, as he has all season, with Willem Alberts starting in the familiar number 7 jersey this week, at the expense of Marcell Coetzee. Daniel (at openside) and Ryan Kankowsi (number 8) complete the loose trio, while Jean Deysel will still need to prove his fitness to reprise his role as starting lock, alongside Ross Skeate. Should Deysel fall out, Anton Bresler will play in the number 4 shirt. Jacques Botes stands to win his 100th Currie Cup cap should he make an appearance off the bench.
The front row sees drastic change too, with Bismarck du Plessis, brother Jannie and Tendai Mtawarira starting. Eugene van Staden, who was at loosehead last week, plays off the bench with Craig Burden, while Wiehahn Herbst is unlucky to miss out on selection.
Things are a little more stable amongst the backs, with JP Pietersen replacing Lwazi Mvovo at left wing in the only change to the run-on unit. Conrad Hoffmann and Fred Michalak are again the halfbacks, with Marius Joubert sure to put in a better performance this week, named at inside centre. Stefan Terblanche, Odwa Ndungane and Pat Lambie continue in jerseys 13 through 15, while Adi Jacobs returns to the bench, replacing the unlucky Jacques-Louis Potgieter.
The Sharks
15. Patrick Lambie
14. Odwa Ndungane
13. Stefan Terblanche
12. Marius Joubert
11. JP Pietersen
10. Frederic Michalak
9. Conrad Hoffmann
8. Ryan Kankowski
7. Willem Alberts
6. Keegan Daniel (Captain)
5. Ross Skeate
4. Jean Deysel / Anton Bresler
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira
Replacements
16. Craig Burden
17. Eugene van Staden
18. Marcell Coetzee
19. Jacques Botes
20. Ross Cronje
21. Adrian Jacobs
22. Lwazi Mvovo
Tweet
So if Deysel is fit, Bresler misses out completely?
Kan dit nie glo nie, moet ek na nog ‘n wedstryd kyk waarin marius joubert speel. Sorry for the afrikaans but some decisions…
No surprises—-unfortunately!
But what a pack of forwards!
@hendrikp (Comment 1) : Looks that way.
Midfield combination makes me 🙁
@Gotti (Comment 2) : 😐
That 12/13 pairing is making my eyes bleed! Otherwise brilliant team! I really don’t mind having steady “Oupa” there but Joubert has done nothing other than a few good off loads and a few good tackles… otherwise he has been as average as “sand”. Hope he decides to have the game of his life this weekend. Good luck boys! Chow some Cheetahs!
@hendrikp (Comment 1) : ja… a bit harsh that… but how do you leave out either Coetzee or Botes?
JLP misses out completely after making Joubert look ordinary last weekend.
Oh well I wouldn’t blame him for leaving! 🙄
let’s hold thumbs that Joubert delivers a “once-in-a-lifetime” performance…
that pack is simply mouth-watering, though… JEEZLIKITA!
@robdylan (Comment 7) :
You tell one of them that you require a lock on the bench, especially with Deysel under an ‘injury cloud’. 😀
Sigh!
@robdylan (Comment 9) :
It better be a ‘twice in a lifetime’ performance because if he has a blinder this week he WILL play in the finals.
@Pokkel (Comment 13) : That be true…
Great pack! But centres and Odwa ahead of Lwazi… Not so keen about that.
GO SHARKS!!!
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : I guess so, but they’ll argue that Alberts is the lock replacement…
Look, I know what this is about (and so does Bresler because he’s been told about it).
It’s about Plumtree having 6 top loose forwards and not wanting to leave any of them out of the squad.
has any one else noticed that we have a very “Mobile” bench for this game…
@robdylan (Comment 9) : If he has a once in a lifetime performance and we go to the finals, then he will most definitely get pick again and then we’ll need another amazing performance by him 😈
@Big Fish (Comment 15) : Lwazi seems to still be struggling a bit…. but it was always going to happen. Odwa is simply rated as a better “finals player” from an all-round point of view.
@JarsonX (Comment 18) : ja ja, but let’s do this one game at a tme
@G West (Comment 17) : a bench full of potential game breakers who can up the tempo in the second half?
@robdylan (Comment 19) : Odwa is the more reliable of the two when it comes to “BMT”, since he has the ability to switch between 14 and 15. And is also very stable under the high ball. Not to mention his ability to tackle like a monster
Groot [email protected] if Skeate gets injured early 😆
Good team but gosh those centres 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 21) : I think I see Plums plan here with the team and the Bench….
I like Odwa, but Mvovo is a game-breaker. You can bet your arse that he would be starting if this were an Oz or NZ union.
@hendrikp (Comment 23) : true…
@Big Fish (Comment 26) :
Power bench ala PdV?? 😉
@Big Fish (Comment 26) : but they’d also have identified the weak areas in his game 3 years ago and would have made sure that he was on a special program to improve them.
Feel sorry for JLP though! Otherwise we don’t have much of a choice other than : “GO SHARKS”!!!
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
Gotta have 2 of them (middle jumpers/line-out locks) in the 22.
Just like a tighthead
“with Marius Joubert sure to put in a better performance this week, named at inside centre” Rob I salute you, you say that just about every week, he doesn’t yet you don’t give up hope :).
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 32) : well, must say, I see no value in writing off the team before they’ve even played.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 32) : @robdylan (Comment 33) : Eternal Optimist II…mwah the 1st !!! 😆
GO SHAAAAAAAARRRRKKKSSSSSSS !!!!!!
don’t get me wrong… I’ll concede that Joubert has contributed nothing so far and I wouldn’t have picked him (I would have picked Potgieter at 12) but now that he’s there, we have to back him to deliver a performance worthy of his reputation and pay-cheque.
No not the team just the no 12 for this match who has shown little to justify him being in the 22! Otherwise this team is strong!
@robdylan (Comment 29) :
Very true!
Charlie 😆 I’m a pessimist unfortunately so ill just hope that he gets the runs on Friday @ captains run- forcing a change 😉
Head to head – The Sharks v Toyota Free State Cheetahs (since 2005):
Played: 16
The Sharks won: 6
FS Cheetahs won: 10 😯
Drawn: 0
I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you guys!! 🙄 😕
Thanks for that WPW 👿
@robdylan (Comment 36) : back him?? Pray would be more like it! 😈
Good team considering the injuries to our midfield,
lets hope deysel stays fit
@wpw (Comment 40) : What do they say about games in the past?
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 44) : Too many differences that has happened to take that as a realistic measurement. Not same players, not same coaches, weather etc…
Yeah good team this. Only our centres again. 😕
How I wish we couls sign Frans Steyn next year after his contract is over with Metro.
Go Sharks. We should win this.
@Puma (Comment 46) : typo – couls = could
Yes, JLP is unlucky, but he has been all season. I don’t know what’s going on there. I don’t get how you don’t play a player like that at all. I’ve never thought he was brilliant, but he’s always been solid. Good kicker, out of hand and from the tee, good distributor, decent defender (no less than SA’s no1), strong runner, cool head…winning a couple of CC with his previous teams, definite BMT.
Something must have happened between him and the selectors/coaches. Bosman has been poor to slowly improving and backed all the way. JLP got one start, played okay and was never considered again. Something doesn’t sound right.
There out of the way.
You couldn’t select him for this match if the coach couldn’t trust him for a whole season.
@Puma (Comment 47) : hiyas brudda
@wpw (Comment 40) : How does those stats look when you work on only home games?
@Letgo (Comment 50) : How bout you norrow it down even more Kings Park – semi’s?
Lambie at 15, expected
Joubert at 12… 😐 but expected
At least this means Lambie will move to the midfield in the second half.
Marius “kicking tee” Joubert has thus far for the season made one line break, one, maybe two decent offloads, and a couple of tackles. JLP bettered those stats in the few minutes he was on the park last week.
I can only assume that a) Plum caught JLP in a compromising situation with Mrs. Plumtree, or b) Marius Joubert has some photos of Plum en flagrante delicto. There can be no other sensible explanation
@Letgo (Comment 52) : What makes you think Lambie will move to the midfield with Jacobs on the bench?
@Pokkel (Comment 54) : Playing out of position?
@Culling Song (Comment 53) : I don’t understand it either. I’ve always thought JLP was a decent player. We could have used him this season. It’s very weird. Puzzled ❓
@sharks_lover (Comment 49) : Howzit brudda. How you doing bro?
Good team this only our centres. We should win this. Can’t wait for Saturday.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 55) : Wat nou Ys Bokkie?
@Letgo (Comment 56) : Particularly in light of what you mentioned earlier about the continued backing of Bosman. Ditto for Kicking Tee Joubert.
@Pokkel (Comment 54) : What = My brain. 😀
Looking at this team (and the selections over the last year) it is clear that the most important attribute any Sharks flyhalf should have is a double-skip pass…
@Pokkel (Comment 54) : Sorry, I like sarcasm.
I think Plum know his value calmness and contribution to this position.
I think Adi will play 13.
I also think Adi will only play 5 maybe 10min, Joubert will be replaced much sooner.
Depending on the game situation, naturally.
@Letgo (Comment 60) : If only Plum used your brain! I can’t see Plum moving Lambie to the midfield with Adi on the bench. Way to far out the box for him.
@Culling Song (Comment 61) : 😆 , so that’s why Fred has looked average is so many games. He’s not really the biggest passer as a 10. He likes keeping the ball closer to him… never had anyone running into space.
@Pokkel (Comment 63) : I don’t know…it’s only been the last 2 games that Plum decided to give Adi a real go. He’s also not the biggest fan of Adi.
Maybe Plum just don’t understand what good is when it comes to these positions???
Man, the Sharks and their loosies, can’t one of them become a great center. It sucks that a guy like Marcell has to be benched.
@Puma (Comment 57) : Hi bro yeah pretty mucg so and doing fine now thanks , in Balito as we speak but leaving for Cape Town tomorrow morning
He had cards up his sleave ,he had cards in his pockets and behind his back but pulled out the same deck he always uses. Safety first ,good defencesive midfield and a good fielder at the back . Forward pack huge and bulky and will be the horns of our game plan .
Would have liked to have seen;
1.Marcell Coetzee starting becuase of his speed and tenacity in defence, Alberts the hammer to come on and pulverise tired aching bodies.
2.Beast same as Alberts /Eugene to start
3.Lambie midfield and Steff at 15 becuase Stef and Lambie will provide similar services at the back but Steff in midfield cant offer what Lambie can.
-Second half wave of Alberts ,Burden and Beast too strong, its like a tsunami for a helpless tired shark attack victim.
12/13/14 = Sharks downfall this weekend. Terrible centre combo.
Cheetahs pack will hold their ground and our plod outside backs wont have the necessary pace to break the likes of Stauss and Ebersohn etc. Seen this all season already.
Only way Sharks will win this will be by playing 10 man rugby.
15 Stef
13 MJ
12 PL
Would have liked that more
@John Galt (Comment 69) : jeez dude… I’ve heard of half empty, but you don’t even have a cup.
Cheetahs forwards will be blown off the park within the opening 40 minutes. Let’s see how good wunderkind is when he’s playing backwards…
@robdylan (Comment 71) : hahahahahaha!! Well said Robbo!
@John Galt (Comment 69) : its defence orientated ,not a bad thing but not ideal
@Letgo (Comment 65) : He played in the forwards, takes a bit longer…patience needed… 😈
I feel for Lambie, he is on the exact same path as what Russel/Pienaar/Steyn was.
Let’s hope he shakes it off, very quickly…
Not at all what I would`ve done, but exactly what I expected hehehe.
Plum is nothing if not consistant.
Hehe those centres! 🙄
@Ben (Comment 77) : Dont write off MJ just yet ,his attacking aint bad and he is willing to put in big hits. And Stef is an awesome defender ,earlier on in the cc he made Sadie look like a school boy…for now its not a bad combination but looking ahead if we persist with it we will be found out
@Talent (Comment 78) : Sure thing! Let’s persist with MJ, he’s one for the future! 🙄
@Ben (Comment 79) : Ben Venter or Ben Staeuli?
@Ben (Comment 79) : ROTFLMFAO!!!
@beet (Comment 80) : Anything but Strauli!! 🙂
@Big Fish (Comment 15) : @Big Fish (Comment 26) : 100%
@Ben (Comment 79) : Well you have to have experience in your side ,need a balance .
@Talent (Comment 84) : At the moment he is tilting the shit out of the balance between experience and “should have retired 3 years ago”! The scale is hanging 3 foot under the ground in the latter direction! 😉
@Letgo (Comment 66) : I think Keegan could have made a decent centre
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/Sharks-to-break-11-year-duck-20111020 what a stupid article and heading
@mbay-shark (Comment 87) : ag ja… they’ve all just rewritten the preview article sent out by SA Rugby using different words.
Sports writers in South Africa are nothing if not lazy and unimaginative.
Why is deysel still playing lock when almost 2m tall alberts is playing flank?
@cody007 (Comment 89) : alberts is the same height as deysel, boet. He’s nowhere near 2m
u right rob just doubled checked the stats. But something is wrong i saw them both at virgin active and alberts looks more than a centimeter taller. But be that as it may i suppose your best flanker must play flank which plum obviously feels alberts is better than deysel. I’m one of the few who does not share that view. I think deysel plays to the ball and is more effective in stealing opposition ball. But considering plums other views on selection i suppose i can live with this one.
u right rob, just doubled checked the stats. i saw them both at virgin active and alberts looks more than a centimeter taller. But be that as it may i suppose your best flanker must play flank which plum obviously feels alberts is better than deysel. I’m one of the few who does not share that view. I think deysel plays more to the ball and is more effective in stealing opposition ball. But considering plums other views on selection i suppose i can live with this one.