Sharks winger Lwazi Mvovo has confirmed on Facebook that he’s suffered a muscle tear, which will keep him out of action for between two and three weeks. The timing of the injury means he’ll face an uphill battle to be fit for the Sharks Super Rugby opener against the Bulls on 24 February.
One thing the Sharks don’t lack, though, is firepower amongst the back three, with young Wandile Mjekevu expected to add further options to an outside back division that includes fellow Springboks in JP Pietersen and Odwa Ndungane, as well as the likes of Louis Ludik, Riaan Viljoen, Sbura Sithole and Gouws Prinsloo. Competition for run-on places is always going to be fierce and while few, I’m sure, would want to look further than Pietersen and Mvovo as a first-choice wing combination, Sharks fans can rest assured that there are plenty of others to step in should the worst happen and Mvovo be ruled out for the first game or so.
We’d like to wish Lwazi well with his rehab and have fingers properly crossed that he’ll be back to full fitness as soon as possible.
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Did this happen during the cricket match?
@mbay-shark (Comment 1) : no – he got injured before that, in training. He didn’t play yesterday.
@<a href="#[email protected]robdylan (Comment 2) : ment-366062″>mbay-shark (Comment 1) : that makes it the third gym related injury in 3 weeks(ludik,hoffmann,movovo).
@robdylan (Comment 2) : o ok.
@bergshark (Comment 3) : And I thought it should be the gym equipment breaking as the players get stronger
@bergshark (Comment 3) : who said it was gym related?
Get well soon Mvovovoom
Good luck bud, hope you hit your straps again soon!
personally i would like to See Majeveku get a run as he brings that ” I need to prove something ” to the game….when a player is hungry to perform he brings that something extra to the game. and he more than just a finisher he has a deft touch and a swing and flow to his running . like he is on a pivot
Lwazi…heal up quick mate…
Hope he makes a speedy recovery
Majeveku,hope he plays 13
Best of Luck to Lwazi !!
@Honey Badger (Comment 11) : Can he tackle?
Apparently Steven Sykes has signed a 1 year deal with the Sharks?? Or at least he is back in SA and been released by Leinster. More of a rumour at this stage, but could be some truth to it.
@Pat (Comment 13) : really? That weird, cos I was chatting to his wife on Facebook just the other day and they’re very much still in Ireland…
@Pat (Comment 13) : if true,the second row has just regained some muscle and grunt.and height in the line-out.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : seems like I jumped the gun there,then 😀
@bergshark (Comment 15) : height in the lineout? Extra muscle?
I’m going to have to start this one all over again, aren’t I?
Sykes is EXACTLY the same height and weight as both Bresler and Marais…
@robdylan (Comment 17) :
Looks can be deceptive.
@Salmonoid (Comment 18) : actually Marais is 4kg heavier than Sykes, but who’s really looking? 🙂
hi all,
hope he get well soon we need him in the SR squad
@robdylan (Comment 17) : means they all three taller,heavier and younger than brad thorn- they’d walk into the ab team based on those 3 criterias then 😉
@robdylan (Comment 19) : 4 kgs of battle hardened muscle..?
My “beef” is not with either bresler or marais -im worried about hargreaves this season-he needs to come to the fore now _but I don’t think he can be a 4 lock,so he will have to do the job at 5,where he will have stiff comp from skeate and bresler.
Put sykes as 4 and marais to deputise with him (and learn) and skeate at 5 with bresler his deputy.but either or both can very well end the season as the number one choice in their positions.
Then there is still pieter-steph du toit (who I haven’t seen play ,but have read some good reviews -is he a 4 or 5 lock?).
@bergshark (Comment 22) : Pieter-Steph is a 4
@bergshark (Comment 22) : look the points here is not so much about muscle (and I share your sentiments re experience, which you simply can’t buy)
I just don’t get the argument about having more “height in the lineout” with Sykes there, since he is exactly the same height as Marais, Bresler and Du Toit. In fact, one could argue that if the Sharks were planning on playing Skeate and Hargreaves together (bad idea I know) you would have a pair of locks each 2.01m tall. Replacing one of them with the 1.98m of Sykes actually reduces overall height…
@robdylan (Comment 24) : sykes brings the combo of height,weight and experience.
one doesn’t want to “block” the younger players’ progression,but it has to be earned-and it will do a player good to know he actually really had to earn that jersey.sykes himself only turns 28 this year.
That said,I was really impressed by what I saw from marais last year during cc.for one thing,he seemed keen.plumtree shouldve given him the starting 4 lock in sykes absence _rather than play deysel there 😐 -and allowed him to grow in experience .
But this _sykes returning- is all still rumour .
Not that I’m saying that deysel didn’t seem keen.
Can anyone tell me if Mjekevu actually has a contract and if so, is it a Super Rugby contract or Vodacom Cup?
@roger (Comment 27) : The last news Rob had was that he hadn’t been offered a contract yet but this offer can’t be too far off now.
@ Beet, thanks – wasn’t sure what happened at the Lions and if he was successful at the Sharks. Will be interesting to see if the KES 2008 centre pairing of Jared Meyer and Wandile Mjekevu are reunited at the Sharks?
@roger (Comment 29) : Yeah Jared is one of those players I felt the Sharks needed to give a bit more game time in the u21 games in 2011 and hopefully this will come about in 2012. Unfortunately word on the Durban streets at the moment is that the Sharks select you based on the type of contract you have signed with them rather than on the form you display, which if true is sad.
Wandile definitely has the build to be a successful player and he’s shown in the past that he has the skills but whether he has the self-determination/motivation – I think that’s where his true test lies. If he can get his head in the right place he can be as good as JP Pietersen. The obvious worry is why would the Lions cut such a fine prospect – he still has a year of u21 eligibility. On the surface the decision made by the Lions seems insane but maybe there is more to it than meets the eye.
@beet (Comment 30) :
Maybe he just happened to be too expensive for a union battling with finances.
But to let a youngster go in favour of keeping the older guys, is worrying?!
@bergshark (Comment 25) : not any more… check the front page.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 31) : I’ll be a happy man if that’s the only reason. According to Steve they did cut a number of young players in the off-season probably due to finances.
However in the SA market, a guy like Wandile is worth his weight in gold. It’s not a decision that should easily have been arrived at. If faced with budget constraints at the Lions, I’d sooner cut a guy like Deon vR, irrespective of how good he’s been for the Union. I’m confident I can replace Deon with an up and coming player or compensate for his loss by moving around existing squad players but I know I’d be hard pressed to find another Mjekevu without a tremendous amount of effort and a bit of luck.
That luck might have just fallen the Sharks way.
@beet (Comment 33) :
I agree with you!
Killian and Deon would be first to go..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 34) : I rate Killian… but reckon Deon is just taking up space.
@robdylan (Comment 35) :
Mjekevu wouls be last to go, being a future Bok..
But I do agree, Deon is a financial burden in my opinion.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 36) :
As is Butch, to be honest!
As well as being a walking penalty..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 36) : Like Rob, I also rate Killian but I also think Deon has exceeded expectations in the last 18 months or so. I think he’s in the team every week coz the coaching staff truly feel he adds value. But he’s pretty much reached his ceiling of achievement.
Like you say Richard, the prospects you have with Mjekewu playing to his max potential (Bok potential) far exceed the best you’ll ever get out of Deon vR.
@Original Pierre (Comment 12) : Good question….see how desperate I am for a try scoring 13.