The Sharks XV team to face the Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup Quarter Final at Mr Price Kings Park this Saturday has been announced, with a few familiar faces returning to the line up following the influx of senior players last weekend.
One senior player that has remained is Odwa Ndungane, who will give this backline some experience, as well as the inclusion of Marius Joubert, who will add calm and stability to an otherwise youthful backline.
Fred Zeilinga and Cobus Reinach continue their partnership as halfbacks, with Zeilinga potentially playing himself into Baby Boks selection following the injury to Johan Goosen.
Dale Chadwick drops from the senior squad straight into starting loose head for the XV, joining the in form Kyle Cooper in in the front row. The Marais brothers team up in the second row, while Kleinhans, Stander and Mtembu join forces again as the loose trio to take on the Bulls up front.
The Sharks XV
15. Gouws Prinsloo
14. Odwa Ndungane
13. Marius Joubert
12. Heimar Williams
11. S’bura Sithole
10. Fred Zeilinga
9. Cobus Reinach
8. Lubabalo Mtembu
7. Brynard Stander
6. Francois Kleinhans
5. Peet Marais
4. Jandre Marais (Capt)
3. Nick Schonert
2. Kyle Cooper
1. Dale Chadwick
Replacements
16. Monde Hadebe
17. Danie Mienie
18. Brendon Groenewald
19. Chris Cloete
20. Conrad Hoffmann
21. Wandile Mjekevu
22. Chris Jordaan
Tweet
Time to go for Piet Lindeque
Is Chadwick eligible to play in the semis?
@Bokhoring (Comment 2) :
No he is not..
He has played more than three Super Rugby games this season..
@Bokhoring (Comment 2) : I dont think that he is – I think eligibility for the playoffs is based on number of SuperRugby games played. You would think that someone checked before naming the side.
@steve (Comment 4) :
The eligibility rules do not fall over the quarter finals, so only from next weekend..
@steve (Comment 4) : Im sure they are aware of the the regulations but want to get the best possible team on the field in the hope of advancing to the next stage.
In truth it does not really make full sense to use a player in the knock out stages that will not be eligable for the final, if they get that far.
First time I see cris jordaan in the mix? Should like to have seen Piet lindeque in the squad.
@Salmonoid (Comment 6) :
I agree with you on that..
What is the point in disrupting a front row, only for the player not to be available next weekend?
Silly I think..
Why start Chadwick? The guy is in serious need of a rest and he can’t play later in the competition in any case. STUPID! 👿
@Pokkel (Comment 9) :
Seems like something a rookie coach would do??!!
@Pokkel (Comment 9) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) : Agree about Chadwick! He needs a break!!
Where is Tjoppie Viljoen? Though he’d at least be on the bench. Is he injured?
@ChrisS (Comment 11) :
I don’t think he is injured..
I think the plan was to drop him completely in order to get his mind right..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 12) :
And on current form, Gouws Prinsloo is much better than Viljoen, and should be pushing him for his Super Rugby spot..
BTW how were the quarter final places determined? I am not really that familiar with the Vodacom Cup setup
@Bokhoring (Comment 14) : Not too worry – I found an article on SA Rugby that shows the team results in both sections
@Ludz (Comment 1) : he must come to the Kings 😛 😈
Good to see 4 Glenwood Old Boys involved;
Fred Zeilanga
Kyle Cooper
Fran Kleinhans
brendon Groenewald
Hopefully see them in the main Sharks side in the coming years. Go Green!
@Megatron (Comment 16) :
Would you take him at the Kings?
You do know he wasn’t born and raised in the Eastern Cape, right? 😉
@Grasshopper (Comment 17) : Yeah, especially Cooper, because if not then he will be terrorising us while wearing some other unions jersey.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 18) : exactly, he lacks the necessary skills to make in super rugby! we develop the cream here in the EC no doubt…look jordaan!
@Megatron (Comment 20) : You were belittling Jordan earlier.
@Salmonoid (Comment 21) : what is “BELLITLING” pointing out his weakenesses?
HTFU!
@Megatron (Comment 22) : What is HTFU?
And no, I’m not being smarmy or sarcastic, I’m genuinely curious.
I have a good idea what the TFU stands for, but the H is also intriguing me
@Culling Song (Comment 23) : Harden The F(cuk Up 😎
Glad to see Schonert completing the strong front row..
@Megatron (Comment 22) : Pah, you intimated that his defence wouldnt be up to some or other Highlander running at him. I just couldnt put your 2 faces of Jordan together – earlier you indicate that he has “deficiencies” and then you boast that he is the cream and has been developed. Hmmmmm, looking at it like that maybe, it is you that should WTFU. 😈
@Megatron (Comment 25) : hahahahahaha, what would Sharksworld be without you mkhuluwa
@Salmonoid (Comment 27) : you can cherry pick my comments all you like to suit your inane little arguments, pointing out his short comings is me being realistic. i say the same things about sbura’s game on any given sunday it soen’t mean he is not the “cream” of the eastern cape development system!
jordaan & sbura’s exploits for SA Schools & Baby Boks PROVE they’re the cream of the crop but does that mean their games don’t have holes in them come the time to step up to super rugby? hell no!
but yeah, try and act clever 🙄
@Megatron (Comment 29) : Wow, you are touchy today. 😛
@Ludz (Comment 28) : Too true.
@Salmonoid (Comment 30) : nope, just setting you straight 😆
The good news is that this is a stronger front row than the Sharks side. With Beast gone the penalty count will drop substantially.
@Megatron (Comment 31) : Tut,tut.
@snakeslayer (Comment 32) : you could actually be right… Could be the best technical scrummaging unit we have.
When is Mtembu going to get a senior side call? He is an untapped poaching genius.
@Predawn (Comment 35) : he got 5 minutes against the Stormers in Round 2 🙂
Ok, I know that doesn’t count, but he is at least capped 🙂
@snakeslayer (Comment 32) :
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
Seriously? So because the Beast is still working his way back to full match fitness he has now become a weak link?
I was hoping Beast and Kanko would stay in the side but alas we are getting them back.
I wish Burden and Botes would be recognised as starting players by this moron Kiwi.
@robdylan (Comment 36) :
Plumtree would not recognise class if it slapped him across his big deformed ears.
@Predawn (Comment 38) :
Last time I checked, Botes is starting tomorrow???
@Predawn (Comment 39) :
I don’t think that type of personal attack is quite necessary..
@Big Fish (Comment 37) : no, I don’t think that’s the case really… Beat is so good in pretty much everything he does that he is our CLEAR first choice as a loosehead.
Chadwick, though, is a superb scrummager at number 1 – this, I think, has always been clear. His challenge is to improve the other areas of his game to be able to compete with Beast as an all-round loosehead, not just at scrum time.
I think we can probably agree that of the two props, scrummaging is less important for a loosehead than it is for a tighthead. In other words, while you can “carry” a strong scrummager with a weak workrate and ball skills in the number 3 jersey, you cannot do that at no 1.
@robdylan (Comment 42) :
So your view is that based on both being fully fit, Chadwick is a better scrummager?
@Big Fish (Comment 44) : it’s very hard to say with objectivity, since they don’t regularly play against the same opposition.
Looking at this without other parts of the game prejudicing anything, though, Beast is probably less consistent as a scrummaging loosehead than Chadwick is. On his day, he can be destructive as anything – just ask that Vickery chap – but he also has days when he’s not as good.
@robdylan (Comment 44) :
Probably right on the technical and consistency points.
But Beast as already faced off against the best and stood tall, and that counts for a helluva lot.
@Big Fish (Comment 45) : damn straight dude.
Look, I need to be even more clear about this. Never in a million years am I picking Dale ahead of Beast if both are fit. He simply isn’t in that class yet.
But we need to also remember that Beast is a retreaded flanker and is still relatively “young” in terms of his propping career. Did I tell you about the time I saw him play at 3 for the Sharks under 21s against the Bulls? First time I’ve ever seen a prop subbed off after 2 scrums.
@bigfish (comment 37)
Not saying he is a weak link, but don,t believe he is the best tighthead in the Province. Admittedly it was his 1st game back, but he got done by the Kings tighthead a couple of weeks ago. When Minnie came on it was a different story. Against Pampas he gave away too many penalties.
Does anyone know why we went to uncontested scrums agaist Pampas when Beast replaced Minnie (blood bin) as we had Cooper and Hadebe in the front row? Another question, are there no young centres who can play. Surely MJ passed sell by date.?
@snakeslayer (Comment 47) :
I don’t want to put down any youngsters, but the fact is that until those lads have faced up to the opposition Beast has, and dominated like he has, he is certainly the best Loosehead in the province.
He is still making his was back to fitness, and my gut tells me he may even struggle a bit tomorrow, but that shouldn’t detract from what we know he can do when fully fit.
@big fish
Lets see how he goes. Highlanders have a decent front row. It should be interesting
Got mixed feelings about this. I thought it might have been better to give Dale the weekend off. He has played too much rugby already this year.
What if Beast gets injured again today? 🙁
Gouws pk from halfway.
Sharks 3 – 0 Bulls
5 mins
Sharks XV 3 – 0 Bulls
4 min
Wesley Dunlop back to haunt the Sharks..
Dunlop pk
Sharks 3 – 3 Bulls
7 mins
Sharks XV 3 – 3 Bulls
7 min
Gouws pk from right in front.
Sharks 6 – 3 Bulls
9 mins
@Ben (Comment 55) : hi Ben…..
@Franshark (Comment 58) : howdy.
Sharks forwards matching up very well against the Bulls so far. Zeilinga looking crisp.
Gouws needs to work on his touchline kicks. He’s missed a whole lot of them from penalties this season.
So sad to see that even the next generation of Sharks believe that fields caught in open field MUST result in an up-and-under.
The Australasian teams regularly show how devastating loose ball from such kicks can be.
Gouws pk.
Sharks 9 – 3 Bulls
20 mins
A Blue Blull pell of mine is at the game today, with a Sharks shirt on 🙂
Try Bulls. Van Velze
Converted.
Sharks 9 – 10 Bulls
24 mins
And the Bulls score from backing themselves through the phases. The Sharks would have kicked the ball away before this.
Kleinhans try!
Converted.
Sharks 16 – 10 Bulls
31 mins
@Ben (Comment 68) : After 11 phases – that the kind of patience that the Sharks as a whole need to exhibit more often.
Sharks 16 – 13 Bulls
37 mins
Half Time
Sharks XV 19 – 13 Blue Bulls
Sharks looking okay so far this game..
Could do with some cool headedness when in possession, and cut out the amount of silly kicks.
Scrums are going well, we should put more pressure on them at the breakdowns, that is where they are infringing!
Sharks not to bad, pressure must be put on the bull’s early in the second half.sharks good with ball in hand must be calm and it will happen going to be a good second half go sharks xv
2nd half under way.
Gouws pk.
Sharks 22 – 13 Bulls
42 mins
@Ben (Comment 76) : that’s good… NOW we need to watch out though cos we’ll probably concede a try
Wow, great defense Sharks…
Sithole try!
Converted.
Sharks 29 – 13 Bulls
46 mins
@Ben (Comment 79) : GREAT!
Man, that is awesome.
Dunlop pk.
Sharks 29 – 16 Bulls
47 mins
@robdylan (Comment 81) : Indeed!
Gouws misses a penalty.
Sharks under some real pressure in their 22…
@robdylan (Comment 81) : are you watching?
@Franshark (Comment 86) : no dude – can’t get it here
@robdylan (Comment 87) : Ai, its all bulls on attack and Sharks on defense the last 10 min
Bulls try. Skosan
Converted.
Sharks 29 – 23 Bulls
60 mins
Zeilinga off. Jordaan on. Gouws moves to 10.
ah fuck
Zeilinga off and Jordaan on Gouws at 10
Hoffman on
A missed drop goal from Gouws works well as we get a 5 meter scrum
Hoffman with 2 bad passes hands the ball back to the bulls…
Sharks good in the scrums…
@Franshark (Comment 96) : Useless!
Knock from the Sharks, They need to score… This 6 point lead in not enough…
Adonga on for the bulls
Adongo on.
@Ben (Comment 98) : Reinach actually had a good game..
Too many mistakes from the sharks,back line looks disrupted with all the changed positions don’t know why they change positions when we under pressure?
crap I’m nervous now… we’re not going to manage to defend 6 points for 10 minutes
Great try. Chris Jordaan!
@Franshark (Comment 101) : Reinach was brilliant!
Jordaaaaaaaan; great stuff..
Smiles 🙂
Converted.
Sharks 36 – 23 Bulls
73 mins
13 points lead, 6min to go…
YES!!!
Bulls in Sharks 22, penalty advantage to bulls
Bulls with a 5m attacking lineout.
I’m really pleased
Kyle gets a Yellow…
Cooper yellow carded. 2 mins to go.
@Franshark (Comment 113) : I’m less pleased about that 🙁
Try Bulls. Ulrich Beyers.
Converted.
Sharks 36 – 30 Bulls
79 mins
1min…. 6points
NO NO NO!!! We can’t, can we?
Bulls have possession
come on Sharks…. hold!
Hooter goes
Into Sharks half
COME ON
Bulls score under the post
Bulls try under the sticks!
Dammit….
FULL TIME
Sharks XV 36 – 37 Blue Bulls
can you foppen believe it
Bulls win 👿
FFS! Nicely done Sharks!
Bloody hell, we let that one slip right out of our hands. WE should have won this one. Crikey feel disappointed now. 👿
well, that about sums it up, doesn’t it?
What did Cooper do to get carded?
@robdylan (Comment 133) : Repeated ruck infringements from the Sharks.
@robdylan (Comment 133) : hands in on the ground, we were on a team warning..
To much disruptions with changing players at vital times, you don’t change a winning combination so late in the game that’s my view,gouws isn’t a flyhalf
I’m afraid I don’t really have the emotional capital left over to get pissed off about how badly the Sharks fuck up at Vodacom Cup level EVERY YEAR despite having a very good side on paper.
@spyderco (Comment 136) : and that has been happening all season…
You can’t help but find the funny side of this…we have the players but not the trophies…the entire management and coaching stuff needs to go asap…we have reached rock bottom…no BMT, no game plan, no shit…watch the seniors also fail to deliver…Chadwick and Odwa!! wow
@robdylan (Comment 137) : at every level..
Man that was disappointing…
@spyderco (Comment 136) : now they can rest as much as they want…
Really disappointed still can’t make sense of it, lots of decision blunders from coaches ,WOW unreal (go south African hockey )
When Zeilinga was on the field the communication between players was great, gaps were filled and tackles made on call,there was no communication at all with gouws prinsloo at flyhalf why why why is this accepted at this level of the game just asking?