The Sharks have made limited changes to the team that takes on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein this weekend, with Pat Lambie cleared to play while Ludik misses out due to his injury.
Riaan Viljoen gets another chance to show what he has at fullback thanks to Ludik’s injury, with the only other change being that Willem Alberts will play off the bench ahead of Pieter-Steph du Toit. That means that all three of Alberts, Deysel and Kankowski will sit on the bench, with both Alberts and Deysel able to fill in for the second rowers.
Important combinations continue to build in the front row, second row and loose trio as we see and unchanged forward pack, with the first choice or form eight being quite clear with three consecutive weeks of selection. The centre combination of Tim Whitehead and Paul Jordaan will continue to grow in stature as they play another game together in midfield.
The Sharks
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Steven Sykes
5. Anton Bresler
6. Jacques Botes
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Keegan Daniel (Capt)
9. Charl McLeod
10. Patrick Lambie
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Tim Whitehead
13. Paul Jordaan
14. JP Pietersen
15. Riaan Viljoen
Replacements:
16. Craig Burden
17. Wiehahn Herbst
18. Willem Alberts
19. Jean Deysel
20. Ryan Kankowski
21. Frederic Michalak
22. Meyer Bosman
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Best 22 Sharks have named so far this season, IMO. Chuffed to see Alberts back, i hope Deysel and Willem are immense off the bench for us.
This 22 looks like a team that can without a doubt Win the tournament. I mean we have Deysel, Alberts and Kanko on the bench, how sick is that!!!
Sharks forever!!
GO SHARKS….. good to see Plum sticking to the guns….
Ludik will be missed, hope Viljoen is back on song this weekend!
Go SHARKS!!!!! Love this team, and despite my self am starting to feel positive again!
hope Viljoen can stand up and be counted now I feel he is going to show us why Plum brought him to Durban. Against his old team mates he will bring his A game.
So Willem will be the lock cover?
So PSDT did not impress enough then. 😈
@Bokhoring (Comment 6) :
Well, him and Deysel, as the article says..
@JarsonX (Comment 7) :
I really doubt that..
It is more a case of Plum unable to leave Alberts out any longer..
He has nowhere else to get match fit, otherwise I am sure we would have seen him play Vodacom Cup..
Sharks by 15+
How can Lambie be concussed last Saturday and be fit to play this Saturday?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) : True, just hope that Alberts is back to his normal self.
@JarsonX (Comment 12) :
I think his inclusion has something to do with the Ashley Johnson factor..
Both coming off the bench in the second half is going to be something to watch..
None of them can hold a candle to Marcell at the moment, only albets on form can take out marcell from the starting team. Glad to see Anton B playing so good, i had my doubts. lets hope Alberts gets a chance at 7 and not at 4. would be awesome to have him in form for the important part of the season. Viljoen to be man of the match and put over a few 60m kicks. Go sharkssssss
Glad to see that Plum is starting to view his bench as another string for his bow, and not just emergency backup
@Loosehead (Comment 11) : Happens all the time…this isn’t School Rugby 🙂 Seen guys totally passed out one week and playing the next, it’s very common.
@JarsonX (Comment 7) : PSDT was great for the very limited chance he got, i just think Plum knows Alberts’ quality and is giving him a chance to come back to form.
@Culling Song (Comment 15) : Agree, Sharks have always done well when we have had top quality players coming off the bench. Our Bench is probably the best in superugby, ATM. We have 5 Internationals on our bench! 🙂
@JarsonX (Comment 7) : Willem needs the game time. I personally think PSDT impressed and Plum knows that he has an asset in the young man. Looks like good man management by Plum.
Good to see Willem getting back in the 22. Hope things work out that he get a decent period of game time.
Hope Viljoen spent a lot of time with our mental coach to get over his concentration issues. Oops – we don’t have one
the psdt hype is at fever pitch…i must watch this kid closely next time.
@JarsonX (Comment 7) : I suspect Plum is extending an olive branch to Willem Alberts. There’s currently no way PSDT will get a look-in at the Boks but Willem Alberts could have a shot if he plays the next few games.
IMO opinion Alberts came back too early from injury. There is just no way you can play the type of game he plays, if you still experiencing pain from an injured shoulder
@Bokhoring (Comment 23) : you have a point there, we were in trouble and maybe rushed willem to play way sooner than expected
Hw many timÉs have the cheetahs convincely beaten us from minute 1 to minute 80???think our biggest problem with them is we don’t outplay them the whole game and we give away soft tries..guys need to be ruthless
@Loosehead (Comment 11) : bekommerd dat lambie julle gaan karnuffel??
Gaan dit goed ou maat??, lank laas gechat
@Loosehead (Comment 11) : there’s protocol that has to be followed, Lambie obviously ticked all the correct boxes- should be good to play this weekend 🙂
Really bummed Louis is injured…much better at fullback than Riaan. Riaan just needs to stay focused and do the basics right
@jessi (Comment 27) : Yip, it forms part of Boksmart
Very pleased we going in with almost the same team as last week. The more the players play together the better they will get.
Feel for Ludik. He FINALLY gets to play in his preferred position and plays magnificently and gets injured. What a shame. Hope it is not a long lay off this time. Also hope that Viljoen can play like what we expected him to play like. Also really hope that Lambie is 100s and as much as we need him just don’t want us to mess his chance being selected for the Boks.
Going to be a cracker this game. Cheetahs are playing well this year. We win this game then we should take the Stormers at the Tank. Well will feel more confident we can. We could and should have beaten Stormers at Newlands.
GO SHARKS……….. 😎
@Puma (Comment 30) : sharks to walk away with a bonus point here!
@Megatron (Comment 31) : When you and the Keolings agree on this, I am getting worried. Stop jinxing us
@Megatron (Comment 31) : hmmmm…. an agenda. What is it, I wonder?
‘Everyone was agreed that we must secure a solution that does not damage any of the existing franchises,’ said Saru CEO Jurie Roux. ‘It is a complex issue with no easy answers and we are determined to leave no stone unturned in finding that answer. A number of options were discussed but there is currently no preferred alternative to recommend to the general council.’
@Bokhoring (Comment 32) : @robdylan (Comment 33) : ye, of little faith 😆
@JJR (Comment 1) : For sure it is. Kanko, Alberts and Deysel just laying in wait…hahahaha. Man which team can boost a great loose trio on the bench like that? 😯 It is almost insane and we have another magnificent loose trio starting… 🙂 😎
@Bokhoring (Comment 32) : Keolings 😆
@Megatron (Comment 31) : 😛
@Megatron (Comment 31) : Transie does it hurt you to say that………. 😆 😎
@shaniboi (Comment 25) : Indeed Sharks don’t often put teams away like they should…if they could go out everyweek to make a mockery of their opponents and simply beat the whateva outta them, i would be very happy 🙂
@Puma (Comment 39) : why would it hurt? 😆
@Megatron (Comment 41) : Cause you know why…
you like us to lose.. 😕
@Megatron (Comment 31) : the only explanation I have for your total outburst here is that you wanna jinx us… 🙂 not gonna happen so thanks for the support… So by the way I AGREE!!! 😉
@Puma (Comment 39) :
Why do you call him Transie on SW?
@Puma (Comment 42) : no way… 🙁
@Franshark (Comment 43) : “total outburst”? exaggerate much? 😆
@Big Fish (Comment 44) :
Sometimes I am blogging on keo and speaking with him there and then at the same time post something here and he is posting here as well, so kinda strange it seems to me to call him one name on another blog and another here.
He should have kept the same nick here. I have been speaking to him for years as (Transformation) on keo. For me anyhow he will always just be Transie.
@Megatron (Comment 45) : Okay so this Saturday you supporting us?… 😎
@Puma (Comment 48) : i don’t know about that, but you are going to win 😛
@Megatron (Comment 49) : Ag we all know you a ‘Under Cover Sharks Supporter’ 😛 🙂
😕 R Viljoen…… Not on form. Might go against us. If Odwa was fit, I would’ve gone for him at 15, (How long is he still out?) ..
But we do have soome massive guys waiting on the bench…. 🙂
@SharksRTB (Comment 51) : think Viljoen will be hungry to do good… And he knows this field very well… Might be a great asset…
Hope Viljoen presents his A game. Don’t think we’ve seen his best for the Sharks. I don’t rate Ludik as a wing although he outpased Sam Wara of the WF, but he is a better 15 than Viljoen even if he doesn’t have the boot. Much better.
Hope we get to see Riaan play like he did last year – IMO he was the best Saffa FB last year – haven’t really got see that this year.