The Sharks received some good news this week ahead of their tough three-week run-in to the Currie Cup knock-outs, with a number of players returning to swell their already full ranks.
Hooker-cum-loosehead Kyle Cooper, who has been on the sidelines for around three months after a neck operation, returned to full training yesterday and may even come into the reckoning for a berth against the Bulls this weekend, while Bok wing JP Pietersen is also expected back on the paddock on Wednesday. The latter’s playing return, however, is expected to come a week later against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, unless, that is, the national selectors opt to push the panic button and rather throw him straight in against the All Blacks that weekend instead.
With lock Pieter-Steph du Toit now also available for selection, after coming through a under 21 game at the weekend, the Sharks are now in the enviable position of having a fully fit squad as the competition nears its climax. Only long-term knee casualty Bismarck du Plessis remains on the sidelines, with the only other unavailable players being the eight Sharks currently with the Springbok squad.
The Sharks face must-win games across all three competitions, at home, this weekend with the under 19s and under 21s facing their Western Province counterparts and the seniors taking on the Blue Bulls.
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Viljoen must be benched. Our best available backline is Reinach, Bosman, Whitehead, Jordaan, Mvovo, Ndungane, Ludick.
@rhineshark (Comment 1) : I disagree fundamentally.
Mvovo isn’t available 🙂
@rhineshark (Comment 1) : Agreed entirely!
@robdylan (Comment 2) : 😆 OK, Sbura on the wing then.
@rhineshark (Comment 4) : ha ha. Just f’in with you Ted.
But again I must disagree. I want rosco to get another run at 11 cos I think he did more with his 1 chance than Sbura did with his 5…
@rhineshark (Comment 1) : So Whitehead on the wing and Mvovo at outside center. Is that a ploy to confuse or actual strategy?
Does Kyle Cooper really have the ability to play LH? Or is that ability only reserved for emergencies?
You know where I’m going with this, but only if Kyle can be a proper LH. His work rate in open play combined with a hooker like Hadebe/Burden will literally add an extra player on the field.
This is great news for us. I agree want that youngster given another chance. Put viljoen on the bench give bosman a good go at flyhalf with jordaan & whitehead. What a prospect that would be.
Whatever we do…KEEP REINACH ON THAT FIELD FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!!! PLEASE!
@Ice (Comment 9) : i agree fully
@Die Kriek (Comment 6) : I can put numbers up if it will help.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : That´s true. Really disappointed that Sbura isn´t kicking on, especially when players with the same talent, like Rocco Jansen and Raymond Rhule, are standing out.
People please! It’s “Ludik”, without a C
@TRF_Ezequiel (Comment 13) : Sorry! I also hate in when people spell Brüssow and Daniel something like Brussouw or Daniels.
Bismark du Plessis, John Smith, Heinrich Brussouw, Keegan Daniels, Louis Ludick, JP Pieterson, Rian Viljoen, Elton Jantjes, Juan de Jong, Jean Deyzel, Charl McLoed, Jacque Fourie, Robert Ebehrson, Fourie du Pree… man, we can go on and on. You see it everywhere.
@TRF_Ezequiel (Comment 15) : In the case of Jaque Fourie, the errors made by people are actually improvements on the error made by his parents. 😉
I mean really, you pick a name that you can’t even spell….luckily we’ve got smart phones and Google these days 😆
@rhineshark (Comment 1) : I agree 100% with that.