It’s time to play virtual selector, fans, now that we know a bit more about what the Sharks Super Rugby squad is going to look like.
With a relatively clean bill of health (bar Bismarck) and the squad pared down somewhat to a strong group of probables, coach John Plumtree will certainly be thinking hard about his selection for the opening Super Rugby game of the 2013 season, against the Cheetahs next month. Getting off to a good start will be crucial and while we know that rotation is going to play a key role in this campaign, Plum will also want to settle on his best combination pretty early on and back them to pick up some vital early-season wins before mixing and matching.
Here’s what we have to pick from…
Props: Beast Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Wiehahn Herbst, Dale Chadwick, Allan Dell
Hookers: Craig Burden, Kyle Cooper, Monde Hadebe
Locks: Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jandre Marais, Peet Marais, Pieter-Steph du Toit
Loose forwards: Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel, Jacques Botes, Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, Tera Mtembu. Marcell Coetzee
Scrumhalves: Charl McLeod, Cobus Reinach
Flyhalves: Pat Lambie, Butch James
Centres: Frans Steyn, Tim Whitehead, Meyer Bosman, Marius Joubert, Paul Jordaan
Wings: JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Sbura Sithole
Fullbacks, Louis Ludik, Riaan Viljoen
Given the above, I think I would pick the following 22 for the opening game. Feel free to disagree, as long as you state why!
15 Ludik, 14 Pietersen, 13 Whitehead, 12 Steyn, 11 Mvovo, 10 Lambie, 9 McLeod, 8 Kankowski, 7 Alberts, 6 Daniel, 5 vd Merwe, 4 Bresler, 3 du Plessis, 2 Cooper, 1 Mtawarira
16 Burden, 17 Dell, 18 du Toit, 19 Coetzee, 20 Reinach, 21 Bosman, 22 Jordaan
Tweet
Ludik
Pieterson
Jordan
Steyn
Mvovo
Lambie
Reinach
Kanko
Daniel
Coetze
Alberts
VD Merwe
du Plessis
Burden
Beast
solid starting line up of Yours just a few tweaks here and there, glad I am not Plum. what a season to come. SHARKS FOREVER
Ludik
Pietersen
Jordaan
Steyn
Mvovo
Lambie
Reinach
Daniel
Alberts
Coetzee
Vander Merwe
Bresler
Du Plessis
Burden
Beast
Bench: Cooper, Chadwick, Deysel,Kanko, Whitehead,Bosman, Mcleod
Kanko on the bench since he’s still in Japan. He’s only coming back in Feb isn’t he?
Damn me we have a quality squad this year.
1.Beast
2.Kyle Cooper
3.Jannie
4.Bresler
5.VDM
6.Coetzee?
7.Alberts
8.Daniel
9.Mcleod
10.Lambie
11.Mvovo
12.Frans Steyn
13.Paul Jordaan
14.JPP
15.Ludik
alternatively I bet we will see; 9.Reinach 10.Lambie 11.Mvovo 12.Whitehead 13.Jordaan 14.JPP 15.Steyn
16.Burden
17.Dell
18.Deysel
19.Kanko
20.Reinach
21.Bosman
22.Whitehead
@garethkorb (Comment 1) : I like your team.
@PTAShark (Comment 2) : I like your team too 🙂
Ludik
Pietersen
Jordaan
Steyn
Mvovo
Lambie
McLeod
Kankowski
Alberts
Daniel
vd Merwe
Bresler
du Plessis
Burden
Beast
Bench:Cooper, Dell, J Marais, Reinach,Whitehead, Sithole
Tough choices!!! So many guys I had to leave out. There’s even an argument for our starting loosies being Kanko, Alberts and Coetzee!
Odwa is unlucky not to make it, but Sithole gives strike power off the bench and needs his chance.
Whitehead will replace whichever centre we need him to and Frans can cover 10 in an emergency.
My Team
1. Beast
2.Burden
3.Jannie
4.Bresler
5.Franco vdmerwe
6.Coetzee
7.Alberts
8.Daniels
9.Mcleod
10.Lambie
11.JPP
12.Steyn
13.Jordaan
14.Mvovo
15.Ludik
Subs
16.Herbst
17.Cooper
18.Marais
19.The Hoff
20.Reiach
21.Whitehead
22.James
@Talent (Comment 4) : And lastly, I also like your team
We have so many options eg. Whitehead or Jordaan at 13, Steyn or Whitehead at 12, Alberts at 4, 7 or 8. Steyn at 10, 12 or 15.
The key this year is playing horses for courses and giving all of the players enough game time BUT also enough rest.
oh lord… I left out Marcell Coetzee from my squad… Ice is gonna SLAG me
it’s hard to pick a bad team, isn’t it?
@robdylan (Comment 10) : I was surprised to see that Rob, but decided to respect your choice 😉
Alberts and Coetzee were overplayed last year and looked sluggish on the E.O.Y. tour. Same goes for Jannie. A system of 2 weeks on and 1 week benched or rested will give these guys a chance come the knock-out stages of being fighting fit!
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Go with the excuse that your account was hacked
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Hope the Boks also benefit from this increased competition. Pat Lambie will have to work to fight Butch off for the 10 jersey.
@ChrisS (Comment 13) : But what about maintaining momentum and match-fitness Chris?
How do they ensure they get the balance right?
@ChrisS (Comment 9) : 4.Bresler 5.VDM 6.Daniel 7.Du Toit 8.Alberts 💡 so many options ,which is good .
But I would stick with my original team ,and thanks 🙂
15 Ludik, 14 Pietersen, 13 Whitehead, 12 Steyn, 11 Mvovo, 10 Lambie, 9 Reinach, 8 Kankowski, 7 Alberts, 6 Daniel, 5 vd Merwe, 4 Bresler, 3 du Plessis, 2 Burden, 1 Mtawarira
16 Cooper, 17 Dell, 18 du Toit, 19 Coetzee, 20 Mcleod, 21 Bosman, 22 Jordaan
I agree its very difficult to put a starting 15 when we have loads of Players that deserve there place. I just hope we get a good start and no real injuries. I can feel a good season coming on. The Year of the Shark is upon us
@garethkorb (Comment 18) : I’d like to see our fringe players genuinely utilised for the Vodacom Cup so as to maintain match fitness. Obviously frontline players should be rested, but we must make use of the VC and even aim to win it.
It’s going to be great to have so much competition, but the real balance will be in ensuring the fringe players stay motivated.
Dont count Jandre Marias out of a starting position at some point this season
@Talent (Comment 20) : I had him on the bench. He’ll have to work hard to beat out Franco and Bresler to make the starting XV.
@StevieS (Comment 15) : Rest can also mean playing for the Vodacom Cup team as it’s a lower level of rugby but also allows the players to maintain their fitness.
@Talent (Comment 20) : I’d like to see every player start at least 2 games this year. There’s no way that anyone can start every single game and expect to last the season. The byes aren’t enough of a rest, especially for the players who make the Bok team and play the mid-year internationals.
I agree no Point a player warming the Bench day in and day out, if he can have a run against a strong vodacom cup team then all the better for when he finally gets his call up. And i think the “fringe” players need to push the starting 15 at practice and in the cup games, no player should be guaranteed his spot there should be healthy competition in the squad.
1.Beast
2.Cooper
3.Jannie
4.J.Marais
5.Bresler
6.Daniel
7.Alberts
8.Kanko
9.Reinach
10.Lambie
11.JPP
12.Steyn
13.Jordaan
14.Ndungane
15.Ludik
16.Burden
17.Dell
18.PS Du Toit
19.Coetzee
20.Mcloed
21.Bosman
22.Whitehead
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Can you please explain your reasoning behind having Mcloed over Reinach and Timmy over Jordaan in ur selection? 🙂
@JJR (Comment 25) : in both cases, it’s about the player with greater experience being picked to give stability in the opening game of the season.
I think Timmy is a wonderful player with amazing skills… probably better suited to 12 than 13, but I’d rather have him in the starting team than not. Jordaan could be a gamebreaker in the final 30.
Ditto Reinach. And I would like to give McLeod one last chance to come right.
With the hookers Sharks have at the moment, you definitely need to start Franco van der Merwe with Bresler, Jan Andre Marais on the bench for me, Steph and Peet to play some Vodies
Interesting stuff at prop, everyone here probably knows by now I’m behind Allan all the way, but it’ll be very difficult to drop Herbst as he really hasn’t done much wrong. As an impact prop, Dell is probably far superior to him though
@JJR (Comment 24) : I like your bench.
Amazing how nobody has Chadwick anywhere in there starting line-up, yet when a certain few enlightened ones points his “shortfalls” out, we are told to give him a chance blah blah blah. 😉
Bunch’a hypocrites 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 28) : Allan Dell a tight head? Not entirely sure
Chadwick wont offer much as an impact player ,reason he gets demoted so quickly ,from starter to stadium seat warmer
@Talent (Comment 29) : Allan is in the squad as a tighthead, played most of his junior rugby for Sharks though at loosehead
A bit off the topic but say the lions players playing for other unions enjoy their current union can they opt to leave their lions contract and join up with the union they playing for now? Like I mean VDM I wonder if he enjoys playing for sharks would he try and get out of his current contract,same for jantjies and and taute.
I completely disagree with Bosman instead of Butch James. Bosman is error prone, not a good distributor and I have seen too often him slipping tackles. I’d rather have Alberts on the bench as impact to cover lock and loose. Battle to leave the try machine Botes out.
If I had to take a gamble and move things around a bit, I would put Styen at 15 in place of Ludik and put Whitehead at 12 and put Mvovo on the bench. JP, Odwa, Mvovo can cover full back.
1.Beast
2.Burden
3.Jannie
4.Franco
5.Bresler
6.Coetzee
7.Daniel
8.Kanko
9.Reinach
10.Lambie
11.JP
12.Steyn
13.Jordaan
14.Odwa
15.Ludik
16.Cooper
17.Dell (I actually have no idea who this is, but I will take your word for it)
18.Alberts (Loose and Lock)
19.Botes
20.Mcloed
21.James
22.Whitehead
Blady hell there is depth this year.
@Shred (Comment 32) : Allan Dell is a 21 year old prop who was part of the champion Baby Bok side last year, he captained the Sharks u19 side in 2011. Played SA Schools in 2010 and was captain of the Border Craven Week side, educated at the prestigious Queen’s College where he was headboy and 1st XV captain in 2010
@Shred (Comment 32) : Just on the point of Bosman, a year ago I would`ve agreed with you.
But he got us into the currie cup final, it`s when Prince Lambie stepped in when the crucial tackle was missed . . .
I am THOROUGHLY impressed!!!!!!!
And the one who got it wrong is from Pretoria so there are extenuating circumstances.
WELL DONE SHARKSWORLD, GIVE YOURSELVES A PAT ON THE BACK!!!!!
I think its very random to leave out Wors and Dale….too punt Dell..sure ..his time will come..but dont be that fickle that you put him ahead of both of these seasoned players!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 35) : What was the question? 🙂
@kagun (Comment 36) : play Dell ahead of Chadwick any day, but Wors will definitely have something to say, he’s good, but the Sharks might be onto something bringing in Allan on the bench, he’s a superb impact player and can play on both sides, so maybe there would be a number of positives to playing Dell on the bench, but we’ll have to wait and see
@Ludz (Comment 38) : From the tiny little bit I’ve seen of Dell last year, it seems like he also contributes to general play by carrying the ball, is that correct?
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Pieter-Steph du Toit
5. Anton Bresler
6. Jacques Botes
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Ryan Kankowski
9. Cobus Reinach
10.Pat Lambie
11.Lwazi Mvovo
12.Tim Whitehead
13.Paul Jordaan
14.JP Pietersen
15.Louis Ludik
16.Craig Burden
17.Wiehahn Herbst
18.Franco van der Merew
19.Keegan Daniel
20.Willem Alberts
21.Butch James
22.Francois Steyn
I know, 5-2 split and Daniel on the bench but Botes, Coetzee, Kankowski is just a much more balanced backrow and we don’t need McLeod.
let me give you guys a template …
15
14
13
13
11
10 Lambie
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
@Zibbie (Comment 41) : That sure beats “10. Lionel Cronje” 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 39) : he defends well, carries well, hits rucks regularly and he scrums incredibly well for a man of his size, technically very good
@FireTheLooser (Comment 42) : that’s my grade 8 headboy, so easy on him please
Point of note. First 23*
@Die Kriek (Comment 45) : Apparently it’s still going to be 22 for the 2013 S15!
Not sure why though.
@Shred (comment 32)
Do you know rugby? For how many years do you watch rugby? Even the overseas commentators say that Bosman is one of the best distributors in South Africa. Where do you get that point from. He had one bad years. He also played excellent rugby for the Cheetahs. Butch is a walking yellow card.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 37) : Do you really need to ask? 🙂
JUST in case you were serious. Only 1 person (and he was from Pretoria) included Chumlee in their 22man squad.
@KSA comment 48,
@KSA Shark © (Comment 48) : Are you still doing LMS?
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Agreed, it is hard to pick a bad team. That just highlights how much depth we have which we can really use to our advantage if have a strategy in place.
I think we need a set squad rotation system like New Zealand use with their front row e.g. 2 games on 1 game off or whatever the case may be. Even form players must be rested.
@Orelando_G (Comment 51) : I agree. We overplayed Jannie, Alberts and Coetzee last year.
The next level have to come through eg. Dell, Kleinhans, Mthembu and Reinach.
@ChrisS (Comment 52) : Those are some pretty exciting names you are mentioning there!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 42) :
Lol … im just helping the sharkies out . not being sarcastic or anything (for a change).
i cant see anybody on this site choosing anybody else on 10 .
well .. i wouldent even pick anybody else at 10 . but i cont care enough to do a whole team … 😛
im saving that for fantasy league 😈
@Orelando_G (Comment 53) : We have our best squad in years. Everbody has the ability to start and the competition for a starting spot come finals time will be intense. We have to rotate though if we want to win.
@Zibbie (Comment 54) : I hope that we use Butch as well. It’s a long season and, hopefully, Lambie will be playing for the Boks too.
Guys who is going to play the fetching role – securing our ball at the rucks and hopefully turning over the cheetahs possesion? With Bissie out, someone else has to step it up because the cheetahs recycle their ball extremely quickly and Brussow will be all over us!
Botes or sometimes Wollie do a good job but then we have to relook at the loosies.
Without Bissie their it will be difficult to find the right balance.
Any thoughts?
@MikeVS (Comment 56) : Keegan is usually quite good isn’t he? I think with him and Marcell there should be enough to keep the Cheetahs at bay.
Well we struggled against Fourie in the day I want to forget…
Whoever plays on the day must ensure that our ball is protected.
Jeeze I can’t wait for this season to start.
Hoping Carlos stays on for the season too.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 48) : Chumlee – priceless
@Zibbie (Comment 54) : Awwwe shucks, I thought you were being sarcastic @Ludz (Comment 44) : I’ll retract my Lionel comment 😀 😳
@Orelando_G (Comment 57) : @MikeVS (Comment 58) : We’ll have to adopt a horses for courses approach through the season. Our best bet will be a loose trio of Keegan, Botes and Deysel. They’re the best 3 on the floor.
If they can subdue Brussouw (who should have been playing for the Boks last year) then we can bring Alberts on to cause mayhem!
I would really like to see the Sharks implementing a “scientific” rotation policy, instead of just simply resting a player and disrupting the team.
Maybe ensure the player being rotated-in gets to play at least 20 – 30 mins. from the bench for two games prior?
Might also have to be more position specific and not a “one rotation policy fits all” scenario. Certain players and positions are harder to rotate due to their on field and gameplan importance.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 59) :
dont stress . common mistake that 😉 😛
@ChrisS (Comment 60) : That’s exactly it, we have the players to dominate – we need to adjust to the conditions, the refs interpretations and how the opposition are playing the game.
@MikeVS (Comment 63) : For sure. The best players in one situation aren’t always the best in another situation. On a fast pitch, against a team with no fetcher, I’d like to see a loose trio of Keegan, Kanko, Marcell, Mthembu or Botes.
On a rainy day I’d like to have Deysel and Alberts both starting. They’re slower but incredibly strong. Pieter-Steph du Toit would also be my starting lock in wet weather.
What a headache to have. I wanted to but ended up not committing to a 22. Let us rather say that I want to see the following combos at some point:
Steyn / Jordaan and Steyn / Whitehead and Steyn / Pietersen
Reinach / Lambie
@Zibbie (Comment 62) : I like the template 😉
And be sure that once Bismark is ready, the 2 spot will also be unanimously filled with our favourite battleship’s name.
@SteelShark (Comment 50) : I’m not sure if there will be a comp.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 67) : *Sigh* First time since I joined Sharksworld that I might have time to participate, with my studies being finished and all…
@King Shark (Comment 65) : I’d also like to see Whitehead and JPP playing together.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 67) : I can imagine that its going to be a nightmare of sorts this year. If you’re open for ideas let us know.
@springbok (Comment 47) : No need to pull out the insults for a disagreement of opinion. Anyways, I have been watching Bosman from the beginning of JW days where he was picked for the Boks and tipped as the next Honiball. IMO Butch James is one of the best distributors in the game and regarding the yellow cards, it’s not 2004/2005 anymore where it was a problem.
Regarding distribution, maybe I was harsh in saying he is a bad distributor, but in my opinion he is not fantastic. He really does knock on a lot and slip a lot of tackles.
@SteelShark (Comment 70) : the guy to speak to would be Rob.
Drop him an email
Look at the contacts page for email info.
@Shred (Comment 71) : I agree with you on that one. Bosman is a good player and nice to have as a backup but I prefer Butch to him. Plus, Butch is due a Superrugby winners medal…
we can’t do LMS because SANZAR have fucked up the competition schedule by having the Aussies start a week before anyone else. Go blame them, not me 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 74) : I wish our esteemed leader would follow his own rules re. the use of foul language, daar’s kinders wat kyk 😉
@KSA, its ne jarsonx 😉 So i take it you are no longer in charge of running it then?
@rob
@robdylan (Comment 74) : I guess it is time to replace the Currie Cup log in the margin with the Super Rugby log, Vodacom Cup log, and Six Nations log.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 75) : Please go and read the rules again and tell me what I’ve contravened? Thanks… 🙂
Am I missing something?
Why is everyone picking Dell as backup prop.
Surely you pick a tighthead with relatively more experience? That being such an important position and all…
@robdylan (Comment 79) : Well who’da’thunk’it, and there I thought it wasn’t allowed – you learn something new everyday. 😳
@FireTheLooser (Comment 81) : look, it’s a grey area…. yes, I don’t want lots of profane language on the site, but the occasional epithet at times of heightened irritation is allowed 🙂
I should prolly add mine too
1. Beast
2. Burden
3. Jannie
4. Bresler
5. Franco
6. Keegs
7. Marcell
8. Kanko
9. Reinach
10. SuperPat
11. Mvovo
12. Frans
13. Jordaan
14. JPP
15. Ludik
16. Wors
17. Cooper
18. PSDT
19. Alberts
20. McC
21. Butch
22. Timmy
@robdylan (Comment 82) : So in other words, if we lose to the Bulls, rather lock up the keyboard
@robdylan (Comment 82) : Sort of like my response will be if Chumlee makes the squad.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 85) : find another issue to post on – this one’s getting boring 🙂
Maybe after he doesn’t make the squad. ????
😯
Echo 😯
@KSA Shark © (Comment 87) : he’s in the squad… time to get over it and move on with your life?
I have no problem with him carrying tackle bags, although those may get away from him as well.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 91) :
Jislaaik Oubaas! Jy raak nou erger as grant10 met sy ‘turbo-reverse’ 😆
😆
@Pokkel (Comment 92) : ja – and we all know how much credibility that oke has as a result.
We all get that you don’t like Chadwick, KSA. Can we please move on and talk about something else? You’re starting to remind me of the fat opel with this silly obsession.
@robdylan (Comment 94) : You don’t want me talking about the other things on my mind.
1) Is this yet another season of having a great squad but having nothing to show for it when push comes to shove?
2) What is Plumtree going to do to screw up such a good squad this season?
etc.
🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 95) : to be honest, even that is better. Better to blame Plumtree for picking Chadwick than it is to hate the player himself… it’s not his fault he exists.
@robdylan (Comment 74) :
we will have a strike !!!!!
Drop the negativity dudes. Plum did nothing wrong by getting us to three consecutive finals. I still think we need a bigger coaching staff but the one we have performs well.
A lot was written about the Stormers and their injuries last year but our slow start was written off as the Sharks waking up too late. We played with a “b-team” of sorts for the first 8 weeks. Had we not had that handicap, we would not have had the terrible traveling schedule during the knockouts.
I think our leadership is finally making the breakthrough in terms of getting and keeping the team in the right mental state.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 95) : @robdylan (Comment 96) :
I see Chadwick has a stress fracture of the foot and will be out for 4-6 weeks. 😯
@King Shark (Comment 98) : Are you being serious?
We play a gameplan fit for Neanderthals until we are knee deep in shit and the. He changes things to get us into the play offs but having to travel for every game?
How is that considered good?
Plumtree is a good CC coach but way out of his depth at SR. He refuses to employ REAL specialists to help him.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 100) : Like I said – he needs a bigger staff.
Our game plan is by far the most entertaining and effective of all the SA teams. In the last 6 games of the regular season we conceded 10 and scored 26 tries. Compare that to the Stormers 10 for 10 ratio… We defend, we attack, we kick, we keep the ball alive, move through phases and burn up the opposition defense. What is wrong with that?
@King Shark (Comment 101) : Those are Exactly the problems.
1)In the last 6 games…
It took him 12 games to realize he had the wrong gameplan. Why did we play Neanderthal bash it up stuff until then? By which time it was almost to late.
2) He needs a bigger staff…
Again that is his problem. He is not prepared to call anyone in to help. This season he has got Spencer onboard for a few weeks. Where are the mind coaches, where is someone like Cheryl Calder, where are the SPECIALIST coaches?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 102) : why are you blaming Plumtree? Do you think he pays the salaries of the coaching staff?
No. I KNOW he doesn’t, but his track record of getting rid of the mind coach almost immediately after he became coach and the lack of any new staff leads me to believe that he is not even asking for the specialists because he doesn’t want them.
I also DO KNOW that Plumtree decides on the gameplan which, in more than one season and more than one tournament, was crap until our backs were against the wall and then suddenly he allowed the guys to play rugby.
ROB….CAN I HAVE A WORD WITH YOU….IN MY OFFICE, PLEASE…. 👿
Seriously though – I want Coetzee in the starting line-up – but at 7, not at 6. And that is where the problem lies….Coz Alberts cannot go to 6 and we have better options at 8.
I also love Keegs at 8 – but the way Kanko played last year – man – u cannot leave him out at 8.
So loosies I”d go: 6 Daniel 7 Coetzee (yeah I am bias) and 8 Kanko.
If we have the same “vibe”in the beginning of the season already, that we had towards the end last year- with all those miles and winning against all odds (exept for the last hurdle) – nobody will take the S15 trophy from us.
But we need to start good…I am sure looking at above we have the team – now we / they need to get the mindset right!
Damnit I cannot wait!! 😀
@Ice (Comment 106) : But we also don’t want an 2008/2009 season either, where we started like a house on fire and fell miserably apart when it mattered most.
Start well enough by winning the close games, but still “time” the peak the way we did last year.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 107) : All about good balance – yes! But we should not go and loose the games we are “favourites” win it. That shit wont fly well with me this year! Then those boykies moet bakstaan…Tannie Ice is op die oorlogspad – I want a bloody Super Rugby trophy….NOW!!! 😉
ok so kanko is back in dbn or not?
@Ice (Comment 108) : You and me both Tannie…..you and me both!
Any reason Sykes features on the Sharks website Superugby squad still?…
THis year, Plum must please NOT do these two things which really messed us up last year:
1. Don’t focus too much on percentage rugby, our Natal boys need to enjoy their game of rugby in order to perform.
2. Resist playing guys out of position, or in their secondary position – Last year we had Michelak at 9 instead of 10, Lambie at 15 instead of 10, Ludik at 14 instead of 15, Coetzee at 6 instead of 7, Kanko at 6/7 instead of 8, PSdT at 6/7/8 instead of 5 etc. (not all of these were Plum, but just saying, resist the urge)
Pick a player in his preferred position, or demote him to the bench. No use in having the best 15 players on the park, but not one in his specialist position.
Besides that, Beast, don’t get injured, please, we only started dominating last year once he returned, he brings that something special on the field and off the field.
❗ CAN THE SR START ALREADY ❗ 😡
@Ice (Comment 105) : Urm so your plan is to defend all day and live off crumbs of possession? 😈
@Original Pierre (Comment 113) : Please eleborate on your statement and show me the reason behind what you are saying..
@Ice (Comment 111) : because they have last year’s squad up….
Sharks rugby have Dell down at 112kg… maybe after he ate a ballboy.
@robdylan (Comment 116) : 112Kg is on the lighter side for a prop, so not so bad.
@Original Pierre (Comment 113) :
last yrs Superugby stats on Daniel and Coetzee:
Coetzee – Most tackles
If I am correct he also is high up on the most offloads and did a fair amount of turnovers (just dont have those stats offhand)
Posession won at breakdown – Keegan sharing it with Bissie at 8th spot
Keegan lying 7th overall with line breaks
Sharks top the log with offloads
Sharks lies 2nd in time in the oppositions 22
Sharks 5th overlall in linebreaks
To me that sound pretty much like attacking play….but when we needed to defend, we had the means in the mean machine Marcell Coetzee! So WE!! *stick out tongue*
@robdylan (Comment 115) : ook maar stadig… 😆
I thought maybe he re-considered!
YEAH Super Rugby time is nearly upon us!!! here is the team.
1. Beast
2. Burden (until Bizzy returns)
3. Jannie
4. Bresler
5. Pieter-Steph
6. Keegan
7. Coetzee
8. Kankowski
9. Reinach
10. Lambie
11. Mvovo
12. WHITEHEAD (not the brainless oaf)
13. Jordaan
14. JP
15. Ludik