The Leopards will be up against it when they take on Sharks at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night; they’re sending a side packed chock-full of youngsters to take on a far more experienced, albeit not full strength, Sharks Super Rugby outfit.
Lock Brendon Snyman, who played many times for both Griquas and EP before making Potch his home in 2011, leads a young line-up where only prop Stoof Bezuidenhout, centre Charl Weideman and flanker Robert Kruger are “familiar names” from last year’s Currie Cup team. The bulk of the team is made up of Pukke students who are not currently playing for the Varsity Cup side, an indication that in Potch at least, the provincial side is seen as a less-important team than the Varsity’s…
There is one notable gain in the line-up, though, in the form of reserve prop Stephan Schoeman, who joins the Leopards from the Bulls junior ranks.
We obviously have no idea what sort of shape the Sharks will be in, given that this will be their first match in four months, but it’s unlikely they’ll encounter much meaningful opposition here. Let’s just hope they manage to get through the game without any injuries. The same goes for the Leopards, of course!
Leopards: 15 Cooper Smit; 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Charl Weideman, 12 Meel Engelbrecht, 11 Edmar Marais; 10 Johnny Welthagen, 9 Jaco Grobler; 8 James Meecham, 7 Robert Kruger, 6 Arno Nel, 5 Brendon Snyman (capt), 4 Peet van der Walt, 3 Stoof Bezuidenhout, 2 Chris Schoonraad, 1 Ian Gregorofski.
Reserves: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Stephan Schoeman, 18 Elardus Visser, 19 Danie Jordaan, 20 James Marx, 21 Malherbe Swart, 22 Jacques Olivier, 23 Warren Gilbert, 24 Tiaan Loots, 25 Ian Heyns.
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Apparently tickets are running really low…
I am on my way there now to get mine.
I dunno, seems everybody has had some useful opposition to limber up against. This is a just a training pitch run for the Sharks. Hopefully the Pumas will be sterner opposition. Hardly ideal prep for a high intensity Super Rugby encounter against a side like the Cheetahs, likely to be at full strength.
The danger is that the Sharks will be undercooked come the 22nd of February.
@Uli (Comment 1) : Can you please pick mine up too!
@Letgo (Comment 3) : for real? I can do
@Uli (Comment 1) : I just called for tickets and they said I had to pick it up, but it will be impossible for me to get it before 1pm today.
@Letgo (Comment 3) :
How many do you need, only grass seat still available R30 ea.
@Letgo (Comment 5) : I’m so glad you’re going…. will you have your video camera?
@Uli (Comment 4) : email me [email protected] – I can send you my sell number so we can organise everything.
@robdylan (Comment 7) : Yip!
@Letgo (Comment 5) : just give me ur details.
email sent
@Uli (Comment 6) : make that 4, but I already have two reserved under my sisters name (anna delport).
Anyone else for tickets? lol
going.. going.. gone…
Eish that Stoof is a big unit! at least Dell will have a good workout.
Brood, Meel, Akker…pfffftttt
What happened to real rugby nicknames like Domkrag, Piston, Vleis, Baksteen etc
@Uli (Comment 14) : you’re an awesome oke to be doing this…. thank you!
@KingCheetah (Comment 15) : yeah – but I don’t think he’s quite in the same league as BG Uys
@Salmonoid (Comment 16) : 😆 😆 😆 Classic
@KingCheetah (Comment 2) : I agree, it is a bit concerning but on the other hand its a long S15 season and at the risk of players burning up perhaps it’s not such a bad idea.
The biggest ‘test’ will probably be the trial games where the players will be fighting for starting berths.
I am also going there and thinking of taking my camera,Will we be allowed to film though?
@Salmonoid (Comment 16) : Well Stoof is there, probably named after one of those good ol Union stoves lol 😈
@Pokkel (Comment 20) : I guess no approach has proven immune to untimely injuries. If I recall, Beast went down in a training exercise last year. So it’s six of the one, and a half dozen.
ok was 17 main stand tickets left when i got there, which i took 4 off. Going to be packed 😀
I think Rob should’ve sponsored some SharksWorld t shirts so we could c that the biggest Shark supporters live in Sleepy Hollow,lol
@KingCheetah (Comment 22) : I saw that just after I made my post.
Stoof defiantly a “good” rugby name. For some reason I think of new years eve in Hillbrow when i see that name – hardcore all the way.