It seems once again there’s been a little confusion in the Sharks ranks, with both Bismarck du Plessis and Butch James missing out on this weekend’s match against the Bulls due to being “unready for selection”, despite numerous reports and assurances over the last few weeks that they would be. Furthermore, Anton Bresler is also injured this week, necessitating a change in the second row.
Piet Lindeque starts his first match at outside centre as a straight swap for JP Pietersen; the backline otherwise unchanged. Up-font, Beat Mtawarira comes in for JC Janse van Rensburg at loosehead prop, with Pieter-Steph du Toit starting in the number 4 jersey worn by Bresler last week.
Among the replacements, Jandre Marais and Sean Robinson have been elevated to the 22, with the bench otherwise unchanged.
There is still no sign of Ryan Kankowski, nor any explanation forthcoming as to his continued exclusion from the side.
Sharks:
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Kyle Cooper
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Pieter-Steph du Toit
5. Franco van der Merwe
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Willem Alberts
8. Keegan Daniel (Capt)
9. Charl McLeod
10. Patrick Lambie
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Meyer Bosman
13. Piet Lindeque
14. Odwa Ndungane
15. Riaan Viljoen
Replacements
16. Monde Hadebe
17. Wiehahn Herbst
18. Jandre Marais
19. Jean Deysel
20. Tera Mtembu
21. Tian Meyer
22. Sean Robinson
Tweet
i should have picked bulls fr superbru 🙄
Ai tog!
Kanko is probably overseas finalising a contract where he’ll actually be used for rugby and not scape-goating.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 2) : 😳
@Poisy (Comment 1) : After the Reds game I picked the sharks to lose every last one of their games for the rest of the year. At least when we lose the match I will have something to smile about!
I would have loved to see Kanko at 8 for this game! 🙄
@King Shark (Comment 3) : Showing some good team spirit there mate.
Well what I read on sharks web site is that butch and bissie did train with them but not fit as of yet and i feel for kanko don’t know way he is left out again
HKGK
Its good that they are not played if not fully ready.
I really doubt that either would have started anyway and to think that they would have significantly changed the games outcome would be very wishful thinking.
Breslers ommission however is a big blow.
@PTAShark (Comment 5) : Hedging my bets. It gives me one reason to smile! 😉
@Salmonoid (Comment 8) : Nobody expected them to start… We at least wanted Bissie to get maybe 10 minutes off the bench, which would be more than Hadebe has gotten.
I hope Tera gets a good run off the bench. I love seeing a youngster take his chance like Tera has done!
Lets go klap the bulls Sharkies!
Not very optimistic about our chances – but one can still hope for a miracle 😕
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 13) : Our biggest hope is that the Bulls come as the arrogant so and so that they always are and hugely underestimate us 🙁
Meisie kind to own…..
Stupid question time:
Jandre Marais is going to France. Peet Marais is not. Why is Peet not on the bench?
I don`t even want to think about this weekend.
It`s been years since I`ve felt like we have absolutely zero chance.
@robdylan (Comment 16) :
I was wondering the same. 🙄
You sounds surprised, nothing about Plum surprises me anymore.
@Original Pierre (Comment 17) : Meisie kind… thats why….
I’m pretty pissed of at this Kankowski situation. You don’t just drop a Springbok with barely any explanation and then not even give him a chance to prove himself again.
If it was fitness, surely Kanko would have been in great shape after having 4 weeks to work on whatever it was that Plum wanted him to do.
the problem is Plum said, do whatever the hell you want to do. This is crap. Where’s that facebook petition, I’ll sign it now.
And I’m fed up with being fed some kind of bull story about what’s going on, when that’s clearly not what’s going on.
If the two of them were fighting get it all out in the open, I don’t feel like reading it in one of their biographies 5 or 10 years from now!
@Letgo (Comment 20) :
Like!
@Letgo (Comment 20) : I can`t believe it`s taking a supposedly profesional union this long to see what`s been obvious for months now . . .
Just find a new coach. We have the players.
@Letgo (Comment 20) : Like + 1 absolutely true! So sick and tired of this whole situation! Well at least I will be missing the remainder of the Season! My last game i will be watching is the Italians in Durbs! When I come back I hope to find a MUCH improved team for the CC and not deadwood in the coaching box! Barney make me happy!
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 14) : True or we can hope for a blind ref
Wait a minute 😯 it’s not impossible the way officiating is going these days lol
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 24) : Its Jonathan Kaplan, who blew us out of the Bulls game last year, so the ref is no help here 🙁
Bresler also injured????????
Since when? No news on that the whole week until now?
Anyway, not much else to say. Except, the Bulls will take this game, and rather comfortably i.m.o !
Oh yes, and one more thing…. F#@K you Plumbtree!
@Letgo (Comment 20) : apparently Ryan has flu…
@SharksRTB (comment 22) Bresler injured his shoulder. Just been for a scan today and waiting for the outcome. Hope it’s not serious
No reason for this team to play bad Kanko situation is working against Plum and team spirit!!
TO ALL YOU SO CALLED FANS BACK YOUR GUYS.BACK THE COACHING STAFF. BACK YOUR CAP.SHARKS BY 8PTS
@steve haag (Comment 30) : Sorry, I couldn’t quite hear what you were saying over all the shouting…come again?
@steve haag (Comment 30) : well on superbru i said the mighty sharks by 6
Do you guys think we might se the old sharks trick of the team running out not the same as the one named befor the match? I recall a game when butch james wasn’t in the match 22 but he ran on to the field. It was about 6 years ago. And we beat the saders by a good 10 points that day.
@robdylan (Comment 16) : Time for facetious answers: Because Peet would have been the right choice and Plum is all about wrong choices.
@steve haag (Comment 30) : It will make no difference whether I back them or not. I’ll support them, but just to blindly say they will win, I don’t see why we should do that.
The fact is the Bulls are in form, settled and in pretty good shape regarding injuries.
The Sharks on the other hand has come back from a disappointing tour, are playing well below par for even a team with 16 injuries and they’re coming up against a team that has always been tough to beat, even when we were the form team.
Hey I’m not saying we’ll definitely lose, you can’t count a beaten down Sharks team out of any encounter, but the fact is that they are a beaten down team and will be up against it.
Go sharks!
@Letgo (Comment 35) : And we all know when we down and under dogs what happens i got a good feeling about tomorrow i see a bonus point for us
And Sky isn’t even broadcasting the game… 👿
@robdylan (Comment 27) : yeah I saw his tweet about having man flu. Is that a better word for babelas?
🙂