The Sharks have confirmed that Keegan Daniel will again lead the side in this year’s Currie Cup campaign.
Daniel, who was first appointed captain for the 2011 Currie Cup campaign, has led the team to finals three times in his last four campaigns, but has yet to lift a trophy as Sharks captain, a goal that will, I’m sure, be one shared by the whole squad. Despite a dip in personal form – as well as some dark, if mostly unsubstantiated mutterings about unhappiness with his leadership – Daniel appears to be well on his way to bouncing back from a disastrous Super Rugby campaign in 2013. His own standard of play has improved immeasurably in the last few weeks and he remains, I’m sure, the right man for this particular job.
Credit must go to the new Sharks coaching staff for opting not to throw the proverbial baby out with the bath-water. It would have been far too easy to extend the post-Plumtree clean-out to the captain as well, but that move would, I feel, have been a mistake; Daniel enjoys great support within the player corps and has proven time and again – at both Currie Cup and Super Rugby level – to be a true match winner, with skills that have no peer in the domestic game.
Daniel’s understudy, strangely, will be Jacques Botes, rather than Jean Deysel. You have to feel that this move, too, is a rather shrewd one, given that dual specters of injury on the one hand and a Bok call-up on the other, which both stand around even chances of featuring in the latter’s not-too-distant future. In Botes and Daniel, the coaches have a pair of respected, experienced stalwarts who, for good or bad, certainly aren’t going to be yanked up into the national side any time soon.
Running the rule over the other sides in the competition this year, the Sharks are the only team that will enjoy this level of leadership continuity; the Cheetahs, Bulls and Stormers have all lost their regular Super Rugby captains, while the Lions will also be without their regular leader, JC Janse van Rensburg. Boom Prinsloo has been confirmed as Cheetahs captain for the first time, while Western Province will, at least, be able to call on a hugely experienced captain in Deon Fourie. The Bulls don’t quite seem to know who their leader will be, with Jono Ross’s name now cropping up, while the Lions are also need to scratch around for a candidate, with Warren Whiteley also confirmed out for at least half of the competition.
Griquas will most likely turn to hooker Ryno Barnes again as their Currie Cup captain.
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First misstep from the new management in my opinion. Continuity is one thing, insanity is another and this move is insane.
I like Keegan but he is not the ideal candidate for captain. I would rather run the risk of Bok call up/injury and ask Deysel to step up.
What a stuff up. He shouldn`t even be in the side.
@Original Pierre (Comment 2) : Amen brother…
I have mixed feelings on this one. Keagen has been a firm favorite of mine till this years SR campaign…
Donno what the hell happened to him during this years SR.
Of course everyone here already knows that I smaak Deysel stukkend! Vice capt = Botes? I donno. Look I have acres of respect for Botes! Real working man! With NO recognition for it over the years!
But how long can he keep going?
just something i noticed with keegan is that once plum was gone he found is form me for one is a big fan of him and i believe he will be his old self again
Keegan had a dip in form while the Sharks as a whole also experienced a dip which simply exacerbated and amplified his personal struggles. He’s still the right man for the job at this point in time. All players and captains alike have their off seasons.
Keegans game improved immeasurably once a few of the bigger lads returned from injury.
AS soon as Bis, Alberts, Deysel etc were back in the starting lineup, it freed Daniel up to not be the primary ball carrier anymore. He could play his natural, more loose style again.
He’ll be ok so long as the fatties up front do their job in the tight and with regard to ball carrying.
Don’t agree with the Botes Vc role. They should have given it to a backline player imo. Mcleod, Odwa, Butch. Anyone of those is experienced enough and also not likely to be called up to the Bok squad.
@John Galt (Comment 7) : bear in mind that with Venter’s emphasis on rotation, Vice Captain actually means more like Alternate Captain
I am 100% supportive of this move, think that keegan is a great captain and well done on new management to not try and make wholesale changes, when this is not necessary.
‘Keeping the good and getting rid of the bad’, is no easy achievement for any new coaching staff, but I think these guys are doing a pretty good balancing act in this regard.
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
Ah yes.
Good point.
You guys know that I was shouting louder than anyone for Keegan to be dropped during Super Rugby.
I do back the decision to retain him for Currie Cup, though, provided it is done within the context of ensuring adequate game time for Mtembu as well.
All players go through bad patches. Keegan has been a stalwart for more than ten campaigns and apart from this year, has always delivered when it counted. He will do the same this Currie Cup.
@stevovo (Comment 9) : what he just said! 🙂
I like Botes as VC. All the experience in the world and he should support Daniel well. I’m sure they had a good sitdown with Daniel about the captaincy and to get everybody on the same page.
Seems Smit has brought a methodical management style to the Sharks. News coming out as needed. It instils confidence!
Strange how Keegan keeps popping up in mt Fantasy squads 😈
I am happy with both decisions. I think some have a short memory as Botes as been captain in a number of games in the past and in my opinion did well. He is probably one of the most under rated players in SA and I think he has good leadership qualities; leads by example.
Although, some may have a point giving the VC to someone else that is not in the same position. Kegan and Botes often play and compete for the no.6 jersey. Butch may have got the nod if it were not for his stupid yellow card in the Bulls game.
@Shred (Comment 15) : my feeling here is that we will see two quite different loose trios in use.
One will have Stander at 6, Deysel at 7 and Daniel at 8. That will be used against the bigger packs.
The other will probably see Botes, Downey and Mtembu in action.
We need consistency in our criticism regarding players. We are very quick to sit on our couch and give Keegan flack when he blows cold but then our tune changes when he having a blinder and we are all astonished that he is not in the bok line up. I support him 100% as captain and feel he can lead us to CC glory.
@robdylan (Comment 16) : I think you are right. So most of the time our VC will come off the bench. A good thing maybe? Fresh body and mind?
Continuity? Give us a break??? The continuity ship sailed when the right thing was done in getting rid of Plumtree.
I know exactly what is going to happen here. We’ll have a semi decent CC and Daniel will escape removal only to find that he is WAY below par when push comes to shove in SR when it is too late. Exactly what happened with Plumtree every year.
What a joke,same old same old will equal no silverware AGAIN
Klomp blerrie doem profete 😈
We are at the start of a CC with a new coaching staff and philosophy for the first time in 5 years.
As far as I’m concerned, Keegan has been appointed as captain for the first time in his career, and I will judge him from this point onward. 😀
Daniel has proven that he is not a good captain. A popular guy at the sharks but not a captain.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 21) : well said. I’m with you on this one.
@benji (Comment 20) : <--- the day this oke makes a positive comment here, I swear the server is going to spontaneously combust. I don't understand why people who claim to support the Sharks seem to hate them so much.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : Some just have that viewpoint in life…
I just say:
GO SAAAAKS!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : So can we expect another petition?
@vanmartin (Comment 26) : It paid off before didn’t it? 😉
@lostfish (Comment 27) : Indeed it did, that’s why I can’t see KSA stopping now
@vanmartin (Comment 26) : nope. Daniel is injured often enough to not have that big an impact.
Rob, I need your keen nose to help with this one
http://www.galloimages.co.za/event/2013-absa-currie-cup-six-absa-currie-cup-captains-photoshoot/161100
If Keegan is captain, why is Frans our representative at the ‘Captains’ photo shoot?
@Die Kriek (Comment 30) : good spot.
Reason being, the Sharks declined to send Keegan on a stupid round-trip to Johannesburg the day before the opening match, just for a photo-shoot.
@robdylan (Comment 31) : Cool, thanks. Good call by the team
@Die Kriek (Comment 32) : I agree