As a close friend and regular poster (who shall remain nameless) pointed out to me yesterday, I really do need to be a bit more specific when referring to players by their last names alone…
With the “Huguenot influence” pretty strong down in Sharks country, there are currently three different players in the ranks with the last name “Marais”, none of them related to each other. It gets worse when you start to look at the du Plessis and du Preez clans, although at least in the latter case, the three that we have are all brothers. The Sharks currently have Bismark and Jannie du Plessis, along with hooker Morne, flyhalf Jean-Luc and, as from next year, another prop called Andrew. Bit of a nightmare scenario for the commentators there.
Back to the case in hand, though. The “Marais” in the headline is neither utility back SP, nor lock Peet – rather, it’s Junior Bok hooker Franco who returns to captain the Sharks under 21 side against Western Province this weekend. Marais suffered an unfortunate clash of heads with his understudy Greg Bauer ahead of the second-round clash against the Lions and has been on the sidelines as a concussion risk ever since. This week, he takes Bauer’s place in the starting line-up and retakes the captain’s arm-band from Guy Alexander for the top-of-the-table clash.
Bauer drops to the bench, displacing the unfortunate Jacques Taylor, who has done an outstanding job over the last three weeks. The only other change to the line-up sees Wade Elliott start in the number 4 jersey, in straight swap with the benched Wiehan Hay. This is a rotational change aimed at giving all players adequate game time.
An amazing statistic about the Sharks under 21 side that has done battle over the last few weeks is that not a single backline player in the squad is over 20; in other words, every single one of them will be eligible for the age-group again next year. Four of them (fullback Robinson, centres Fisher and Esterhuizen and scrumhalf Ungerer) are, in fact, still only 19 years old.
Sharks under 21:
15 Sean Robinson, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Tyler Fisher, 12 Andre Esterhuizen , 11 Alcino Isaacs, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Hanco Venter, 8 Guy Alexander, 7 Johan Meyer, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Wade Elliott, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Franco Marais (capt), 1 Allan Dell
Subs: 16 Greg Bauer, 17 Simon Kerrod, 18 Wiehan Hay, 19 Murray Bondesio, 20 Stefan Ungerer, 21 Brendan Cope, 22 Gareth Meikle
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Glad to see Johan Meyer getting a 3rd start, nice game last week, hope he gets a start at 8 sometime during the season.
Where are these games scheduled for – Newlands?
Its so wet and waterlogged in the Cape, I wonder how the field will hold up for the test.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 2) : I think it’s Newlands…. they should be curtain-raisers to the Currie Cup game.
Feel sorry for Jacques Taylor , he is really gunning to make an impression and he really is full of talent, im also really biased, as he is the Son of a lifelong friend. ha ! nah ..the lad is pure quality and i really want to see him get more time. he is a wealth of talent..just needs time.
@The Duke (Comment 4) : is he still u21 next year?
@robdylan (Comment 5) : ja he is,better watch out,i know of some puppies that are chasing hard
I think he is, he left natal for one season because the Bulls wanted him for the vault of unused players…now he is back and has the bit between his teeth. his lineouts are superb, some of our senior boys could take lessons on hitting your jumpers from him. and he is really mobile.
and he is a Glenwood boy. so keep it local !
so look, I think Jacques – along with Morne and that Venter kid – need to just “byt vas” this year.
It’s a weird situation…. all of the backs are still u20 this year, but all of the forwards aren’t. We tend to get this weird situation where we contracts a pack one year, then a backline the next 🙂
In short, we’re going to be very short of quality tight forwards at u21 level next year and the likes of Taylor & co are going to have to step up.
Those boys are in line behind a Junior Bok front row this year, though.
Was just discussing this with someone else earlier today. We will have the best backline in the u21 competition next year…. just hope we have a pack.
@robdylan (Comment 9) : Yeah i know..patience is a virtue..but then again me and virtues have got history 😈
@The Duke (Comment 11) : LOL 🙂
I know the feeling bro. I have no patience… none at all
@robdylan (Comment 12) : lots of loose forwards for next year,plank,Jean Pretorius,Andrew van Tonder and maybe Dave Fisher(lock)front row you got Nic Roebeck and SAu20 Marne Coetzee,hookers you know,but locks are a problem,don’t know the u19 locks tho,plus some subs,
@bobby 26 (Comment 13) : we should have koegies at lock next year. But we’re missing a few locks and some good options at prop.
As you say, loosies and hookers are sorted
Now this is a sharks team, better than that pathetic currie cup team
Lournes Adriaanse signs for sharks for Superrugby 2014.
@grant10 (Comment 16) : not the best of moves, both on his part and on the Sharks part
@Ludz (Comment 17) : I seem to disagree with you. Lourens is one of the best props in SA. Hopefully once he moves to Sharks he will get a well deserved Springbok Cap. That man works very hard on the field.
@Lassy_lion (Comment 18) : I didn’t say he wasn’t any good, he’s bloody good, going to play 2nd fiddle to Jannie won’t do his Bok aspirations any good. He needs to be a place where he’ll start as often as possible. On the Sharks part, it’s not the best move because they have a quality youngster coming through at tighthead in Wiehan Herbst, now they’re going to put him in a difficult position.
The niceties / nastiness of the appointment are one thing, but from the point of view of team strength its a great signing.
I remember in the week before the Cheetahs / Brumbied play off game, Plum, on Boots and All, said it was imperative for NAKA to play Adriaanse for the whole game, He did not, took him off and from that moment the Cheetahs scrum was stuffed and the tide of the game had turned.
@Ludz (Comment 19) : Hopefully the Lions can get Herbs… See we have a prop problem….. 😀 😀
@Ludz (Comment 19) : its part of the new squad rotation system implemented by venter-two good players for each position each getting enough game time
@Bok-Clyde-Kiwi (Comment 22) : wll, in this case, three good players
@robdylan (Comment 23) : That’s 2 good players and one on the injury list.
@MysticShark (Comment 24) : who’s on the injury list?
@robdylan (Comment 25) : Potential injury list?
@Pokkel (Comment 26) : oh right – you mean “40-game Jannie”…
Well, this move alleviates that concern quite a bit, I’d think.
Where does Rayno Gerber fit in this picture
@Ludz (Comment 28) : I think he fits in on the transfer list.
He was only ever brought in as short-term Currie Cup cover
@Pokkel (Comment 26) : Spot on!