The worst news to come out of the Sharks’ weekend Newlands loss is that line-out Kingpin Marco Wentzel will be sidelined for a fair while – probably the rest of the season.
Wentzel dislocated his shoulder half an hour into the debacle and while Edwin Hewitt went on to deliver one of his better displays as replacement, the 34-year-old had to endure an agonising two and a half hours before the joint could be relocated. As anyone who’s suffered a similar injury will tell you, the ligaments surrounding a dislocated joint take a real pounding and with Wentzel’s being out for so long, one can only imagine that the damage must have been significant. He’ll see the specialist today to determine a prognosis, but the smart money would be on no further action this season.
The injury is a bad one for the Sharks; those who questioned the 34-year-old’s value ahead of the campaign would have watched in stunned silence as the team’s line out play quite literally disintegrated without him there. While young Peet Marais has been pressed into service as a 4-lock these last two weeks, it now looks as though the young man will need to make a big step up in his favoured number 5 jersey. It remains to be seen whether he’ll learn enough during the week to be entrusted with the line out calls, or whether that job will go to the likes of Keegan Daniel.
There’s a ray of sunshine in that Pieter-Steph du Toit should probably be fit to play this weekend. He’ss been on the sidelens an awfully long time himself, though and the wise money would be on a bench spot for him this week. Anton Bresler appears to be a few weeks from fitness yet.
The other injury concern for the Sharks after Newlands is scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who picked up a quad injury. Again, it’s a position with not much depth and should he cry off, one of the under 21 scrumhalves may be asked to make a big step up against Griquas this weekend.
Tweet
Ai like we can afford it in this department!!!
@R Hayward (Comment 1) : it could be worse. We could be down to using club locks, like Griquas. They’ve lost 5 so far this season
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Bit off the topic Rob… How do you feel about our campaign thus far? I am still FULL of confidence – We lost 2 games including a home game but are still 2nd on the log. I told my wife before the WP game that we are breaking continuity in the rotation thing, but then again building a strong enough squad for next year!!! Catch 22?
Jeez that’s a depressing start to the week. Was looking forward to seeing du Toit and Wentzel both on the field.
I still believe that PSDT and Bresler will be our best lock combo with Wentzel coaching them in the lineouts
Ungerer to get a bench spot?
Actually, without understating Marco’s impact on the lineout this season, the idea that the lineout disintegrated when he left is incorrect. We literally lost every throw even when he was on the field…It was only when he left that we secured a few, presumably with somebody else calling the lineouts.
This leads me to conclude that they had studied Marco’s calls and cracked them…Get well soon fella.
I think all in all it was a bad day. Scrums, pace to the breakdown, turnovers nothing really worked. Having 2 injuries quickly in the first half just made things worse. The difference in scoreline was’nt that bad considering WP had all the ball and played a better game. If that’s the best they can do against a struggling Sharks outfit playing away, I would be concerned was I their coach.
Ungerer is ready to make the step up
@woody (Comment 5) : Ditto, at least I hope that’s the plan for the future…
@Caratacus (Comment 8) : In complete agreements with your sentiments but a possible correction: overall The Sharks had the majority of possession and territory if I recall correctly?
Ouch. Good luck with your recovery Marco
Sharks centainly will get a old lock of europa again and won’t asked stephan Lewies
@Flippie (Comment 13) : Are you using Google Translate for your comments 🙄
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : Flippie is actually the very latest in bot technology. Someone has finally managed to develop a piece of software to emulate the average Blue Bull supporter’s comments.
May I take this moment to congratulate the developer on a job that was amazingly well done. You ticked all the boxes: terrible grammar, poor spelling and the digital equivalent of the vacant stare.
@vanmartin (Comment 15) :
😆 
Hahaha funny
Didn’t knew sharksworld is a spelling bee also hey, sorry guys didn’t knew you guys were stupid nerds
@Flippie (Comment 18) : wait wait… YOU can’t spell, so that makes US stupid?
Yes rob yebo yes africa boy
This f1ippi3.BOT has some impressive Ai – Something this intelligent able to portray someone this stupid, sheer genius…i think 😈
@Flippie (Comment 20) : 😆 The Forrest Gump of bloggers 😆 😆
@robdylan (Comment 19) : @Flippie (Comment 20) : Flippie identified Rob based on his country of origin. This would have been seriously insulting had Rob originated from Canada. Still, A for effort! This must have taken up some serious processing power.
I am leaving sharksworld now on a basic
I am leaving sharksworld.. Cheers mates
Sorry for all of the insults and stuff I apologize for that cheers mates
@Flippie (Comment 25) : see you later.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this place it’s this:
NOBODY ever leaves Sharksworld. They might think they’re leaving, but they always come back.
@f1ippi3.BOT (Comment 24) : [PrintError==Line 1 */\ * On|Off==Unable to compute==initiate *auto evacuate*]
😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 28) :
I can’t wait for version 2.0
@vanmartin (Comment 29) : It might be able to get to 2 stars, and not just one. Quite impressive getting to one star, but he never got to spam us with his *advertising* , so he failed his mission 😆
@Flippie (Comment 26) : Ai FLippie man moenie waai nie!!! Ons laaik jou stukkend man!
I thought Flippie had some intelligent things to say. Well, after i’d taken out my Oxford English Dictionary, my H.A.T. and my twee-talige woordeboek.
Actually even then he was speaking in riddles a touch.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 32) : was starting to wonder if he was one of your alter egos….
@robdylan (Comment 33) :
Lol. I’m flattered Rob, but no.