News in this morning is that a pair of players from the EP Kings will have an opportunity to stake a claim for Super Rugby with the Sharks, as they join the wider training squad this week. Prop Lizo Gqoboka and utility back George Whitehead will train with Jake White’s squad until the end of the year, when the final Super Rugby squad is to be announced.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Gqoboka, who was born in remote Mount Frere, just a stone’s throw away from Kokstad and the KwaZulu-Natal border. As a graduate of the unheard of (at least in rugby terms) Ntabankuku High School, the 115kg loosehead first made his mark at Durban Collegians, where he was moved into the front row from the back of the scrum in a move mirroring that of current Bok loosehead Beast Mtawarira. He was selected for the EP under 21 side two years later and went on to represent the province of his birth at both Vodacom and Currie Cup level and came close to the Super Rugby side last year, without quite cracking the selection nod.
Whitehead is a more familiar player, having played regularly for the Kings at flyhalf and fullback over the last two seasons, after excelling for Free State as a junior. The 24-year-old, who gained 14 Super Rugby caps for the Kings last year, trod a far more familiar route to professional rugby, having attended Grey College in Bloemfontein before moving on to the Shimlas Varsity Cup team. It’s probably important to point out that he is unrelated to centre Tim Whitehead, despite both players’ penchant for dodgy moustaches.
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Any news on seargal’s movements?wouldve liked to have seen him brought into the training squad.cant find any news of him training at any other sr franchise.
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 1) : Sergeal might be drafted into the 7s set up, he’ll be training with them
Here’s hoping Lizo turns out to be Beast Mk.II – no, I’m not getting ahead of myself at all 😛
I’m glad to see we’re recruiting at loose-head, even if I’d have preferred to see an established name being recruited. I feel if you’re going to rely on a junior player as back-up to Beast, you might as well stick with Chadwick.
Also, I’m never against recruiting more talent, but with Pat, Fred and Timo capable of covering 10 and SP, Timo, Hansie, Odwa, Pat, etc all capable of covering 15, why do we need George Whitehead? Maybe I haven’t been watching him closely enough to see his progress and everyone else thinks he’s a marvel, or has the Timo Swiel deal fallen through?
@pierre_mackie (Comment 2) : hope the sharks can convince him to play sr next season and push for a place in the bok team.
@MerckZ (Comment 3) : Agreed. Maybe JW has hindsight into Whitehead?Maybe we can retread him into another position like we did to Craig Burden all those years ago. 😐
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 1) : I think it was after the Kings first or second game that the Kings came running with a contract and I think he, flush with the excitement of the Kings having played will until then, put pen to paper – he is contracted to the Kings.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 6) : hopefully the sharks ,read jake white and john smit,can persuade seargal to join the sharks sr squad as a draft player.
@MerckZ (Comment 3) : if Lizo can stick around with the Sharks next year it will do wonders for his playing
Not so sure about Whitehead, not one for pressure, lack BMT imo
Pity there’s been no interest in Scott v Breda, would’ve like to see him in a Sharks jersey
Sergeal is injured at the moment but in the Springbok 7’s squad.
@dirk smith (Comment 9) : thanks for the info.
Any news of a 6’8 lock spotted at sharks training?
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 12) : is it not Ettiene Oosthuizen?
No wait, he’s nowhere near that tall…
@pierre_mackie (Comment 8) : I agree with you. Rate v Breda, but not really “Dirty George” so much.
penchant for dodgy moustaches! Snort!!
Noooooo I don’t want George Whitehead and his teenage boys moustache in the Sharks squad!! 👿
Is rayno gerber still at the sharks?
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 16) : not to my knowledge.
@robdylan (Comment 17) : thanks for the info.
@robdylan (Comment 17) : sounds like jannie dup is on his way to france(to join the boks).
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 19) : nope. Frik Kirsten has been called up
Why did they not call the other Pat?!?!?!?! Don’t like/rate any of the Bulls props!
@JD (Comment 21) : both Pat Cilliers and Jannie du Plessis remain unavailable due to injury
As a Kings fan I don’t see either one making the squad….lizo battled for game time here and george was always just backup…..
@KingsArmy (Comment 24) : and ive been told sergeal is with the 7s squad.thats a shame.
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 25) : do you know who from the ec will be joining the sharks academy next year?
Thanx Rob, did not know Pat also out injured.
@robdylan (Comment 20) : Kirsten. What has he done this year other than playing for the Bulls
Maybe the fact that the bulls young and inexp pack didn’t fly backwards got something to do with it,but that’s a big maybe…..
@robdylan (Comment 21) : thanks.
Ah, might as well have a look at them…after all, this doesn’t mean they’re in the super rugby squad. Don’t know much about Lizo…George is not too bad. Let’s see what a few weeks in Sharks Country does for them…
Rob I think sergial pietersen will be an excellent under 21 signing. He has great skills and must be one of the fastest men in rugby on the planet with a 100m time of unofficial 10,22 (SA record) and his 18…officially 10,34 sec…..a friend of mine coached him. And he is possibly our next finisher….he has a 3 year contract with a ‘soft clause’…I hope we look at this boy. He makes Kholbe look like a prop.