The 2014 Super Rugby season will probably be the most anticipated season for Sharks fans to date. After a very disappointing 2013 Super Rugby campaign, where the Sharks ended mid-table, they finished 2013 as Currie Cup Champions, after defeating Western Province at Newlands in the final, 33 – 19.
A lot has changed at Sharks Rugby HQ since the start of their 2013 campaign. Former Springbok and Sharks captain John Smit was appointed CEO, followed by the announcement of his former Springbok World Cup Winning Coach, Jake White, as Director of Rugby (taking over from Brendan Venter). Venter did an enormous job with the team to change the culture at the Sharks and to finish the year off in a special way.
Regarding player movements, they will be welcoming back some familiar faces to Kings Park, as JP Pietersen and Ryan Kankowski make a welcome return to Super Rugby. Players like Paul Jordaan, Tim Whitehead and Francios Steyn should be over their injuries and fit for the start of the season, with Anton Bresler also due to return before too long. They have managed to secure the signatures of players like Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lwazi Mvovo and Patrick Lambie as they extended their stay at the Sharks.
Some new signings include former Southern Kings fullback, SP Marais, who played a big role towards the end of the season, former Western Province u21 player, Tim Swiel and former Cheetahs Super Rugby player, Lourens Adriaanse. Adriaanse will be joining an already impressive all-Springbok front row, as he also made his debut for the Springboks during their EOY tour. Etienne Oosthuizen and Marco Wentzel will also be joining and adding depth in the middle of the scrum. The 21 year old Oosthuizen played Super Rugby for the Lions in 2012 and the Brumbies in 2013, with the more experienced Wentzel starting his rugby career in 1999 at the Eagles and more recently finished a 3 year run at Wasps.
In preparing for their 2014 Super Rugby campaign, the Sharks have announced a warm-up match against English Club Saracens, on the 25th of January. They will be up against a few familiar faces, among them will be former Sharks team mates Alistair Hargreaves and Bradley Barritt.
The Sharks first Super Rugby match will be against the Bulls at Kings Park on the 15th of February at 19:10.
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Did u guys find out if that game is going to be broadcasted on supersport
Sorry the Saracens game
yes, being televised on supersport 1 from 16h15
Super excited for the start next month! At odds of almost 8/1 at my local bookie I’m definitely having a punt on the Sharks to take the trophy this year 😀
@Gerrietheshark (Comment 1) :
@Gerrietheshark (Comment 2) :
Yes they are broadcasting the match live
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good xmas and new years.
Jeez I can’t wait for this season to kick off. Our CC champs have the perfect base to make it a great campaign. Even the draw looks really good!
So how many of the UK guys here are going to the Sarries game? It’s going to be my first live Sharks game since we played the Saders at Twickenham.
@gregkaos (Comment 6) : I’ll be there, pal!
The Sharks will struggle in the UK against Saracens as its their first hit out of the season so will definitely be rusty. But always good to get in a good hard game to truly evaluate where u are in terms of preparation and also possible short comings. And news on Hansie Graaf – im guessing its going to be Vodacom Cup for him initially. Interested to see where they play Swiel and SP Marais and also if any of the u21 scrummies have cracked into the reckoning yet.
@SheldonK (Comment 8) : well, funnily enough, Hansie still seems to be training with the Super Rugby group, which has already been trimmed somewhat.
I have a feeling Tim Whitehead may be left out in the cold a bit this season.
Jake loves big, strong, powerful centres. Which TW is not. He’s more silky with deft handling and brilliant support play.
You can already see Jakes mind set in including the likes of Esterhuizen and Fisher in the Sharks senior training runs.
Pity if this is the case as I still rate TW as the most underrated centre in the country.
@John Galt (Comment 10) : So JW likes them big and strong just like HM, who would have thought……haha
Yeah this look like an exciting s15 season for the sharks, aswell as the strms and cheetahs. Pity the bulls seem to hang on for dear life. Would’ve been nice to have 4 SA teams giving the Australian and NZ teams a go for their money……
@John Galt (Comment 10) : if talk is to believed, Tim Whitehead has been cut to the Vodacom squad
@robdylan (Comment 9) : @robdylan (Comment 13) : Tim does have decent skills but he lacks pace big time and he does get bullied by the bigger super rugby centres. Graaf is a big boy with skills too- just lacks experience so mayb they still having a look so see if he will sink or swim. Frans Steyn and Graaf wud make a seriously large centre combo
When will the squad be announced for the Saracens game?
@bokbok (Comment 15) : ja – your guess is as good as mine.
@SheldonK (Comment 14) : Tim has been unlucky with injury. We all know what a great player he is when on form, but a guy like Heimar SERIOUSLY took his chance in Currie Cup last year whereas Tim, to be fair, didn’t.
@robdylan (Comment 13) : That would be a crying shame 🙁
Paul Jordaan bulked up big-time while he was injured. Saw him in December and his neck looked as if part of his shoulders!
@bokbok (Comment 19) : maybe a bit of a concern. Let’s hope the combination of extra weight and a bad knee don’t affect his speed. After all, that’s his greatest asset.
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Yeh u right, Heimar did step up – i just dont know if he will get a super rugby chance if all others fit. Very curious to see where Swiel fits in. Our Vodacom Cup team should be seriously strong though.
Team just released…is Patrick Lambie injured?
I can’t see the Sharks disposing of the squad system put in place by Venter. SR squads require serious depth, or serious luck re: injury to key personnel.
You’ll only able to build that depth by having a concrete rotation policy in place. Most of the talent at the Sharks should get a fair share of game time.
Wow this is extra special to get a bit of Sharks news even if just a slither. Great to read all the comments as well. Thanks guys! We’ve been starved!
I truly hope Heimar Williams is not left out of the mix. I’m not too concerned re Tim W cos he hardly starts showing some brilliance and next thing he’s injured for the rest of the season.
So glad the Saracens match will be televised!!!!!!!
@robdylan (Comment 13) : maybe he should return to his roots, and join the Kings
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 5) : @Gerrietheshark (Comment 1) : @grant10 (Comment 3) : and we will have Rob covering the game 😉
@pierre_mackie (Comment 26) : well – I will be attending the game 🙂