The Sharks side to face the Lions at Ellis Park on Friday has been named.
As predicted, Jake White has picked a strong side indeed and so doing, revealed a fair bit of his thinking regarding team composition for the Super Rugby opener next weekend. Anton Bresler returns to the side after missing the entire Currie Cup – he will partner Pieter-Steph du Toit at lock in a tight five otherwise unchanged from the unit that played against Saracens. The loose trio is perhaps a little surprising, with Marcell Coetzee at openside and Jean Deysel preferred at blindside to Willem Alberts. It’s not clear whether the latter is injured, but he won’t be among those making the trip to Johannesburg. Tera Mtembu, so impressive in London on the flank, will start the game in his favoured position at the back of the scrum.
White has persisted with Cobus Reinach as his starting scrumhalf, pairing him with the first-choice 10-12 combo of Pat Lambie and a fit-again Francois Steyn. Paul Jordaan, Odwa Ndungane and Lwazi Mvovo retain their positions in the backline (the latter over his concussion scare) while one of the finds of the Currie Cup, SP Marais, returns at fullback after recovering form off-season shoulder surgery.
An 11-man bench indicates that White won’t use his first-choice side for much more than half the match. It’s tough to work out whether too much can be read into the composition of the bench this week, since a number of players do not feature, including Alberts, Keegan Daniel, Etienne Oosthuizen, Tim Swiel, Andre Esterhuizen and Tyler Fisher. Monde Hadebe, Fred Zeilinga and S’bura Sithole, all of whom toured to London without playiing, will have an opportunity to showcase their skills this week, while Ryan Kankowski is also set to be thrust straight into the action in the second half.
The Cell C Sharks
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Captain)
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Anton Bresler
5. Pieter–Steph du Toit
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Jean Deysel
8. Tera Mtembu
9. Cobus Reinach
10. Patrick Lambie
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Francois Steyn
13. Paul Jordaan
14. Odwa Ndungane
15. SP Marais
Replacements
16. Monde Hadebe
17. Dale Chadwick
18. Lourens Adriaanse
19. Stephan Lewies
20. Jacques Botes
21. Ryan Kankowski
22. Charl McLeod
23. Fred Zeilinga
24. Heimar Williams
25. S’bura Sithole
26. Jaco van Tonder
Tweet
Rob, do you know if the game is televised?
Strength in numbers i like it. But Willem Alberts? Tim Swiel? Chavanga? Esterhuizen? Fisher? Im guessing JW not yet happy with Esterhuizen/Fisher/Swiel
woah, and this isnt everyone either.No daniels again?
@The Hobbit (Comment 1) : I don’t think it is
very good side i would have liked for charl to not be used maybe use venter and see how he goes even if it is off the bench. i hope jordaan can find some form in this game
@SheldonK (Comment 2) : They will be there abouts with team selection, but I think this is as close to his strongest team mixed with some guys to test different combinations
nope, nothing about the game on Supersport’s site
Building serious depth here. We wont win Super Rugby if we dont win it this year.
@KingRiaan (Comment 6) : Yeh true I guess. Suppose he is trying different youngsters with the established guys to see how they all compare. It just means a lot of talent should be flowing down to Vodacom Cup unless they leave if no Super rugby
I was hoping to go watch this one and provide some live updates but alas, familial responsibilities have trumped my plans
Great to see SP and Bresler back, exciting times
@vanmartin (Comment 10) : drat 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 12) : I’m trying to wiggle my out of it anew now that I read that the game won’t be televised. Watch this space! 😈
Good news! My wife has graciously absolved me of my duties so I’ll be happy to provides live updates on Friday evening and attempt a match report afterwards.
Can anyone advise me on which stand would provide the best vantage point to report on the match?
Aaaaaaggghhhh!! Just get it over with and smash the bulls already.
P.S. I hate when people plan their weddings and don’t consider the start of Superugby
If I’m not mistaken supersport said they don’t pay for warmup games. If the unions want their games on tv they need to carry the cost. That’s what happened with the sarries game, they were given the game and only had to pay some small joining fee…..
@Southern_Shark (Comment 15) : haha I know…..got a wedding on this weekend, it was planned with s15 in mind.
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : She is a keeper…and by that I don’t mean the guy with the gloves behind the stumps or the guy defending the goal posts, I mean you should hold on to her. 😛
@KingsArmy (Comment 17) : Good people 😀
@Southern_Shark (Comment 18) : She definitely is. I may end up on diaper duty for the entire weekend but ’tis a small price to pay.
Bloody strong side that.
Perhaps just JP in at 14, Mcleod in at 9 and Alberts in could make it stronger.
Bring. It. On.
Jake will likely rotate Alberts, Deysel and Coetzee in some capacity. I’m sure we will see 6.Coetzee 7.Alberts 8.Kankowski /6.Coetzee 7.Deysel 8.Alberts and various other combinations depending on who we play.
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : Nice one! 🙂
This is a very strong side. Go Sharks ! Locks concern me. Happy Bressler is back,but he has not played in a year? Lewies not a natural 4 ? Jake’s boy EO ?
Where is Herbst? Injured?
Strong side indeed,
Hope he is still looking at some combinations though, as the final side should surely have Charl starting and Keegan, at the least on the bench. Otherwise happy with all the selections.
One thing I know is we can outmuscle any South African side without compromising our athleticism and speed to the breakdown that much.
If the Bulls bring there typical game to us we will massacre them.
I do feel Jake is persisting with Reinach and has likely worked with him on his service delivery and speed, but at this point in time Mcleod is without doubt the 1st choice 9.
You don’t get the kind of BMT Mcleod has in a 23 year old; having persevered through torrid spats of form and some harsh criticisms he has come out a better and more battle hardened player. If not in these preseason matches, later on in Super Rugby, we will see Charl take that jersey out of the coaches hands for the umpteenth time in his Sharks career. I have a lot of respect for that guy.
No Keegan….getting worried. He must be injured or will be used as our secret weapon come superugby.
@Talent (Comment 27) : I respect him too, hes a worker. I dont think Reinach is first choice at this stage really. I think Mcleod is just more of the finished product and probably doesnt need the same amount of extra game time. Jake is building serious depth. I for one couldnt be happier at this stage
Nice to see a large bench for this game. Really looking forward to hearing how Bresler performs. See S’buru on the bench so hoping he has a good game. Judging by some of the pics of training he has put on quite a bit of muscle. Also suspect Cobus will have a far better game with Pat at 10.
@Talent (Comment 27) : Also, Lambie always seems to play better with Mcleod at 9. battery and torch
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 31) : Right on the money. People may consider Reinach more of a threat around the fringes than Mcleod but the latter is no slouch.
I think JW is trying to play Reinach back into form. Hoping to see Adriaanse get more of a run. Same as Van Tonder/ Williams
Little surprised not to see Peet Marais given a run and surprised not to see Esterhuizen, Swiel and Fisher on the bench…….maybe he has seen enough of these three and wants to have a look at Zeilinga, SP Marais and Sithole…….but if that is the case then surely he should have had a look at the impressive Peet Marais……..I hope the snubbing of Peet does not result in him following his brother to France
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : good news, Van.
Simple answer is “media box”…. you want me to try swing it?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 28) : apparently Jake is giving him more time to get over his neck injury
@SheldonK (Comment 33) : And play our ball carries into the emergency room at the same time. 😆
@Saffex (Comment 34) : I think that’s exactly what he is trying to do. From what I have seen of Lewies the guy is capable of leapfrogging Peet.
@KingsArmy (Comment 17) : I planned my wedding with no Sharks nor Springbok game in the middle of the year. That was fun had only 2 dates to choose from
@John Galt (Comment 25) : on his way to ulster i heard
@Talent (Comment 37) : Im sure our ball carriers know the hazzards of the job haha @Dunx (Comment 38) : I got married in January like all rugby fans should
@jovner (Comment 39) : I’ve been digging into that…. can’t find anyone to confirm or even corroborate the tweet
@robdylan (Comment 35) : Thanks, I’d normally take you up on that in a heartbeat but it looks like I’m taking some friends along.
@Talent (Comment 37) : Peet’s problem is that he’s a hybrid. He’s not strong enough as a 5 to be a lineout general, but also not really the sort of enforcer that makes him a must-pick at 4.
Not really fair to compare him to Lewies cos Lewies is an out-and-out 5.
Peet at Vodacom cup and Daniels not in Jake’s plan sadly after all he has given,but so is sport
@vanmartin (Comment 42) : no problem…. wouldn’t have been guaranteed anyway, merely would have inquired.
@bobby 26 (Comment 44) : new coach, new ideas, new standards. I feel for Keegan, but we basically won nothing for almost 10 years. I’ll back Jake trying a different option.
@robdylan (Comment 45) : Cool, any chance you could swing something like that for the Bulls game? (Have to push my luck 😉 )
So, any recommendations on the best stand at Eliis Park for reporting purposes?
@vanmartin (Comment 47) : you mean the one in Pretoria?
@robdylan (Comment 41) : thats good news, would be good if he stayed with us.
@jovner (Comment 49) : I am sure the Sharks want him to stay
@robdylan (Comment 48) : Yeah, sorry that could have been a lot clearer. I’m referring to Sharks vs Bulls game at Loftus on the 22nd of March. I’d be happy to play the role of foreign correspondent up here behind the Boerewors Curtain if required.
@vanmartin (Comment 51) : now not to nitpick, but you really need to call that a Bulls v Sharks game 🙂
Let me see what I can do. Will need to get a match report from you after Friday’s game up on the site, though, in case the Bulls people want to look at what you’ve written in the past.
@robdylan (Comment 43) : That’s true. Most locks these days are Hybrids, and looks like it is the trend moving forward. Peet to me is still needs to up his aggression.
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : Wonder around the stadium until you find a guy with a big earpiece stuck on the side of his face, follow him – he should have a good vantage point.
@gregkaos (Comment 30) : Actually, Pat will probably have an average game due to the slow service from Cobus.
@robdylan (Comment 52) : You’re right of course. I guess my default behaviour is to always place the Sharks first 😉
I was planning to do a match report on Friday’s game. Would appreciate some feedback on it too. I want to contribute a bit more this year.
@Talent (Comment 53) : I rate Peet as a very good prospect….he’s done his time and he’s still very much in the picture. I don’t get quite the same hard-on for him that Saffex does, though…. frankly a little creepy.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 54) : Sounds like a plan
@vanmartin (Comment 56) : good man, I love the sound of that.
pop me an email and I’ll give you a bit more background.
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Cool. Was getting worried as I rate keegan highly. Him, Mcleod, Pat, JPP and Paul make us unpredictable and dangerous. Guys like Bismarck, Alberts, Coetzee, PSDT, Styen make us a tough as nails no bullshit taking team. The other guys make us a competitive solid team. Need that balance and the last thing we want is a predictable one dimensional pack.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 55) : Possibly. Did get the feeling that Cobus’s service to the backline against Sarries was iffy more because he was trying to do all the play making rather than the rookie 10. Having Pat at 10 means that he can (or should) focus on getting the ball out faster and leave the decisions to our VC.
So I’ve read that Keegan still has a injury niggle but should be ready for opener against Bulls.
@robdylan (Comment 57) : 😆 Saffex just likes them younger, wait… 😆 😆 😆
@Talent (Comment 63) : eeeew
@robdylan (Comment 64) : I agree 😆
@robdylan (Comment 43) : Well I would imagine that at 1.99m and 115kg and growing he is more than big enough to be an enforcer, my guess is that by now he must be closer to 120kg and is heavier than Bresler.
He just looks like a good investment to me and for some reason the Marais brothers have found little favour at the Sharks and they are both good players
@Saffex (Comment 66) : question for you…. why do you like them so much?
This isn’t loaded, there’s no agenda… I just want to know why you like those two players so much, since you’re clearly a really big fan.
@Saffex (Comment 66) : Jandre Marais was very much in the picture and gettign good game time but he decided that they werent treating him like a super star so he decided to leave. If he stayed he would have been 1 of top 3 locks so plenty of game time. Im sorry but its a case of a young guy who probably thinks he is better than he is. As with Peet- again loads of talent but Bresler and PSDT also have talent. As JW having a look what Oosthuizen can offer. Remember we dont see what happens at practise. If Peet or any guy for that matter just isnt cutting it at practise compared to other guys then can you blame a coach for not playing him, im not saying thats the case just raising a point. Yes i think Peet could offer a lot but the guy needs to stick it out and he will get his turn believe me. Or he could go to a second rate European team and form part of their big squad rotation.
Looks like there might be some rain on Friday evening. Hope it isn’t enough to spoil the game.
I hope it rains- Sharks players need to get used to a wet ball. Playing in Durban in Feb you guaranteed rain or humidity which will make the ball slippery
@SheldonK (Comment 70) : ja, they should be training with vaseline soaked balls 😆
whatever happened to playing with gloves? They just looked too kak?
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 71) : Werent gloves outlawed by IRB? But ya those balls do get very slippery. Altho they do play with brand new balls each game so the grip is still quality, not like the balls you get at clubs game where it becomes a piece of soap in the rain.
Oh poef…. hoekom word daai mens nogsteeds gekies?
@Uli Boelie (Comment 73) :
Potentiaal.
Ackers is resting a number of first choice players and has selected a bit of a mix and match side to take on the Sharks strongest available.
15. Coenie van Wyk
14. Deon van Rensburg
13. Stokkies Hanekom
12. Alwyn Hollenbach (c)
11. Chrysander Botha
10. Willie du Plessis
9. Faf de Klerk
8. Willie Britz
7. Ruaan Lerm
6. Warwick Tecklenburg
5. Martin Muller
4. Lourens Erasmus
3. Bees Roux
2. Willie Wepener
1. Jacques van Rooyen
16. Malcolm Marx
17. Charles Marais
18. Corne Fourie
19. Stephan Vermeulen
20. Hugo Kloppers
21. MB Lusaseni
22. Stephan de Witt
23. Ross Cronje
24. JW Jonker
25. Ruan Combrinck
26. Deon Helberg
Bees Roux…
@robdylan (Comment 67) : Big physical players who looked the part whenever I saw them……..far better investments than Franco v/d Merwe was at the Sharks.
Jandre was snubbed by Plum for a loan player and Peet seems to have taken a back seat under Jake which makes little sense given how good he looked at the end of CC.
Big physical locks do not abound and these two guys fit that mould and should be invested in, instead of being snubbed for sub standard players.
We don’t look after our young locks and they end up pissing off overseas…….Quinn Roux, Hargreaves, Carl Wegner, Jandre Marais, Mostert and Ettienne Oosthuizen (returned) spring to mind
@SheldonK (Comment 68) : Wrong he was snubbed for the very average loan player Franco v/d Merwe……no wonder he pissed off…….this was a classic case of not looking after your own
@Letgo (Comment 74) : Het ons almal nie? 😀
@Saffex (Comment 78) : Franco is a Bok lets remember so yea the Sharks would pick him over Marais. Franco was pulled in as a result of the injury to our locks. Marais chose not to stick it out and fight for his place, and he was always in the 22 when fit.
@SheldonK (Comment 80) : @Saffex (Comment 77) : Franco served us well given the circumstances. No Etzebeth in terms of physicality, but made a massive improvement to our lineouts.
@SheldonK (Comment 80) : The fact that Franco was a Bok means nothing, he is a very average lock and it was a joke that Meyer picked him as a Bok.
Franco was brought in because of injuries to locks? That makes no sense given the Marais brothers were available and not utilised.
Jandre had every reason to be pissed off having come through the Sharks ranks, played well and got overlooked for an old ordinary player in Franco…….its just poor player management by Plum…….no wonder they sacked him
@Talent (Comment 81) : Disagree, I thought he was average at best…….adds nothing in general play and lacks physicality. There was nothing special about his line-out work
@Saffex (Comment 82) : Haha any coach/administrator would pick a Bok over a guy with a handful of super rugby caps- its pure logic and money sense. Jandre put in a couple of decent performances but nothing great over 80min ever. Same as Peet, decent off the bench but fades if playing 80min. For me if a guy doesnt have the balls to stick it out and fight his way in then he doesnt have the balls to play in the side. Just my opinion.
@Saffex (Comment 83) : Peet hasn’t really set the world alight with his physicality either.
@Saffex (Comment 83) : I understand your concern regarding young players and them receiving fair opportunity, however it should not come at the expense of the team. There is a marked step up in tempo from Vodacom cup rugby to Super Rugby. This requires a player to be bled in before he actually starts delivering consistently. Sometimes you cant afford to throw caution to the wind and blood a newby at critical parts of your season-hence the popularity of loan deals…
@Saffex (Comment 82) : Franco is IMO an outstanding player who deserved his spot with the Boks. He came in at a time when we needed desperately needed experience in that department too.
Jandre did not stand out for me either. If he did leave the Sharks because he was pissed off after a single season behind Franco (which I highly doubt) well then good for him and good for the Sharks.
@SheldonK (Comment 84) : Well its a joke that Franco won a test cap…….he is not even close to test standard…..bit of an insult really.
Jandre was a better investment than Franco and I certainly would have picked him ahead of Franco
@Talent (Comment 85) : He has looked good enough to me, was finding his feet nicely in the CC last year
@Talent (Comment 86) : That’s all well and good if your loan player is a class act and you have no depth in a position……this was not the case at the Sharks……and the end result is that they have lost both Franco and Jandre……..why?
@gregkaos (Comment 87) : What a joke
@SheldonK (Comment 80) : and besides, Franco is a 5, Jandre a 4…
@Saffex (Comment 90) : Ye its a pity we lost both of them, but then again we had some decent players coming through. I personally feel Jandre was a better prospect than his brother, even though his brother is more physically imposing.
Further more as I understand it his qualm wasn’t with Franco, it was being behind another young player who leapfrogged him.
@Talent (Comment 94) : Pieter-Steph du Toit?
Yeah, we should never have backed that useless kid…. 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 95) : Bladdy Plumtree haha
@SheldonK (Comment 96) : not even Plumtree could miss a talent like that.
@robdylan (Comment 95) : I never suggested that.
That right there pokes a bit of a hole in the argument that we dont invest in young locks, Du Toit is proof we do.
@Talent (Comment 98) : this is the thing that I’m trying to get to the bottom of.
I can’t figure out what it is specifically about the Marais brothers that Saffex likes so much.
I mean, not saying I don’t like them, but you get the feeling Saffex would pick them over Matfield and Botha in their heyday.
@robdylan (Comment 99) : Probably concerned at the amount of young players we are leaking from our structures(not just the Sharks).
He also doesn’t rate Franco. I do, matter of opinion. I can understand why they handed a veteran a jersey over a rookie.
@robdylan (Comment 92) : Yeah just like PSDT and Flip are 4????
Jandre and Peet played together in the VC, so one of them had to play 5…….so in effect the Sharks had Peet and Lewies as options at 5
@robdylan (Comment 99) : Get a grip…..I’m talking about their value for the Sharks ahead of pretenders like Franco…….its that simple
Well done and congratulation to the Dolphins on qualifying for the t20 champions league.
Good luck for Sunday’s final
@BR (Comment 104) : Jeez but how destructive was David Miller. 34 off one over. He was 24 off 20 balls at one stage and ended on 93 from 37 balls, thats an astounding 69 off his last 17.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 105) : Hehe Luckily I backed him on Sportsbet ….
@Original Pierre (Comment 106) : Lekkerrrrr
Actually glad these two are back.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 105) : yip he is quite a master when it come to big hitting and he is probable getting a lot of tips from the coach a legend himself, hopefully he and the team have enough in the tank to keep it going on Sunday, the fact that they are with out they’re proteas is a small positive but we will have to know our story against Hendricks
I think we should be investing in Miller as a Test bat, would be great at 6 or 7. He is technically a great bat, so there is no reason in the world he cant make the step up to the test arena