We reported yesterday that Jason Jaftha would be holding the whistle when the Sharks take on the Bulls in Saturday’s Super Rugby opener. Turns out, that news was already a little out of date.
The knee injury that Jaftha sustained early on during Friday night’s warm-up at Ellis Park looks set to keep him on the sidelines for some time, meaning that Jaco Peyper will blow the match in his stead.
Peyper was initially down to act as Assistant Referee in Bloemfontein, where Craig Joubert takes charge of the earlier game between the Cheetahs and the Lions. SANZAR are still scrambling to fill that spot.
Here are the refereeing appointments for the Sharks’ first three matches (since they have a bye in round 3).
Round 1: Sharks v Bulls – Jaco Peyper
Round 2: Sharks v Hurricanes – Andrew Lees
Round 3: BYE
Round 4: Sharks v Lions – Jaco Peyper
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Peyper is a good ref. I’m more worried about Lees in the second round game against the Canes. Does anyone remember previous games he reffed the Sharks?
@Greg (Comment 1) : I don’t like Peyper, was it not him 1st game 2011 Kings Park vs the Cheetahs, Jonathan Kaplan went off with stomach issues, and Peyper took over handing the game to the Cheetahs? or am I confusing him and getting my panties in a knot for nothing
@Greg (Comment 1) : I know that his name rings alarm bells, but I can’t figure out why
Victim mentality from Champ contenders? Just wrong, already its the ref?
Better get in Peypers good books then, as he is the ref in round 4 as well 😈
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 2) : Wasn`t it some CC semi final?
The one where Ruaan Pienaar passed a ball that was intercepted?
We`ll be fine with Peyper as long as we don`t face the FS or Stormers with him in charge.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 2) : Im not sure but for some reason I think it was Jaftha that took over.
Peyper is fine but does tend to allow a lot at the breakdown. He has def grown as a ref in the last couple years and recently did a 6 Nations game- although those games are at like half pace.
@Original Pierre (Comment 6) : You dont want to face the Stormers with that vd Merwe guy anywhere near the field.
@KingCheetah (Comment 4) : ja, I feel the same way as you. We can’t get into this petty ref-bashing crap before the season has even started. Winners win. Losers blame the ref.
@KingCheetah (Comment 4) : Champ contenders???, thats you guys, we finshed well behind you last year.
@Original Pierre (Comment 6) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 7) : I have asked a colleague, and I fortunately have had my panties all tied up in a knot. It was 1st game in 2011 against the Chiefs, and it was Brown the ref. that took over.
Peyper has my humblest apologies!
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Thats why the Bulls have got 3 titles. Winners all the way.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 13) : exactly. And we need to get that mindset entrenched in our boys, or it’s going to be yet another season of almosts.
Far too often the Sharks have left the field without having done everything in their power to win the game. If that’s the case, then turning around and blaming the referee or some other external factor simply isn’t acceptable.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 12) : And Jaftha mine.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 13) : yeah thats right, they had the ref to thank for at least 1 of them, and arguably the second as well 😈
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 16) : I think it’s time to move on.
Why did the Sharks lose the 2007 final? Because the Bulls had hands in the ruck and Walsh didn’t see it? After we had done everything in our power to win the game?
Or was it maybe because we took all our leaders off the field with 10 minutes still to play? Allowed an over-excited rookie to take a regulation conversion attempt (which he missed) when we had better, more experienced kickers on the park? Failed to clear the ball to touch twice in the final 2 minutes of the game? Basically GAVE UP AND STOPPED PLAYING because we thought we’d won the match?
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 12) : Nope, Brown killed us the very next week against the Chiefs.
That first game against the tjietas, Kaplan was replaced by (un)Pro(fessional) Legoete. I remember it well because I was burdened with tickets to both those games – courtesy of Sharksworld.
That Chiefs game was particularly miserable, it was pouring down. Pokkel should remember that game well.
*Wasn’t it 2010 though – hard to keep up with the many failed seasons after 2007 though. They all always seemed to end the same way – disappointment.
@robdylan (Comment 17) : I think you need to ban yourself for at least a month for reciting that game in such fine detail. 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 19) : this is part of my 12 step program….
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 11) : Lol, no we are acutely aware that we simply don’t have the overall squad to go all the way. We may again make the playoffs, but to win the S15, you need home playoffs.
That said I will support my team, and hope they can improve on last year.
Sharks, Waratahs, Crusaders, Reds and Chiefs look in ominous form sofar
@robdylan (Comment 20) : Let’s hope John Smit can achieve more in 2014 from the boardroom than he could on the field in the ’07 SR final.
At least everything at management level has been completely overhauled, unlike ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12 and ’13 during which time the Sharks management proved their insanity. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 18) : Thank you! We had all the games meshed into one. And the sad thing is I was at both games, but as you say one season meshed into the other because in the end it ended all the same 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 17) : ouch! That damned match still hurts, and I haven’t managed to get a booking for the 12 step program its too full of Sharks supporters!.
I was feeling so confident and happy for this season, now I am all nervous again 🙁
@FireTheLooser (Comment 22) : Well technically we only lost the lead after Smit (and Percy if I remember right) was taken off the field back in ’07 😉
Anyway…the way I see it, I’ve never been happier with where the Sharks are right now and where they appear to be heading with Smit at the helm.
Would the powers that be have broken the status quo and brought in John Smit as CEO if we had a SR trophy under our belt? Personally I think not.