Here you go, fans, the very first confirmed matchday squad of the 2014 Super Rugby season, courtesy of Naka Drotske and the Cheetahs.
In naming his side for Saturday’s opener against the Lions, Drotske has pulled few surprises, with the somewhat expected elevation of Caylib Oosthuizen to the number 1 jersey ahead of Bok Trevor Nyakane not raising too many eyebrows. Sharks under 21 prop Maks van Dyk has been rewarded for great pre-season form with a maiden spot on the bench, as backup to Coenie Oosthuizen at tight head prop.
The side looks a well-balanced one; Oosthuizen is the only new face in a settled forward pack (which include Boom Prinsloo at openside flank ahead of Jean Cook), while Johan Goosen returns to run a backline containing a fair few Cheetahs first-timers, including scrumhalf Shaun Venter (Kings), centre Francois Venter (Bulls) and winger Cornal Hendricks (SA Sevens).
Toyota Cheetahs: 15. Willie le Roux, 14. Cornal Hendricks, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Francois Venter, 11. Raymond Rhule, 10. Johan Goosen, 9. Shaun Venter, 8. Philip van der Walt, 7. Lappies Labuschagné, 6. Boom Prinsloo, 5. Francois Uys, 4. Lood de Jager, 3. Coenie Ooshuizen, 2. Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1. Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements – 16. Ryno Barnes, 17. Trevor Nyakane, 18. Maks van Dyk, 19. Ligtoring Landman, 20. Jean Cook, 21. Sarel Pretorius, 22. Elgar Watts, 23. Rayno Benjamin.
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Well out of a squad of 25 players, Naka really couldn’t have had a hard time to pick his “best” 23 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 1) : yes, given how easy it is to discount Hennie Daniller as one of them 🙂
Must say I’m impressed they’re using one of Goose’s strikes against the Lions. I’d be saving him for the 2 important games if I was Naka
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Daniller, big, strong, fast-ish, and very average, kind of like a talented version of Pierre Spies
@FireTheLooser (Comment 4) : Agreed 😆 Don’t know why they persist with Rayno (Mr Agro) Benjamin.No one else to put there? ❓
@Die Kriek (Comment 3) : 😈
Sharks should consider loaning Tim to the Cheetahs.
Solid side i suppose, but can that 23 play all season long. Im guessing they have chosen the games they will target for wins and will send out second stringers for the others. Dont write these guys off- it is a very solid side there, with a couple game breakers on the bench.
@markm (Comment 5) : Lindeque would have been a better choice
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Don’t rate Daniller at all
Uys is far too short for a lock…..am surprised they have left Waltie Vermeulen out the squad……..Andries Ferreria would have been a better option than Uys as well.
The Cheetahs are really short of a quality lock to partner Lood de Jager…….they did trial Kings Reinier Bernardo……but as a flanker, which made little sense.
Bernado is back with the Kings at lock and impressed against the Stormers by all accounts…….Naka missed an opportunity there
@vanmartin (Comment 7) : Why, as back up we have Howard Mnisis, Piet Lindeque, and even Cornal Hendricks can move to centre.
@Die Kriek (Comment 3) : Thinking like that is what got the mighty Sharks of 2013 on the skids… all matches will prove to be important. Loving the bullish (excuse the pun) vibe in the Sharks camp, very much the same as last year this time. 😛
@KingCheetah (Comment 13) : every year this time.
@KingCheetah (Comment 12) : Easy there, I have nothing against any of those players. Two reasons:
1. Tim’s Super Rugby experience in a backline with some inexperienced players
2. You need a good distributor to unlock Johann Sadie (which is why he never impressed at the Bulls IMO). I believe Tim is one of the best in the business.
@Saffex (Comment 11) : Reynier is a very good player, he gave Scarra a few grey hairs last week, disrupted the Stormers lineout on a number of occasions last week. I rate him.
@KingCheetah (Comment 13) : This time of year is normally the most exciting for us Sharks supporters, as the season proper is normally when reality sinks in, and we realise our trophy aspirations will be yet another pie in the sky. 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 17) : Yup, biggest moment of the year. We’re even first on the log.
@KingCheetah (Comment 12) : Forgot about Howard Mnisi…..he is the obvious for the bench…..rate this guy bigtime
@Ludz (Comment 16) : Yeah, given the lack of quality locks the Cheetahs have, I find it amazing that Naka let him slip……when he did play for the Cheetahs in the warm up games…..Naka played him at 6…….the guy is 1.99m and 115kg……hellooooooo!!!
@Saffex (Comment 11) : Uys is short for a lock, but it has worked well for the Cheetahs due to his physicality, mobility and workrate. Cheetahs lineouts were very good last year. Landman and Ferreira also solid 4 locks. This is actually quite funny, because a few Sharks supporters have mooted Deysel as a lock, and he is even shorter than Uys.
@vanmartin (Comment 15) : Wasn’t iffy, was just curious. A distributor is indeed needed, and Robert Ebersohn was sublime. We will see how Venter goes inside a playmaker 10 like Goosen/Watts. Venter didn’t impress at the Bulls, but he is a quality player, and Howard Mnisi also impressed.
@KingCheetah (Comment 22) : The Cheetahs will really miss Ebersohn this year. And I do hope Goosen manages to actually complete a season for a change.
@KingCheetah (Comment 22) : You’ll be hard pressed to find a backline player able to impress at the bulls…I reckon Habanna was the last one. 😆
Crashball Serfontein will be their most creative asset this year. 🙄
@Bokhoring (Comment 23) : Ditto
@KingCheetah (Comment 21) : For me Uys is too small for lock…….Deysel would be an average lock
@Bokhoring (Comment 23) : They have great replacements in Frans Venter and Howard Mnisi at 12