After a few weeks of disruption, Jake White again has the luxury of naming an unchanged starting fifteen for the Cell C Sharks as they travel to Loftus in their first away game of the 2014 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.
JP Pietersen, who did a superb job as a late replacement last week, earns his 100th Super Rugby cap this week as he is selected on the right wing. Making his debut on 2006 as a raw 19-year-old, Pietersen has enjoyed a pretty good run, as successive coaches at the Sharks have appreciated the value he brings to the team. At 27 years, 8 months and few days, he becomes the youngest South African to reach the milestone, beating previous record-holder Morne Steyn by about a month.
Odwa Ndungane remains unavailable this week as he is still with his family in Umtata following the death of his father.
Bismarck du Plessis leads out an unchanged forward pack that against features young Stephan Lewies in the number 5 jersey. The 22-year-old will face another stern test of his line-out credentials this week as he faces the master – Victor Matfield.
On the bench, Tera Mtembu continues as loose forward cover, as Jean Deysel is given an extra week to get over his leg contusion. The only changes to the 23 see exciting under 21 players Tim Swiel and Andre Esterhuizen brought into the squad for their first tastes of Super Rugby action. Both have been with the Sharks XV squad and now come in as a rotational move, with Heimar Williams and Jaco van Tonder set to benefit from some Vodacom Cup gametime this week after extended Super Rugby bench spells.
The Cell C Sharks
15. SP Marais (Marshall Security Crusaders)
14. JP Pietersen (Zululand Rhinos)
13. S’bura Sithole (UKZN Impi)
12. Frans Steyn (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
11. Lwazi Mvovo (Ricoh PMB Collegians)
10. Patrick Lambie (Jonsson College Rovers)
9. Cobus Reinach (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
8. Ryan Kankowski (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
7. Willem Alberts (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
6. Marcell Coetzee (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
5. Stephan Lewies (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
4. Anton Bresler (Jonsson College Rovers)
3. Jannie du Plessis (Marshall Security Crusaders)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Captain) (Marshall Security Crusaders)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Jonsson College Rovers)
Replacements
16. Kyle Cooper (Jonsson College Rovers)
17. Dale Chadwick (Ricoh PMB Collegians)
18. Lourens Adriaanse (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
19. Etienne Oosthuizen (UKZN Impi)
20. Tera Mtembu (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
21. Charl McLeod (Varsity College RFC)
22. Tim Swiel (UKZN Impi)
23. Andre Esterhuizen (Varsity College RFC)
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Good to see the rotation on the bench to at least give some of the guys some game time with the Sharks XV.
Deysel not in the side? Surely a contusion doesn’t take that long to heal? I wonder if he is looking at going overseas which is also what Ive heard via some grape vine or other.
Clever move rotating the bench to give them game time, not just let them sit doing nothing.
I like JW’s thinking here. Continuity as much as possible which is good and gives guys confidence. I think he realises that injuries etc will result in forced rotation. I expect us to rotate a bit on tour though. As for the bench changes- Willaims and Von Tonder are pretty much safe bets off the bench and both do lack a bit of game time. Swiel and Esterhuizen are a bit of an X-factor and i think JW realises that away from home that is what he will need towards the end of a game. So with Cooper, Mthembu, McCloed, Swiel and Esterhuizen as possible replacements you can expect the ball to be given some air at the end.
I forgot how young JP still is. Very interesting to see Swiel and Esterhuizen in the mix.
Happy with the team. Really wanted Charl to start but it’s fine. I can live with it.
@John Galt (Comment 1) : Do you think there is any truth in it? He would make a lot more overseas, he is good enough for a nice contract. Do hope he stays, he is playing some great rugby again this year.
@John Galt (Comment 1) : Rumour seems to have it that Deysel, Daniel, Bresler and Herbst are moving on after Super Rugby. Not sure if any of these moves have been confirmed or debunked.
@Culling Song (Comment 7) : Ai fok! I will be KAKing myself!
The last rumor that was posted a while ago in Beeld was that Jean and Keegan are going to Japan with JP and Kanko, and Bressler of the Scotland to join up with Alan Soloms
@Culling Song (Comment 7) :
It would make sense for them to go and spend 6 months in Japan.
They’re not in Meyers Bok plans either so to go and earn proper money and keep your body out of the really hectic stuff makes perfect sense.
I hate rumours 👿
If the Sharks want to continue to be a leading brand and team we have to retain the services of these players and coaches for that matter rather than just let them go. I do understand some guys want to move on and there are youngsters coming through but letting your top professionals leave before you have experience to replace them is just bad business.
Loving our bench!
@SheldonK (Comment 12) : The Sharks need to partner with a Japanese team, get an exchange system going during the CC, loan players out and get players on loan from there.
Need to find a way to keep CC rugby relevant and keep the players interested.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : Now that would actually be a pretty decent idea.
How things have changed! I remember not so long ago that having a player of Deysel’s calibre unavailable due to injury would have made the fans and I’m sure the coaching staff pretty uneasy, but having guys like Mtembu and Lewies step in and carry on and perform in much the same manner as the injured guys really does make it less stressful to support the Sharks nowadays.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : Brilliant idea, everyone could win if the right sort of deal was struck.
@Son Of Mayhem (Comment 11) : Don’t care much for them myself.
@John Galt (Comment 1) : He is most likely fit enough to play but no need to risk it if he’s only at 90% when we’ve got a more than capable Tera to fill the gap.
@gregkaos (Comment 18) : there’s such a tendency to look at everything from a negative point of view, isn’t there…
always about “why is my favourite player XXX not being picked. He’s going to leave”.
Why can’t we look at it from the other perspective and ask what Tera did wrong to warrant being dropped? I thought he was fantastic against the Reds.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : Have to say I agree with you.
@robdylan (Comment 19) : Cannot agree with you more!
One thing that I think a lot of people don’t realise is how awesome it currently is for the players at the Sharks. Where else in the world are players going to be learning from a world cup winning coach, unique training from the highly sort after and brilliant Sherylle Calder, and, trying not to blow the trumpet too loudly, the Sharks must surely be considered as one of the best non international sides in the world.
To get up and go overseas is not simply a case of packing bags. These guys have a great culture at the Sharks and you can tell by their tweets that they are all mates off the field. They’ve got friends, family and even kids to consider.
Something I’m also absolutely sure of is that John Smit, like Brendan Venter, is very much a player first rugby second kind of guy. From the sounds of things players are getting looked after/prepared for life after rugby at the Sharks.
Pivotal weekend coming up . . .
Can the Sharks continue their good form away from home?
Bulls improved a lot since we last met, with JL Potgieter probably the biggest difference.
They will target our line out now that we`ve lost PSDT, so that`s something JW will have to plan for. . .
According to me the Sharks haven`t won at Loftus since 2011, but with C Joubert only as assistant ref for this one, we have a good chance this weekend! 😈
@Original Pierre (Comment 22) : JLP and the bulls best pray that Bismarck does not do a Carter number on him, their campaign will be back where it belongs…derailed 😈
Interesting bench. Have to admit that Jake surprised me by opting for two youngsters.
Hope we can pressurise Hougie again. That’s their glaring weakpoint in my opinion. He does okay when there pack is dominant. We need our forwards to step it up for this game.
I asked for Esterhuizen to be included and Jake has delivered. I never used to be a Jake fan, but I am warming to him week by week. He has moved of from his days as a Bok coach, learnt from his mistakes and is far better for it.
Not only do we have Esterhuizen but Swiel gets a chance as well.
Spot on Jake…….I’d just like to see Jake show some faith in Peet Marais next