Cell C Sharks coach Jake White has stated that while he would ideally like to rest a few players by using a bit of rotation this week, the importance of the team winning their final game before heading on tour outweighs that desire.
White has a point too – the Sharks have far too often in the past tended to take their foot off the gas in the week before heading overseas. With away wins like hen’s teeth for South African sides this year, the proud home record (now standing at six wins and zero log points against) simply cannot be risked.
Changes, though, will need to happen regardless as injuries continue to mount. White has insisted that Frans Steyn, despite appearing to be playing through considerable pain at the weekend, will be fine for selection on Friday, but the Sharks have definitely lost Tonderai Chavanga for the weekend (as well as the tour, I’d wager) and are only likely to have Odwa Ndungane back – leaving a very long list of injured backs indeed.
Let’s do a quick roll-call of the initially-named squad of 39 players, to see where we stand in terms of fitness, both for the weekend and for the tour to come.
Props:
Lourens Adriaanse – Fit
Dale Chadwick – Fit
Jannie du Plessis – Fit
Thomas du Toit – Fit
Tendai Mtawarira- Fit
Hookers:
Kyle Cooper – Fit
Bismarck du Plessis (captain) – Fit
Monde Hadebe – Fit
Locks:
Anton Bresler – Injured, no tour participation
Pieter-Steph du Toit – Injured, no tour participation
Stephan Lewies – Fit
Peet Marais – Fit
Etienne Oosthuizen – Fit
Loose Forwards:
Willem Alberts – Fit
Jacques Botes – Fit
Marcell Coetzee – Fit
Keegan Daniel – Fit
Jean Deysel – Fit
Ryan Kankowski – Fit
Tera Mtembu – Injured, might recover in time for tour
Scrumhalves:
Charl McLeod – Fit
Cobus Reinach – Injured, might recover in time for tour
Stefan Ungerer – Fit
Flyhalves:
Hansie Graaf – Fit
Patrick Lambie – Injured, no tour participation
Tim Swiel – Fit
Fred Zeilinga – Injured, might recover in time for tour
Centres:
Andre Esterhuizen – Fit
Paul Jordaan – Injured, might recover in time for tour
S’bura Sithole – Fit
Francois Steyn – Fit
Heimar Williams – Fit
Wings:
Tonderai Chavhanga – Injured, tour participation very unlikely
Lwazi Mvovo – Fit
Odwa Ndungane – Fit
JP Pietersen – Injured, might recover in time for tour
Fullbacks:
Tyler Fisher – Injured, no tour participation
SP Marais – Fit
Jaco van Tonder – Fit
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Nice breakdown – thanx 😉
hells bells the Props and Hookers are a tough bunch, no injuries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like we’re thin at flyhalf and wing then and one injury away from being in trouble at scrumhalf.
@JD (Comment 2) : Even the loosies are looking good! And to think, they are actually the guys taking the most contact! 😯 If we can have Jordaan, Zeilinga, JP and Reinach back in time for the tour it will be super indeed! 🙂 Thanx Rob!
well, remember we still need to somehow whittle that group down to a squad of 27…
@Another Nick (Comment 4) : yes, it would be nice if Sharks could get those players back before or at the start of the tour.
I really hope playing Steyn as he is right now doesn’t come bqck to bite us in the ass. If Reinach could be fit for the tour that would be great as he jas a much better all round game than McLeod.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : Well if we could appoint some of the injured players as assistant coaches…
@lostfish (Comment 7) : i might just stick with Charl for now as he’s experience might just help Swiel to settle faster than playing with Reinach.
Our other hookers might be fit but are hopelessly in need of game time.
Lets hold thumbs for Zeilinga to be fit.
@vanmartin (Comment 8) : LOL 🙂
We are on top of the log and if it was ugly or not ! It has come at a cost though. With 10 longer term injuries and the real hard part of the season to start it is concerning.
Have we asked the question about pre-season conditioning or overplaying certain players. A guy like Willem looks tired and he has like, the other tight five players played most of every match this season. Would a rest not be better than an injury ?
I have resisted but Etienne Oosthuizen concerns me. Every time he gets on the field he gives away a brain dead penalty. He has conceded penalties in every game he played. He must surely be a liability to us ? Peet or Hewitt is the answer Mr White?
Let us hope and pray we can keep our fly halves and goal kickers on the field.
Good to see that we could be getting plenty of reinforcements for the tour and if not for the tour, at least after the tour or during the tour, if needed.
@Observer (Comment 13) : must agree Etienne does not look the part, think Peet would add much more to he team.
Perhaps time to rest the front row (at least the props) against the Highlanders. And find a way to give Alberts a break soon.
@robdylan (Comment 12) : yes I’m in the top 50!!!!!!!!!! Now just another 788 530 points and I’ll be in the lead, Rob I’m coming for that no.1 spot.
@JD (Comment 17) : bring it on 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 18) : stop replying to my posts just to score points ;-P
How did Jordaan’s new injury come about – during training before the Lions game?
@Bokhoring (Comment 20) : yup
@JD (Comment 15) : We haven’t really seen anything of him. I say start him, lets see what he’s got.
This could look very different on arrival back in SA. would be very interesting to see a similar post then
@robdylan (Comment 5) :
touring squad might look like this:
Lourens Adriaanse
Dale Chadwick
Jannie du Plessis
Thomas du Toit / Herbst
Tendai Mtawarira
Kyle Cooper
Bismarck du Plessis (captain)
Monde Hadebe
Stephan Lewies
Peet Marais
Etienne Oosthuizen
Willem Alberts
Marcell Coetzee
Jean Deysel
Ryan Kankowski
Charl McLeod
Cobus Reinach – If fit
Stefan Ungerer
Tim Swiel
Fred Zeilinga – If fit
Paul Jordaan – If fit (Heimar Williams)
S’bura Sithole
Francois Steyn
Lwazi Mvovo
Odwa Ndungane
JP Pietersen – If fit (Jaco van Tonder)
SP Marais
@Southern_Shark (Comment 22) : Bench Alberts, and see how Oosthuyzen goes. If he really does not cut it, then introduce Alberts from the bench.
I would swap Jannie and Adriaanse (I don’t think you loose anything with Adriaanse), and swap Oosthuyzen and Alberts. Apart from that keep the team the same, except for SP back to 15, Odwa and Mvovo wings.
@Bokhoring (Comment 25) : And keep Frans away from any contact training before the game.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 22) : What I’ve seen of him he looks a bit cocky so the only thing that I see if he start is a yellow card.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : how many ball boys,water boys and sub-coaches is a team allowed,Sharks should make like the Bullarinas did
@Bokhoring (Comment 25) : Yes and yes 😀
@JD (Comment 27) : He does look a little in-your-face, but that isn’t always a bad thing. That’s why I say play him and lets see. He can’t play 5 or 10 min forever.
Will take an ugly win this weekend, this is only because our squad is do depleted.
@benji (Comment 28) : The reds and chiefs entire staff other then the coach seem to be made up of injured players, don’t see why we couldn’t do the same.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 30) : to see what he’s made off he can go play Vodacom Cup, Sharks needs a lock that can perform like Peet already showed.
Thanks for this Rob.
Legend.