Brad Macleod-Henderson has named a strong Sharks team to face Griquas in the Currie Cup opener this weekend.
The starting team features just three debutants at this level, with loosehead prop Thomas du Toit, flank Etienne Oosthuizen and scrumhalf Cameron Wright set to pull on the jersey for the first time. Du Toit and Oosthuizen have, of course, already cut their teeth in Super Rugby.
Kyle Cooper and Lourens Adriaanse, who played bit parts in the Super Rugby campaign, join du Toit in the front row, while Marco Wentzel comes in to join Stephan Lewies behind them. Oosthuizen plays blindside flank in a loose trio that includes veteran Jacques Botes at open side and new captain Tera Mtembu at number 8.
Wright is the greenhorn in an otherwise strong-looking backline; Fred Zeilinga will operate at flyhalf while the Super Rugby centre pair of Paul Jordaan and S’bura Sithole has bee retained. Odwa Ndungane and Tonderai Chavanga (who has plenty of Currie Cup experiences in other colours) will be the wings, with SP Marais operating at fullback.
The coach has opted for a 5-2 split on the bench, selecting two prop reserves in Dale Chadwick and new boy Matt Stevens. Former Boland JC Astle is set for a first Sharks run as lock replacement, while Franna Kleinhans will provide loose forward cover. Monde Hadebe is the reserve hooker.
Uncapped Hanco Venter and Lionel Cronje are both set for their first Sharks caps as the backline replacements.
Cell C Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 S’bura Sithole, 12 Paul Jordaan, 11 Tonderai Chavanga, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Tera Mtembu (captain), 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Marco Wentzel, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Thomas du Toit
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Matt Stevens, 19 JC Astle, 20 Francois Kleinhans, 21 Hanco Venter, 22 Lionel Cronje
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Seriously not a bad looking team. Wright might be a bit untried, be he has experience in front and next to him, will help to settle the nerves. Hopefully starting Wright means we plan to play attacking rugby to develop it for next year in SR!.Yes, I am very optimistic 😉
strong looking team! hope we pull it off against our hoodoo team and kick the 2014 CC defence off to a flyer!!!
Some untested combos but I reckon BMH picked a good team. Didn’t see Oosthuizen at 7 coming but think it’s a good move.
Considering how heavily depleted the sharks camp is currently this team looks like its got a nice balance to it.
@vanmartin (Comment 3) : Yeah I wonder if its going to be a more permanent position for Etienne, barring injuries to our locks ofc.
Good team on paper but that means little when u get off the bus in kimberly…egos get cut down quickly there unless the guys man up
Im keen to see more of du Toit, and Stevens
Stronger looking team than I expected, still they will lose against the Kwasse on that concrete block they call a rugby field.
@gregkaos (Comment 4) : PS and Stephan could form a lekker combo…. Both are kind of hybrids. PS is to boot a great lineout forward who has teh aggressive game necessary to play 4.
In short, I wouldn’t pick Ettas ahead of either.
@Pokkel (Comment 7) : They should file a petition like the Soccer World Cup women did about playing on artificial turf in Canada at the next World Cup. The women claim that making them play on artificial turf is sexist and discriminatory. Sharks could make a similar argument, coastist and discriminatory! 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Actually I am very happy to see Lewies at 4. If he can make a success of it, the future combo of him at 4 and PSdT at 5, or vice versa, could be devastating.
Lewies was such a revelation this year. He did not take a step back from any of his opponents, regardless of their stature (physically and within the game of Rugby). He is the kind of person you wish nothing but the greatest success because he works so hard and just grabs every opportunity he is given. Very proud that he is a Shark.
Thank goodness we won’t be facing Howard Mnisi this Saturday…
….if memory serves me correctly, he made our lives absolute hell in Durbs last year, running over and through the likes of Deysel. 😯
Off to the Lions he went 😀
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Oh ja that combination is one I cannot wait to see in action.
Could be an interesting combo this weekend with Marco at 4. Not sure I’ve seen him play anything other than 5. Anyone seen JC Astle in action yet?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 12) :
were saving him for 4 Oct 😛
A bit short on the backline replacements, if one or two cry off after a collision with the concrete pitch, especially at centre. I would have liked to see either Esterhuizen or Fisher on the bench as a third backline reserve for a more balanced squad. Otherwise a good squad which I believe can take the Griquas.
@markp (Comment 15) : I believe Lionel Cronje covers centre too.
I’m probably most excited about seeing Fred again at FH. If there’s a guy who can really make the most of all that ridiculous pace down the line its him.
Great team and looking forward to seeing how they gel.
Also didn’t see Ettienne at 7 coming. Personally I would of like to have seen him paired with Stephan, with a young up and coming loose forward brought in.
Also feel for the likes of Esterhuizen and Fisher who could of been blooded in the CC, but have been overtaken by new signings from outside.
@stevovo (Comment 18) : I’d have rather seen van Tonder on the bench. Reckon he can cover most of the positions Cronje does.
Let’s hope the Brendan Venter rotation blueprint is revived during our CC campaign.
Really can’t see guys like Heimar, Esterhuizen and Fisher completely missing out on senior CC rugby.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 20) : Yah I hoping for that too.
Either way should be quite interesting to see what type of coach BMH becomes considering the two contrasting styles that he’s worked under.
Who`s got a League for me to join over at Ultimate Dream Teams fantasy currie cup? 🙁
I was worried… I am not worried anymore!! 😀
@SharkAttackXXX69 (Comment 23) : well that’s a relief
@FireTheLooser (Comment 20) : definitely can’t see Heimar and Fisher missing out, no.
@Original Pierre (Comment 22) : Maybe we should just make a sharksworld league there for the Currie Cup too? I’m keen…
A good idea for coaches during SR, is to break the season up into 3 or 4 intensity blocks…
…when we look at the Saders season as a blueprint, Saders started their season with 2nd and 3rd in-line players (in certain positions), resting their star AB’s…their season improvement coincided with the return of said stars.
but instead of completely resting your star players, you start your season with regular rotation. As you reach the next block, you rotate combinations, and the final block is where you are at full intensity, and you do no more rotation unless absolutely necessary…
This is basically what Venter did during CC 2013, with him breaking the CC season into two blocks, which also determined his rotation policy.
Man – the guy should really be contracted by SARU with the express purpose of blue-printing a national rotation policy for the various franchise, provincial and international competitions. 💡
I still think a 7 man bench in the Currie Cup – after having an 8 man bench all Super Rugby long – is a daft-dafter-daftest move by SARU…
All in all a decent side…I didn’t see the “Oosthuizen at 7” thing coming, but given his mobility and his steals at the breakdown during Super Rugby it may just work. I’m also looking forward to seeing Wright at scrummy…
Bring it on!
Have I missed it or has a full CC squad not been named yet?
Interesting side, glad to see both Lewies and Oosthuizen are fit.
@markp (Comment 15) : That’s the one thing I would like to have seen: S’bura on the wing, Esterhuizen at centre…and someone with sense at SARU allowing an 8-man bench so that we can have 5 forwards and 3 backs…and the Fisher on the bench…
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) : Amen to all of that
@stevovo (Comment 18) : It’s only the first game hey.
Sorry but our loose trio is going to have a very difficult time during this CC campaign. Don’t understand why a player like Lappies would opt for the Bulls when they have so many loose forwards. We obviously thought Deysel and Keegan would stay with us forever. I am very concerned. Hope John rectifies this with immediate effect.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 34) : Let’s at least see how a guy like Francois Kleinhans goes before reaching for the wallet. Hopefully the youth structures deliver one or two gems.
@pastorshark (Comment 29) : what nonsense,same old Sharks crap playing personel out of position ,nothing changes that’s why no SR titel,why move EO to 7,he and SL at 4 and 5 were good enough to beat the Crusaders,why not back and build that combo. For SR 2015 instead of playing a has been MW,eish
@robdylan (Comment 19) : I agree and in fact he should start at 15 and be backed SPM is not the answer at 15
@robdylan (Comment 19) : or Fisher must say I’m a bit worried with Chavanga in the team and only a scrum half and fly half on the bench.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) :Have to ask how different did the Crusaders play this season compared to all others,with or without their star cheats,who by the way cost them,and the Tahs,bar injury,how much rotation did they employ?
@benji (Comment 39) : I’m thinking in terms of holding on to talented players, by giving them a fair amount of game time.
I don’t think the Tahs can boast with the kind of depth the Sharks have.
And according to one Kaplan, the penalty at the end should not have been a penalty…so the Saders could just as easily have won the away final. Their season started like garbage, and they ended it by just about going all the way.
Apparently it is not how you start (Sharks & Chiefs), but how you finish (Tahs and Saders).
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) : Real South Africans do not rotate. We prefer our best players to start as many games as possible. Next thing you will tell us to stop kicking the ball away aimlessly. 🙄
@Bokhoring (Comment 41) :
@Bokhoring (Comment 41) : 😆 How could I 😆
@Bokhoring (Comment 41) : Just a thought here…with our love for kicking the ball and the commonality of guys changing sport codes im suprised there hasnt been 1 or 2 of our sa football guys being converted to flyhalf or fullback…although having sad that our football guys can barely kick the ball either
@FireTheLooser (Comment 40) : ja ja ja if the Sharks starts slow they don’t make the playoffs or finish 6th and travel all over the place. It’s a fine ballance to get it right and peak at the end of the tournament without starting to slowly. Hopefully the Sharks will one day get it right!!!!!
@SheldonK (Comment 44) : ja only one rugby player dives like a soccer players and one is more than enough! !!!!!