Gary Gold has named a 40-man strong Super Rugby squad that doesn’t (yet) feature a number of key players still to return from injury.
Key among these is Willem Alberts, while Paul Jordaan, Tonderai Chavhanga and Stephan Lewies are also yet to return to training after their injury lay-offs.
2015 Vodacom Super Rugby Squad
Lourens Adriaanse
Mouritz Botha
Renaldo Bothma
Dale Chadwick
Michael Claassens
Marcell Coetzee
Kyle Cooper
Lionel Cronjé
Jean Deysel
Bismarck du Plessis
Jannie du Plessis
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Thomas du Toit
Andre Esterhuizen
Monde Hadebe
Conrad Hoffmann
Ryan Kankowski
Patrick Lambie
Khaya Majola
Franco Marais
SP Marais
Beast Mtawarira
Tera Mtembu
Lubabalo Mtyanda
Waylon Murray
Lwazi Mvovo
Odwa Ndungane
Etienne Oosthuizen
Paul Perez
JP Pietersen
Cobus Reinach
S’bura Sithole
Matt Stevens
Frans Steyn
Stefan Ungerer
Marco Wentzel
Heimar Williams
Jack Wilson
Cameron Wright
Fred Zeilinga
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No Tim Swiel or is he injured?
So biggest surprise is swiel. Or is he still overseas?
So when will we see Alberts in action again?
Only 1 outside center in that 40 squad, with Jordaan likely to be out for most of this season.
Also only 1 Fullback. Although I suppose any of the wings can be shifted into that position, it’s not ideal.
Giant and Perez in
No Jaco van Tonder???
No Hanco Venter???
No Francois Kleinhans?
It’s good to see a SA Super Rugby team not rushing their top players back after an injury. Clearly they want to ensure Albert’s is fully fit when he returns.
We have 8 loosies in this squad without him and can field and all Bok loos trio without him – Kanko, Deysel, Marcell and then have strong back-up if not competition for starting spots in Bothma and Mtembu, with Oosthuizen and PSDT also able to cover if we don’t want to use the rookies.
It is unnecessary to rush him back. I’d much rather take a fully fit and refreshed Alberts in 2,3 even 6 weeks from now, than an Alberts that will inevitably breakdown again before the end of the season.
@Letgo (Comment 4) : 2 outside centres…Murray and Sithole.
I see Claassens is already included in he Super rugby squad.
@Letgo (Comment 9) : Hear, hear!! Nice to hear some common sense. We need him for the World Cup so let him take off as much time as he needs.
A fully fit Alberts will wreak havoc in the Super Rugby Final (dreaming big from the get-go
)
@Letgo (Comment 9) : Have to agree, looks like we’re managing the players a lot better.
Rotation is definitely going to help keep our boys going for the whole tournament as well.
Wait for it….
@Letgo (Comment 9) : With Deysel back in the mix it certainly makes it a lot easier to let Willem recover 100% before playing him.
Great to be a Sharks fan at the moment.
I guess the ‘missing’ players that aren’t injured are all in the grey squad at the moment?
Any news on Tyler Fisher, he would have been obvious cover for the shortage at outside centre and full back positions.
@ChrisS (Comment 10) : Add in JPP to make it 3. Not seeing the issue at 13 tbh.
No Tyler Fisher. Saffex is going to have a baby!
I am sure the guys who didn’t make the initial squad will have plenty incentive to stay fit. The boys in the grey squad have a big job to do, always gut wrenching not to make the cut, but I am sure they will see some action. TBH I am not completely sold on Kleynhans just yet, of what I’ve seen in the Currie Cup, I don’t quite think he is Super Rugby material. I have followed him in the Vodacom Cup for a while and age group rugby, where he was instrumental, but there is a big step up to make. Guys like Van Tonder will need to work their guts out, while Swiel wants to stay in London, I am quite concerned about Alberts, I agree he needs time to recover, but this is more than a niggle. He will need to be managed very well this year.
@PTAShark (Comment 2) : @vanmartin (Comment 1) : Still Overseas, but he has intimated that he would like to stay in London to qualify for England. Watch this space.
@Richard Southey (Comment 21) : Good move. I don’t think that he’d make the Bok team.
@Stu (Comment 19) : I would have thought he’d be in, but I guess there is a lot of competition. Last I saw he was on the bench for the u21’s, but I thought that was to bring him back after his injury earlier in the year.
@Richard Southey (Comment 21) : Where did you see that? Interesting move on his part.
@Richard Southey (Comment 20) : @Stu (Comment 19) : @vanmartin (Comment 16) : Who are the members of the Grey Squad?
Does anybody know? It would be interesting to find out who they are, how many of them there are and how closely they will be linked to the Super Rugby Squad.
@ChrisS (Comment 25) : I was thinking the same thing! Wow, we could be twins!
@Stu (Comment 19) : Who is in your profile pic? 😀
@StevieS (Comment 24) : I have a source who is very, very close to Tim Swiel. Nothing is confirmed, but he has stated his intentions. He might need to see out his contract, but interesting considering that Claasens who is still overseas has made the squad, and he hasn’t.
@ChrisS (Comment 25) : Not sure who the members are but judging from previous articles Rob wrote I got the impression that they shadow the SR squad very closely. I’m guessing the idea is that they should be able to make the step up to SR very quickly should there be an injury.
@Letgo (Comment 4) : Sithole/Murray 😕 Odwa is seen as a FB under Venter if you’d remember that how he played him in that CC season but Mvovo/Lambie/Steyn could also help if there is a need as all are seen to be better suited to that position [email protected]ChrisS (Comment 8) : @StevieS (Comment 6) : I don’t see these as surprising they have to prove themselves in the CC FK didn’t impress
@ChrisS (Comment 25) : There is no official Grey Squad, as the boys will start training for Vodacom Cup soon, but some of the best will form part of the “grey squad” spending time with the A team to stay sharp and be in tune with the game plan. That’s as far as I am aware.
@Chippa (Comment 30) : Yep, Odwa will be Fullback cover, good point, he is very stable at the back, never has a bad game. Agreed on Kleynhans, he is a quality player, for sure, but he didn’t impress in the CC, but has done well at VC and age group, he has a lot to prove, he is not Super Rugby ready, and tends to have poor discipline and gets pinged alot.
@Richard Southey (Comment 28) : Thanks for the inside info. Very interesting.
@StevieS (Comment 33) : Interesting and disappointing.
So, potentially, Jake White brought in Swiel, at the cost of Robert du Preez, who barely featured for us?
Thanks Jake.
@MerckZ (Comment 34) : Sadly, it would seem so, but nothing has been finalized yet, his contract is still in place, but yes, I would never have let Robert Du Preez go.
@MerckZ (Comment 34) : White did a lot of damage if you look at the quality guys who has left. Bloody glad we got Deysel back.
@PTAShark (Comment 36) : He is a beauty, and so loyal to the Sharks, so underrated, he was Willem Alberts before Willem Alberts was Willem Alberts – he has had some great performances for the Sharks and I hope he gets a look in for 2015RWC, he missed out by a ball hair in 2011, always unlucky not to feature, he has never had a bad game.
Its pathetic that Fisher cant make a squad of 40. I hope he shows the Sharks the middle finger
@Southern_Shark (Comment 14) : And there it is!
@Saffex (Comment 38) : Chavanga, Astle, Paul Jordaan, Lewies & Willem Alberts are out injured, and will be pushing for a place upon their return.
Wiehan Hay, Kleinhans, Franco Marais (currently in but will feature in VC), Johan Meyer, Tyler Fisher, Sizo Maseko, Jaco Van Tonder, Hanco Venter are surely in there as a back-up – if you take all of these names, that’s an official squad of 53 – and Tim Swiel (54) – there will be not much of a Vodacom Cup Squad left, these boys need to prove themselves at a higher level – and the Vodacom Cup is their opportunity to get game time, as is the Currie Cup. I am happy with this squad, and yes, I agree Jaco Van Tonder and Fisher are quality players, but they just need to push harder – Odwa can cover at 15 and I am sure these two boys are going to be pushing hard for a place. If they’re in the squad and not getting game time, you are just hurting their development, they will be with the grey squad and close to the action, but they also need regular game time.
On a more serious note, even taking into consideration the players that are injured and in Japan, I can’t help but feel we are missing something or someone.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 41) : We will be okay for the first couple of weeks, but yes, the Japan season does impact us quite badly, its not ideal not to have these big names missing pre-season, and not being as sharp as you’d ideally like them to be. Frans Steyn and JPP especially, Kanko, well – I am not sure what to say there.
…just one little piece… Anyway it’s just a feeling and let’s hope it goes away after a couple of rounds and we’re unbeaten.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 43) : The anxiety of the calm before the storm, I hear you, I am worried about Fullback and midfield, what with SP Marais in poor form and running laterally, Paul Jordaan out injured, and both Frans and JPP still in Japan, we will have some serious tests our coming our way.
@Richard (Comment 44) : The other worrying position is TH, yes Jannie will be fine, but so far Adriaanse has been shocking and so too Stevens, we were so foolish to let Herbst go.
so 3, 13 and 15 are the big concerns, eish and there is not one star for those positions available at the drop of a hat 🙄
@Richard (Comment 44) : SP is worrying me. It’s not just this game. It wouldn’t bother me if he just did the basics right. Positional play, catch the ball and kick the ball. That is it! Sideshow Bob became a Springbok doing just that, ffs!
@Southern_Shark (Comment 47) : I really thought van Tonder is knocking hard on the door, just behind SP.. but seeing he is not even in the 40-man squad.. I just don’t understand? Surely, even if SP was in the form of his life, we would need to rotate him at some stage? Question is, with whom?
@StevieS (Comment 24) : that’s why he did not play for the Baby Boks as it woul have taken away his chance to play for another country.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 39) : hahahaha
@Richard (Comment 40) : Murray, Perez and Wilson ahead of Fisher is insulting. He should not have to push any harder.
The Sharks should be investing in their own ahead of average foreigners and a washed up has been
@Saffex (Comment 51) : Hey, you are not wrong.
@sharks_lover (Comment 45) : indeed, Lourens Adriaanse has not been the player that made him a Bok, and he isn’t the player that gave us grief in the Griquas and Cheetahs jersey, he’s been disappointing. As for Stevens, well yes, despite all his experience and quality off the pitch, he has not offered us anything on the pitch and to be frank, I would trade them both in to have Herbst back, he was an excellent tighthead as was Julian Redlinghuys – should never have let either one of them go, they were young, they could’ve been Shark stalwarts. Jannie won’t be with us much longer, and we will have to be in the market for a new TH, shortsighted to say the least.
@Saffex (Comment 51) : Yep, always gut-wrenching when a youngster is overlooked – especially when the three ahead of him are not exactly world class – I would’ve liked to see him, as well as Jaco Van Tonder – have to hope they stay sharp and get their opportunity. If Waylon Murray and Perez do not deliver from the get go, I would swing the axe. Murray has been given plenty of chances at The Sharks, and if he is struggling to add value he will be dead wood (Marius Joubert).
@Saffex (Comment 51) : you just fight for his right to play boet!!!! I’m so proud of you!!!!!!!!
@Southern_Shark (Comment 47) : SP is a worry, he has been out of form for quite some time, and I agree with you, his basics are not fantastic, and he has that horrible habit of running laterally, which causes headaches for his own backline, not the opposition, I am not sure how much more time he needs to prove himself, or he must drop down to VC and build himself up again. He was electric, and then not so much, the heat is on him.
@MerckZ (Comment 34) : Jake screwed us with that one. How do you let Robert du Preez go?
@Richard (Comment 56) : thanks JW for totally fucking him up!!!!!!!!!!
@GreatSharksays (Comment 57) : the big white screwed us with waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than just Robert!!!!!!!!!
@JD (Comment 58) : Yep, he is one that could benefit from spending time on the couch of the psychologist. Its not his ability, its his head.
@Richard (Comment 60) : he needs game time in a lower competition (like vodacom cup) to get back to form before playing Super rugby, but hey that’s only the opinion of an old prop/hooker.
@JD (Comment 61) : I agree, I have no problem with him being in the VC for a while to regain form and confidence 😉 Hoping Jaco Van Tonder plays so that he cannot be ignored.
@JD (Comment 61) : Don’t worry JD, old Hookers? every street corner needs one
😆
Have to wonder if Jake was an agent… Got Swiel out of Cape to here and now England, and sent RdP away!
@Richard (Comment 62) : When does the Vodacom cup start?
@sharks_lover (Comment 63) : thanx!!!!! 😉
@pastorshark (Comment 65) : Ah, I see the Vodacom Cup only starts more than a month after Super Rugby?
@pastorshark (Comment 67) : Yep. 7 March – 30 May 2015. So lots of time for them to be involved with First Team training and pushing for places.
@Here be dragons (Comment 64) : Swiel is only back at the end of Feb I think
Please correct me if Iam wrong but Swiel came to us straight off a Varsity Cup victory in which he was the standout player,.At that time Robert du Preez was not even in the starting line up of the under20’s.
He was initially loaned to Maties,,it was only after he deputised for Pollard in the junior Bok side that he became prominent.At that stage we had Lambie,Fred,Cronje,and juniors like Duncan Cambell,plus Carel’s son Jean-Luc,and Swiel who at that stage was a much more accomplished player
So where was he going to fit in.
Robert saw a gap and took it,good for him,because as it turned out there is a paucity of no 10 in the
Western Cape.
He is a very good player,but would you pick him ahead of Fred or Cronje.
The big fish that got away is Jesse Kriel,and he was snaffled right out from under Strauelli’s copious nose,as a schoolboy at M.C.
That boy is pure talent and always was,his game is tailor made for the Sharks,and he will be totally wasted in Ludekke’s backline.
@The hound (Comment 71) : ja I agree with you but it is also hard to keep all the talented players. I’m just very glad they kept Robert’s Brothers!!! I personally think if Swiel want to play 10 he will be gone before to long as the Sharks currently has some seriously talented (youngsters) options at 10.