In a rather worrying bit of news that certainly won’t make life any easier for the Sharks, Ryan Kankowski’s participation in Saturday’s Super Rugby clash with the Lions is now in doubt.
News is sketchy, but it sounds as though the big loose forward may be struggling with a knee injury and awaits the result of a scan to determine whether he will be able to play.
Should Kankowski be ruled out, Gary Gold will need to decide whether to promote Willem Alberts or Etienne Oosthuizen to the starting lineup. With both making their return from injury, the decision would no doubt hinge on which is considered more match fit at this stage.
We’ll keep you posted.
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Eish – our lineout options are being decimated.
Can someone wake me up when this Super Rugby season is over…
@pierre_mackie (Comment 2) : I think it’s already over, to all intents and purposes 🙂
here’s a thought.
Coetzee, Alberts, Bothma
man, but there’s plenty of pain right there.
Rather than starting Willem or Ettienne I would start a youngster like Dan du Preez and put Renaldo at 8.. But thats just me 😉
It has to be Oosthuizen. Or straight swop for Johan Meyer and see what the kid’s got.
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Bucket loads! Not much jump though…
Balls. Was wondering why kanko wasn’t captain.
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Also two out of three a bit slow to compete with a very speedy Lions trio.
@Southern_Shark (Comment 6) : Agreed. Give Meyer a run 🙂
Paging Dan
@vanmartin (Comment 11) : 😛
To be honest Kanko has hardly set the competition alight this year,or last year,or the year before.
If all the loosies available to the Sharks were fit,best combination would be Alberts,Coetzee,Bothma.
Osthuizen was great last year as well,and I would choose him before Kanko anyday.
So where’s the crisis,unless Oosthuizen and Alberts aren’t fully fit.
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Second second row. Could work well just need to ensure They clear out breakdowns quick enough don’t want to contend with the mobile loosies the Lions have. I would move Bothma to 8 and Albert to Blindside. Bothma regularly played 8 for Pumas didn’t he?
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Leaves only two lineout options. My thoughts are you almost have to bring in Oosthuizen just to secure our lineout. Bothma to 8. Agree with Bokhoring that is also a rather slow loose trio competing with a very quick set of loosies. Still a lot of hurt to deliver though.
@Bokhoring (Comment 9) : Just have to adapt strategy. Oosthuizen is faster but Alberts stronger and a vet. also he is on a different level. I would take the sacrifice in speed. I would also rather start Mtyanda instead of Botha for his exceptional workrate to balance things out a bit first half. Then second half think about sub Alberts with Oosthuizen and bring Botha on for Mtyanda.
Where is Keegan Daniel when you need him?
I sound like a BROKEN RECORD but the Dan du preez idea is not half bad either and as I said countless times this super is highly unlikely for us so why not get the young blood in. When life hands you lemons….you build next years shark team in this years super15 season. Not that the guys are lemons.
I for one would like Kanko to give his knee as much time as possible to fully recover. Move Bothma to 8 and seriously think about promoting Dan to 7 if Alberts is not fit. For me EO must stay at lock.
The problem I see is that not only is Kanko strong at securing our lineout ball at the back, but he has been superb this year competing at the front on opponents ball, and the only one successful in this role. Oosthuizen is also strong competing at the front of the lineout.
Wentzel at 2.01m Mtyanda 1.99
Oosthuizen 1.98 Alberts 1.92 Dan at 1.93
Bothma 1.9
They will dwarf our first row! Franco being the tallest 1.86 then Chadwick 1.83 then Adriaanse 1.81
Can’t we get Mark Andrews to step in at 8?
@The hound (Comment 13) : I agree, but I feel he has been better than he was in the last two years.
Still waiting to see the old explosive Kankowski.
Come back, Keegan Daniel!
@coolfusion (Comment 22) : I was expecting to see Mark Andrews, Gary Teichman, Tony Watson and a few others at the Tank first thing this last Monday morning.
@coolfusion (Comment 22) : Teichman….he can fill the captaincy void as well.
😎
@Dancing Bear (Comment 26) : Wouldn’t be any worse off than the Bulls with Matfield. 😈
😕 cry me a river
Give us a break rugby gods PLEASE
😐
Get well soon Kanko.
Du Preez must come in. Start. He is match fit
@Ben (Comment 27) : Better off, Teich is a much better captain!
😈 
@Dancing Bear (Comment 30) : I concur.
Oh dear…when it’s not going for you, it’s not going for you!
I would be happy with Dan taking the step up. Otherwise…well, probably EO at 7 for the Options he gives in the lineouts and Keep Alberts for the last 25 mins. Definitely Bothma at 8…
All this resting and injuring is not good for my Fantasy league! My word!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 33) : I tend to agree.
Which one of the Vodacom cup side will move up, Daniel du Preeze. Let’s start him. I’d love that.
I just hope that Kanko is 100% when they do decide to play him. It’s not use risking him on a 50/50 chance and having him break down completely. We need him for the tour.
@Another Nick (Comment 37) : Agreed…
D Du Preez next to Wentzel as opposed to Mtyanda? To me Mtyanda is the better option, he has proven that at this level while du Preez has not. At Flank Coetzee and Alberts almost a no-brainer line jumping aside, these two are the stronger candidates at flank. Bothma at nr8. Du Preez off the bench and Oosthuizen off the bench. isn’t it great to have 2 guys who are both young and strong and can cover both loose forward and lock? Everytime I look at our team on paper I just can’t help shaking my head, why the hell are we struggling??
@coolfusion (Comment 39) : I don’t quite understand the first part of your comment. Are you saying that Dan du Preez would be playing lock next to Wentzel? And you would rather have Mtyanda at lock than Dan du Preez? I would agree with that…but everybody hasn’t been saying Dan should be playing lock…he should be playing no. 7. Our starting locks are not injured and therefore don’t need to be replaced. Kanko may be injured and if he is the loose trio Needs to be rejigged. So we have been saying a match fit Dan du Preez may be a better Option than an Alberts who has been out for a while. That’s all. I would be happy to have Alberts play too…
@pastorshark (Comment 40) : The Du Preez twins have always played above their level of expectation,they are probably the only two Grade 10’s to have played Natal Schools in the forwards.I think a few 10’s and 15’s did it but there are very few locks and loose forwards who ever did that.
I think we are so fortunate to have this potential at our disposal,and cannot wait to see these two playing in the same team as P.S.D.T.
Add a just turned 24 Marcell Coetzee,and the future is so bright,we need sunglasses.
@The hound (Comment 41) : don’t forget PS has a younger brother too, showing great promise.
@pastorshark (Comment 40) : I’m saying (rather long windedly) in my opinion, in both positions he is capable of filling (lock/flank) there is already some stronger options available. Sure he is talented but Willem is a cut above the rest and Giant is currently the stronger lock option. By when do they finally decide on Alberts’ match fitness? It sucks that we only get the final word so late…
Latest I have is that Kanko is traveling with the team, so not ruled out (yet)
@robdylan (Comment 44) : Great news! (For now)
Blues just beat Brumbies (superbru 0-4) so far.
Did not see that one coming.
@coolfusion (Comment 43) : That is fair enough…
@pastorshark (Comment 47) : Same here…superbru stuffed, but still chuffed…
@pastorshark (Comment 48) : Ja, I was secretly rooting for the underdog in this one. Maybe this is a weekend of upsets?
As long as”upset” means a wn for the Sharks, I’m in!!
@pastorshark (Comment 50) : I told you on Tuesday Sharks by 15 and Jordan Spieth to win the Masters.
Yesterday Spieth 21 years old equalled the lowest round ever played in any Major.
But like that true visionary and soothsayer Naas Botha would say the Currie Cup is not won in April.
Still like Sharks by 15 though.
@The hound (Comment 51) : When I watched the highlights I kept thinking of your comment…great call so far!
@pastorshark (Comment 52) : Of course, I will be rooting for two things, though:
1. That Ernie Els wins the Masters.
2. That 50% of your two predictions are correct! 😆
@pastorshark (Comment 52) : Remember last year how I was scorned on here before the Crusaders game,when I said they were ripe for the plucking and we would win.
Tomorrow is a very similar scenario,Lions are going to be in a very different position.For the first time since Francois Pienaar retired they will be favourites.They go into this game trying to keep a winning streak together,and will be more concerned about not losing,rather than winning. Nobody in that team Ackers,Swys,Whitely,knows how to play that game.
Every single Sharks player goes into our game knowing exactly what they have to do,
@The hound (Comment 54) : That, my friend, is fair comment and I am hoping it will be spot on tomorrow!
@coolfusion (Comment 46) : Have to gloat just a bit. Picked blues to win because A. They cant win away but at Eden Park they’re somehow unbeatable and B. Brumbies have only beaten mostly the rubbish teams in their own conference so far and the Cheetahs…