Jean-Luc du Preez celebrates his 20th birthday today with the added surprise of being named for his first senior Sharks start; the blonde flanker will wear the number 7 shirt against the Pumas in Friday night’s Currie Cup opener.
Twin brother Daniel, who already has a number of Super Rugby caps from earlier this year, is also in line for a Currie Cup debut, named to shadow his brother on the bench. (In an amazing coincidence, it’s his birthday today too!)
As predicted, Gary Gold has stuck with the exact pack that started last week’s warm-up game against the Lions. Monde Hadebe is at hooker, in-between experienced props Dale Chadwick and Lourens Adriaanse. Etienne Oosthuizen will be the enforcer at 4, with Marco Wentzel captaining the side from his familiar 5-lock position. Khaya Majola and newcomer Philip van der Walt complete the loose trio.
If the pack resembles the unit picked to start last week, then the backline looks a lot more like the unit that finished that game. Stefan Ungerer wins the initial race for the scrumhalf jersey and will start alongside Lionel Cronje, reuniting a halfback pairing that showed some promise towards the latter stages of Super Rugby. Heimar Williams and debutant Wandi Mjekevu are the centers, while Andre Esterhuizen is a somewhat surprising pick at left wing. S’bura Sithole operates on the right, with Joe Pietersen earning his first Sharks Currie cup cap at fullback.
Thomas du Toit and Franco Marais are the front row replacements, with a 5-man forward bench making room for both Dave McDuling and Francois Kleinhans to join the other du Preez. Micahel Claassens and SP Marais are the backline reserves.
Sharks:
15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Wandile Mjekevu, 12 Heimar Williams, 11 Andre Esterhuizen, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Marco Wentzel (captain), 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Monde Hadebe, 1 Dale Chadwick
Subs: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 David McDuling, 19 Daniel du Preez, 20 Francois Kleinhans, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 SP Marais
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That is quite a team. Some gutsy selection choices but I like it.
@vanmartin (Comment 1) : I especially like the Cronje-Williams combo. Reckon hat will lead to some fireworks.
Bet you Andre comes in to defend at 12 close in.
Like the selections, the 5-2 split on the bench is quite interesting but I guess many of the backs can play more than one position.Just haven’t seen that for a while.
So very very very happy with this team.
Why don’t they play the currie cup with 23 man squads, with a 22 man squad I will never pick a full front row on the bench
Who are the notable absentees from the squad?
Odwa
Pieter-Steph (hopefully featuring for the Boks this weekend)
Anybody else that is a surprise exclusion?
@ChrisS (Comment 6) : Deysel – injured
@robdylan (Comment 2) : I agree. Heimar is a Dick Muir-creative type centre and will ensure that the outside backs get the ball. He also has really fast feet and is hugely underrated!
I would still like to see Sithole at 13 (FUTURE BOK LEGEND AT 13) as I believe that that is his best position but he can play a roving role from the wing.
@ChrisS (Comment 6) : Paul Jordaan, maybe?
Laat ons tog net die CC goed begin met ‘n lekker oortuigende wen – sterkte manne!!
Great team,good bench,think he will move Joe to 10 later in the game and bring on S.P .sigh
Would love to see the twins on together,they feed off each other and are very special in tandem,maybe Dan can come on in the 4 spot for Oosthuizen.
I like that a bit of thought went into this selection, particularly the backline. Distributors close in to get the ball out wide to strike runners. The pack will have to man up as the Pumas love a good forward scrap. I probably would have gone with Jordaan over Sp Marais on the bench if im being fussy.
The amount of power in our two wings, I really hope we play running rugby.
@SheldonK (Comment 12) : I think Jordaan probably isn’t fit enough yet.
No Paul Jordaan? And according to reports he was very good in PMB last weekend?
@robdylan (Comment 9) : Definitely Jordaan!
Says a lot about the squad depth when you like the look of the team even when a host of big names are missing.
You’re right, he must still be short of a bit of fitness.
Really hope Meyer picks a quality side for Saturdays test and doesn’t use it as a proving ground for his old crocks.
This is the only decent game we have had in Durban the whole year,and I so want to see a decent contest.Not a de Villiers,Mattfield,du Preez,Burger,Habbanna,J.PP,Morne Steyn legends game.
I would love to see PSDT get given a run,Pat Lambie with Jesse Kriel and Willie le Roux,
Also sad about Frans Steyn’s brother,would love to have seen him get a good hit out.
@robdylan (Comment 14) : Possibly. but i also think they wanted someone who could play 15 and probably had doubts if anyone could do it should Jordaan bench over SP. Will be interesting to see how Giant goes after his Super rugby stint at the Sharks? And also what kind of form Faf De Klerk is in.
@The hound (Comment 17) : We’ll know today, but apparently Lambie is starting. I bet we will also see Du Preez start.
@sharks_lover (Comment 15) : remember he only played 40 min – and that was the first rugby he’s really played in around a year
Great news for the twins on their birthday. Really chuffed for them and look forward to watching their progress in this CC campaign.
A flank at wing?
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 22) : Well during super rugby we have a prop at center so it’s all good 😉
Great team. I sincerely hope we do not have load shedding!!! GO SHARKS!
Great looking team. Hope Oosthyuzen put those butter fingers away for the clash. Esterhuyzen, Heimar, Sbura, Myekevu and Ungerer in the same backline can cause absolute mayhem. Lets hope they do. Go Sharks go!!!
@Seth101 (Comment 19) : Nope, just the same old bar one change, I a done with HM and the boks, I don’t care at all anymore.
@robdylan (Comment 20) : Fair enough boet.
(In an amazing coincidence, it’s his birthday today too!)
Deserves some love! 😆
Esterhuizen and Sithole at wing – expect some explosive cut-backs.
Is Andre fast enough at wing? And no Odwa comparisons I mean compared to younger and available wings?
Now that I think about it wing could help him improve his handling. ..maybe. I still have reservations about his pace. .but maybe the freedom will allow him to show what he has in terms of acceleration.
What I like most of having Jean-Luc start and Dan sub is we can swap them around all the time without anyone noticing 😆
Are they identical twins?
All jokes (bad ones 😳 ) aside, this is a really good team. I am excited to see all the new Sharks and what they can add to the team 8 in total, Sharks CC caps, if I am counting correctly.
“Khaya Najola” how has no one noticed the spelling mistake yet? 😆 🙄
@Seth101 (Comment 32) : because so few actually read the articles!
And thanks 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 33) : He is one of the players I am most excited about, but I think others peoples eyes glanced over him to the bigger names.
@coolfusion (Comment 29) : I think you will struggle to find younger wings 🙂
The forward pack is pretty much what I expected, though I would have liked to see the young props get a go…though maybe Mpumalanga is not the place for that?
Given that I thought that Esterhuizen was comfortably the best centre on the field last Friday, I am a bit surprised to see him at 11…but, having said that, I like Heimar at 12. I’m also chuffed that Ungerer got the nod…
@BR (Comment 5) : You…and me…and everyone else and their dog wonder what goes on in SARU heads sometimes. I just cannot think of a sensible explanation for the 22-man squads as opposed to 23-man squads… 😯
@ChrisS (Comment 6) : Ja…no Odwa…I didn’t expect that…
@sharks_lover (Comment 15) : Jordaan was ok at the weekend…but not the best centre on show by a long shot. Mjekevu showed that he has still got a few things to work on…but I look forward to seeing him in this game…Jordaan will be back…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 22) :
Surprised to see Esterhuizen at wing ahead of Odwa.
Heimar and Esterhuizen seem the inform centres, cant one of them play 13?
@stevovo (Comment 42) : Apparently Odwa has a rib injury