Sharks XV coach Michael Horak has named a side for this weekend’s Currie Cup qualifying round clash at Loftus that would not look out of place in the premier division proper. The pack, in particular, boasts six players with Super Rugby experience, including a Springbok in the form of Chiliboy Ralepelle.
There’s not a lot at stake for either team, given just how little this competition means for entrenched Super Rugby unions, but one feels that there could be some interesting markers laid down ahead of the “real” Currie Cup to come, particularly since a fair few of the players on either side will likely come into the frame then as well. Props Juan Schoeman and Gerhard Engelbrecht both played plenty of Currie Cup last year and will, I’m sure, do so again later in the year. Ruan Botha continues his comeback from injury in the number 4 jersey, alongside Hyron Andrews, a man whose recent Super Rugby experience will make him a formidable weapon in the Currie Cup.
Captain Khaya Majola forms an experienced loose trio with Tera Mtembu and Christiaan de Bruin, with the latter joining Engelbrecht as the only other player in the pack with Super Rugby caps to his name.
Hanco Venter partners club flyhalf Duncan Campbell in a halfback pairing that will need to play out of their skins in a hostile environment. Horak has retained the balance of the back line that faced EP last week, with Legend Marwana, Marcel Coetzee and Alrin Eksteen the young Turks in a division that includes heavy hitters S’bura Sithole and Wandile Mjekevu at 13 and 14 respectively.
Sharks XV: 15 Alrin Eksteen, 14 Wandile Mjekevu, 13 Sibusiso Sithole, 12 Nkululeko Marwana, 11 Marcel Coetzee, 10 Duncan Campbell, 9 Hanco Venter, 8 Lubabalo Mtembu, 7 Christiaan de Bruin, 6 Khaya Majola (captain), 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruan Botha, 3 Gerhard Engelbrecht, 2 Malatse Ralepelle, 1 Juan Schoeman
Subs: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Ruan Kramer, 19 David McDuling, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Dylan Marcus, 22 Kelvin Elder/Tristan Tedder
Tweet
is johan du toit injured?
Thats a good tight 5 but id like to see more aggression from them than i saw last week. Definitely a good pack on paper though. Nice to see Duncan Campbell back- quality player if he can get his head right. Can someone maybe slap Sithole in the warm up so that he is awake this game. Pretty young bench again apart from Aussie Dave
@50shadesofshark (Comment 1) : I actually have no idea. There seem to be plenty of niggles around this squad, which is annoying.
@robdylan (Comment 3) : thanks.yes disrupts continuity and never can know if the team is performing at 100% match fitness.would like for the sharks to use this cc season to start developing a player to fill the 4/7 role.think it is an important position to cover on the bench.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 1) : nope I’m right here – at work no injuries – haven’t played again since 2013
Interesting to see Coetzee on the wing and Sithole at 13 again.
@DuToit04 (Comment 5) : then get out there!! you’ve had a long enough rest 😀
Know I don’t need to ask as you guys are usually brilliant in providing updates, but… yeah for those who do watch, updates will be very much appreciated!
Side note: why do all the other sites provide such crap updates? Can’t get a feel for a game by just seeing updates to scoreboard. Only other good updater I’ve found is the baabaas twitter guy.
Schram anyone ❓ ❓
@Tumza (Comment 9) : Had a few niggles but ok now, part of the 10’s set up
@Vonno13 (Comment 10) : You on the pulse today thanks mate 😉
@Tumza (Comment 11) : Nothing to do at work
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Rob is Heimar injured?
Very keen to hear about Ruan Botha whom was dumped by WP for PSDT. ..how is his first games back from injury been? I rated him so I am keen to see him pushing for a super rugby spot
@JD (Comment 13) : yes, apparently just a niggle
@robdylan (Comment 15) : glad to hear thanx Rob. Glad to see the game will be on SS1 can’t wait to see them play again.
@Sharkfinn (Comment 14) : He was very good in the first half last week but faded in the 2nd half, probably due to match fitness. He looks to have bulked up a bit since i last saw him play. Think he could be very good for the Sharks going forward
for those who were asking about the squad for the 10s in Mauritius, it’s being released just after lunch.
Deysel will captain.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Interested to see the team
@robdylan (Comment 18) : thanks.
Right so there is a total of about 29 people at the stadium
So here we go with kick off
Great return kick from the Sharks, line out inside Bulls half
Not sure how that can be fair, if the Bulls player was spooning chillie on the ground, and lying on the wrong side, but they do get the scrum from thete
Free kick Bulls from the scrum
Bulls on attack, sithole falling of his 1st tackle
Sithole might missed that tackle, but what a Han of from a standing start, 5 minutes now 0-0
Botha and chilli combing well and gaining valuable ground, penalty sharks in front of posts, on Bulls 22
Coetzee nails it, 3-0 sharks, 7 minutes
Ruan Botha grateful on receiving the kick off
Botha with his 2nd big hit, causing messy ball, majole causing knock on with his hit, turn over, scrum sharks now, 9min
So far our scrum eating the Bulls scrum
Bulls playing kick and chase game tonight
Bulls 5 Mr out from sharks goal, line out to us
Shit line out take and tap down, ball carried back, 5mr scrum now to bulls
September scores for the Bulls under the post from 1st phase ball, centers not making there tackles tonight
Sharks3-7Bulls, 14 min
Bulls on attack again, our centers do not know how to tackle tonight
Mthebmu with turn over, which we run and turn into attack
Penalty to the Sharks again, almost same spot as previously, going for post, should be formality for coetzee
Thanks for the updates
And so it is, Sharks 6-7 Bulls, 17 min, and relieving kick to half way from kick off
@JarsonX (Comment 41) : Pleasure
Penalty sharks on alms out half way, going for the line out, just outside Bulls 22
Penalty sharks, sak to late, going for the corner again, Botha immense in the line outs
Knock on Venter from the base, turn over scrum to Bulls, there are really more players on the field and bench than spectators in the stand
We monstered the Bulls in the scrum now, but ref giving them the penalty, scruming at an angle?????????
Chillie knocked out flat, on his face, in the tackle, will surely go of for ding dong test, 22 min, nope he is staying on the field
Seems the knock dit nothing to him, playing even beter now after wards, advantage to sharks
Bulls 6 conceding his 4th penalty at the breakdown, penalty to sharks, ref looking at possible fault play now, penalty on Bulls 10
Botha penalized after going into ruck with no arms, so penalty turned around, no score change 25 min
2nd line out we take off Bulls, and we on the attack again,
Joubert scores for sharks, just going to check if the ball was out or not, and that from turn over line out ball
Try awarded, Morneau Joubert, Sharks 11 – 7 Bulls, 27min,coetzee misses conversion
We teaching the Bulls now, how a maul should work
since when is Morne Joubert playing?
Eksteen great so far tonight, sithole maybe trying to hard, but seems eager on attack
Bulls on attack now from turn over, quick tap and go from Bulls, on sharks 22 now,
Chillie doing a bit smack and cause a major turn over to get us the penalty in our 22 and pressure is cleared to over half way
Our centers struggling with defence tonight a bit, but the almost cooking with sunfoil on attack
No score change, 33 min
Again we monstering their scrum and push them back, but they get the penalty
Wow, stransky saying the Sharks are the better team
@robdylan (Comment 56) : He started, mejakevu not on or starting? Maybe an injury before kick off they did not say when game started
@Henkb (Comment 63) : whoa! We must be really good then!
Chillie a great leader in this young team, speaking to the ref nice and calm in breaks about the scrum penalties
Eksteen clearing the ball to Bulls 10 after penalty
Again from 1stphase ball and eksteen scores, going to TMO
@gregkaos (Comment 65) : We not great, but we not bad so far tonight, actually enjoying it so far
Forward pass from majola, no try scrum to Bulls on their 10, 36 min
Finally we get a scrum penalty, monstering them again of their own ball, our front row and locks really doing their part in the engine room tonight
Sharks11 – 7 Bulls, coetzee miss with penalty attempt, 39 minutes
Joubert and eksteen great tonight on attack, but we loose the ball at the breakdown, and we back in our own 22
And that will be half time, Sharks 11-7 Bulls, our standouts so far is the tight 5,eksteen and Joubert, our loonies not really in the game as yet, but if they keep this momentum, the 2nd half should get interesting, sithole a bit disappointing tonight, as he is blowing a bit hot and cold on the fi ld, but seems he is trying to hard, instead of just along naturaly
So welcome back to Loftus, where the 2nd half is set to start shortly, another 40 minutes to go, we will kick off
Here we go, kick off
Turn over ball from the maul, Bulls ball almost on half way, camble also not playing to bad tonight
Chillie smiling at the Bulls scrum, as we have their number again, our pack to strong for them tonight
Chambel, taking a shot at goal from half way, penalty we received from scrum, and it is a miss
Sharks 11-7 Bulls, 44 min
Botha and chilled causing havoc at breakdown and getting the turn over, we hot on attack now
Penalty to Bulls, holding on at the breakdown, that was 10mr out from Bulls line
So Bulls kick again, as per usual tonight, Terra with his first real run, loonies seems to get more involved now
Chambel with life saving interception on our goal line and we back in Bulls half after that was a certain try, great turn around as we now also have the penaltu
We going for touch
Quick tap from penalty and we on the Bulls line, and we loose the ball again to holding on at the breakdown
No score change 50 min, but the game is starting to be great now from both teams actually
Penalty sharks in Bulls 22, Mr ref please check at that, Duncan Cambel dumped on his head by Kriel
WWE slam from Kriel, and the commentators laughing and saying Kriel gets a nudge on the nuts
We now again only 5 out from Bulls line, great driving maul almost opens it up for chillie
And Sithole in next to the post, to easy, he won’t get any easier score than that in his career no hulls player close to put a hand on him
Sharks 18-7 Bulls, 53 min, Cambel with conversion
Charge down from kick off seems Bulls have scored, TMO?
Try awarded to Bulls, Venter kick charged down from kick off receive, and Bulls score
Sharks 18-12 Bulls, conversion missed from almost right I front
Game getting very loose now, and Bulls is liking that a lot
Majola with turn over on half way, and the loose forward, scrum to Bulls, 56 min no score change as yet
Another scrum penalty to us, right on half way, going for the corner
Line out just inside Bulls 22, Botha with great take
Knock on and we loose the ball, great play from. Bulls with a kick over the top and chase down by the wing, they now go for the corner and on sharks 22
Sneaky line out move, brilliantly read by chille
Majola off feet at breakdown, penalty almost right in front of te post to the Bulls, they take tap and go
De bruin, yellow card continued infringements at breakdown, September scores, TMO already advising ref o double. Movement, so we waiting for confirmation
Try awarded, and we down to 14 for another 9 min, September 2nd try for the night
Sharks 18-17 Bulls, jantjies missing conversion
5 minutes of cery one eyed reffing
Chillie taking the ball from the kick of and gets us on the front foot, scrum to us on Bulls 22
Sharks 18-17 Bulls, 64 min
Missed offside … turnover
Penalty penalty penalty try
Penalty, against majola leaving scrum early and not staying bound, Bulls clear to almost on our 22
Forward and try
That looks like the game
Hanco Venter was a promising player once. Just really shit now.
Is de Bruin really the best blindside we could find???
Try in the corner by the Bulls, they stretched our defence and with only 14 men there were a hole somehwere
Jantjies missed conversion again
Sharks 18-22 Bulls, 68 min
Mcdulling now on for Botha, Botha had a good game tonight
We on attack now and get the penalty, just inside the Bulls half, eksteen kicks for the corner
Chillie taken of on crucial line out, and then what do we get, a skew line out through, and we concede the ball to the Bulls in their 22
Were dominating the scrum … no reward
Up and under from jantjies and we secure the ball, eksteen down with cramp, majola the prop now on also, 74 min
Bulls scored 4 tries to 2 so far tonight, we need to score now to secure te game
Kick on by the Bulls just inside their own half, scrum to us
That was played from an offside position but ref says no off side play on
But we turned it around, and we now just outside of Bulls 22, with a line out
Sharks 18-22 Bulls, 77 min, advantage to sharks in Bulls 22
We on attack, receive a penalty and we going for the corner
Driving maul collapsed but all good according to officials
Bulls throwing everything and kitchen sink now on defence to keep us out
This should be the last play of the game now so we must score as hooter will go any second now
Offside every move and the ref finally sees one
Penalty advantage to Sharks, so the play will go on, Sithole trying his best but bundled into touch, so we back for the penalty, going for the corner
Advantage again, Bulls offside at breakdown so me must score but will have a second bite at the cherry
So we going back to penalty, 5 from the Bulls getting yellow, and he is off, we going for the corner again, come now boys
Scrappy line out ball from us
We still on attack, but turn over ball at the breakdown, so Bulls get penalty and that will be the game as they kick it out
Final score then Sharks 18-22 Bulls, and the Bulls also get the 4 try bonus pont
Some stupid soft tries given away
They put needless pressure on themselves. Some awesome talent in that junior side there…
@coolfusion (Comment 138) : We had great moments, but must say I think Sithole was trying to hard and forced some passes, Eksteen will be a great prospect, our loosies was very quite tonight, some mixed feelings about the game as our set pieces was great tonight, but we lacked in defence and finishing
@Henkb (Comment 140) : 10 and 15 looked good in the back row
@coolfusion (Comment 141) : They did, and on some accession Joubert also, but they are very young, and they will improve immense and I think this comp is just what they need for development, but Cambel and Eksteen was our standout players in the back tonight
good to hear joubert played on the wing.
@Henkb (Comment 142) : Ja must agree on the forwards very sluggish on the loosies. Chilliboy did well he is going to be a good asset. Must question some of the decisions though we looked very good with strong runners onto the ball close to the line but did not exploit that option when we could have. Instead used only crashball last 15 minutes?
You must give it to the bulls though they found our weakness on defense out wide and capitalized.