The Sharks injury report from the weekend is a bad one indeed, with the feared news coming indeed – Pat Lambie will miss up to two months of the campaign.
Alan Kourie has confirmed that Pat has been diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae in his back; with an expected recovery time of 6-8 weeks, he’ll not play again until after Easter. Also set to definitely miss out this week is ace loose forward Philip van der Walt, who broke his cheekbone against the Waratahs.
Franco Marais and Clément Poitrenaud are also in doubt for the Kings match this weekend with niggling injuries, but their fitness will be confirmed later in the week.
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Sorry brother. You dont deserve this.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 1) : that’s about all you can really say at this point, isn’t it?
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Wow that is scary indeed, any fractured vertabrae is just millimeters from seriously debilitating and permanent injury. Thank G-d that apparently Pat will fully recover, and we all wish and pray for a speedy and complete recovery.
Hopefully Dan can come back and cover for the Ginger Ninja while he is out, a loose trio of 6 Tera, 7 JL, and 8 Dan would be one to watch.
That is just outright sad. How much bad injury luck can one player have? So will Curwin take over or one of the other incumbents?
Truly hardbreaking news. Pat will be in our prayers. I am getting a sickening feeling we might.not see much more of Pat this year. Maybe Pat should not play first two months in the season?
This is so bad. What can you say,and he was just starting to look like Pat from 3 years ago. Just hope he can stay positive. I know how I feel,can’t even imagine what he is feeling like…All the best Pat, this can still be your year!
@Kabouter (Comment 5) : At centre and fullback he never got injured, maybe we should move him away from the lambieghini hating loosies ????
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Well, one can also say this: Ag v*#!!!
@jdolivier (Comment 7) : Really sucks as he is one of the few world class players left playing in SA. The number and severity of injuries he experienced so far is getting to a similar level as Jean De Villiers.
Taking into account how Pollard is also struggling with injury and getting any kind of form, I am starting to question if CB should be pushed so hard now.
I hope sanity prevails.
Bad luck, Pat! All the best for your recovery. Hang in there and keep going…
I’m going to speak my mind with only the best intentions in mind here, in other words, this in no way implies criticism towards the player. At this point, in the interests of his own physical well being, I wouldn’t begrudge Pat retiring or moving somewhere to play in a less arduous competition. Both the concussion last year and this vertebrae injury are serious enough in their own right to at least consider other avenues.
@Kabouter (Comment 9) : Fair point regarding CB
@vanmartin (Comment 11) : sad but true!
Best of luck to Pat and Ginger Giant and hope you get over the injuries soon!
Hope Franco and Clement is dit for this weekend.
without van der Walt ,that Cloete guy just got a whole lot more difficult this week end.,just saying.
@Kabouter (Comment 9) : If you look at NZ and the severity and frequency of injuries, they are way behind us on the list. They do focus on more dynamic conditioning(paddle boarding, rowing, hill runs with weights) and less time in the gym, maybe that is where SA is going wrong
@The hound (Comment 15) : Isn’t he another one we let slip through the cracks? Has had a phenomenal season this far
Forget about the team, I just feel for Pat!
@jdolivier (Comment 17) : @The hound (Comment 15) : he really caused havoc with the Stormers and Sunwolves and if he played full game vs the Jaguares things might have been different as the 6 he replaced gifted the Jags two schoolboy level soft tries.
Velleman will also be back soon and if Vermeulen does not cut the grade, one of these two should be snapped up asap. It seems the boat for Franna and Khaya has finally sailed
@jdolivier (Comment 16) : functional stength vs gym strength. just take alook at what some of these mma athletes can do and it becomes quite clear which type of strength add the greater value. The big boys at school always seems to be preferred so it seems bulk is in SA Rugby DNA.
CB should look at Milne-Skudder, Mackenzie and Cullen as guys to follow in terms of skill, physique and fitness. Imagine if Habana and Spies carried less bulk and kept their pace.
Sad news indeed but all too familiar. I wish him a speedy recovery.
@vanmartin (Comment 11) : I actually thought the same thing on Saturday. His facial expression on Saturday on the bench said a lot and I wonder if that thought has not come up a few times. I really do feel for Pat and he can now be placed in a group of players like JdV and even Andre Pretorius. A career that is hampered by freaking injuries.
Get well soon Pat.
@jdolivier (Comment 16) : Is that fact or perception? What I mean by that is: do you have actual data to back that up or are you expressing a feeling that we have more and worse injuries. Just asking because at the moment I can think of a whole heap of New Zealanders who are out injured…and particularly this weekend a whole lot of All Blacks were injured. Personally I think the game,is now just so physical that there will always be plenty of injuries…but that’s just a feeling… 😀
@vanmartin (Comment 11) : Agree completely, and to be honest, I’m kind of expecting something like that, considering the severity of the injuries he’s suffered over the last several seasons, and their possible long-term effects.
@pastorshark (Comment 22) : The previous weekend was not a good one on the injury front for every country. I’ll see if I can find the injury lists for last year. The last time looking at those stats, the local boys were on the bad side of them, hence the statement
@pastorshark (Comment 22) : I agree with you, plus as the Jaguares have proved the super rugby tournament is up to international standards,every game has plenty of internationals on either side.
This is a brutal tournament, punishing travel and hard competition, week on weekend and we are surprised at the injuries.Any guy getting through an entire Super rugby season without an injury is the exception to the rule, off top of my head can’t think of one who has been through two seasons injury free.
Damn Pat is one unlucky man, can’t the guy catch a break?? If he decides to leave I would support him every step of the way, he deserves our support no matter what he decides to do with his career from here on.
@The hound (Comment 25) : Well if Dan can’t play this weekend in Ginja’s absence I would be happy with Vermeulen having a go at the Kings, he did make the final steal of the match at the ruck before JLdP kicked out and he did so with 2 Tahs players there trying to clear him out. Let’s see how he goes.
Who is the new captain???
@Quintin (Comment 26) : Big ask for Dan to start after long out play him 20 min off the bench,
@The hound (Comment 27) : Most likely Tera 😳
I would have labeled Pat as real injury prone if his injuries were more like knees, hamstrings etc. But take a look at what type of injuries the guy has had and how he got it. Almost all of them has been freak accidents caused by him playing hard, similar to Wilkinson. A torn bicep, that concussion, this vertebrae, it is not your “typical” rugby injuries.
Eish. Can this oke get a break (or rather not get a break)?
Hope he recovers soon.
(Comment 30) : Bad neck injury as well,but your point is taken his injuries are never self inflicted i.e. hamstring knee, etc, but rather the result of opposition brutality que C.J Stander,
But i have to say when Naas was playing he went months without getting his pants dirty this was a combination of first Robert du Preez and then Tommy du Plessis cultivating a really long pass to keep him out of danger and secondly Burger Geldenhuis running serious interference onanyone coming up on him.
Perhaps we could have protected Pat better.
@The hound (Comment 32) : I am with you on that. Maybe with the game having evolved like it did, the old art of your loosies protecting your flyhalf has been lost.
looking at how the guys seem to have lined up at practice yesterday, I’d say Vermeulen is likely to start at 6 in a straight swap for Philip
@The hound (Comment 32) : when Pat is tentative (like in round 1) our game goes to pieces. Hard and direct is how he plays this game best.
@robdylan (Comment 34) : Where’s Kleinhans? Injured, or left for greener Dineros?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 36) : he’s around – played for the XV on Saturday.
@robdylan (Comment 35) : Agreed.
@robdylan (Comment 34) : Guessed that we’ll play wim in Phillips place, he did good in the time he was on the field this weekend.
I’m still concerned about our SH position. We need to try out our options early in the season, especially against a team we should be putting away easily. It’s better to test our options early in the season, better for in the long run when CR leaves and it’s better for if he gets injured closer to playoffs so we don’t have to throw a guy in the deep end. It’s simple, Claasens is not a good option at the moment or for the future. We need someone else to get game time.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 36) : shame, a bit like Pat, with Franna it’s sad that we kind of assume he’s injured unless we’re told otherwise. Maybe I should post a story every Monday just reassuring everyone the oke is still fit 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 40) : What happened to the other Glenwwood flank, played in same school team as Kleinhans had a fantastic junior world cup, joined the Bulls and disappeared.Tall prematurely balding guy.
@The hound (Comment 40) : Shaun Adendorf ?
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 41) : Come to think of it I think Ive seen him playing for Boland.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 42) : Thats it been wracking my brains, he is/was a great player
@The hound (Comment 43) : He was great. His brother Ian played vodacom Cup for us.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 42) : Think he was with the ‘tas for a CC campaign or two….the tsie’tas. One of many to shine as a youth player, but hasn’t been able to step up to seniors – flank is probably the most difficult position to crack in SA – we’ve got loosies to burn, export, and still have enough left to waiter at all the Spurs in the country….and that’s just at u/20 level.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 46) : Yes and no he was the player of the tournament at that junior world cup, and went to the Bulls and disappeared into the Loftus triangle.
@The hound (Comment 28) : Agreed…
So sad for Pat, and wishing him a speedy full recovery.
Will be interesting to see how the young guns respond to this opportunity to step up.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 45) : 😆 true. Glenwood has produced some good loosies lately. Anyone know where Marco Palvie is?
I am going to differ on selections for a change, and even though i hate making wholesale changes to a team i think just maybe this would be best for the team tight now. Also as far as i know Oosthuizen at lock has completed his 2 week suspension and is available for selection. so here goes the team I would select.
15 Curwin Bosch
14 Odwa Ndungane
13 Lukhanyo Am
12 Jeremy Ward
11 S’bura Sithole
10 Benhard Janse van Rensburg
09 Cobus Reinach
08 Tera Mthembu Capt
07 Jean-Luc du Preez
06 Jean Deysel
05 Ruan Botha
04 Etienne Oosthuizen
03 Lourens Adriaanse
02 Chiliboy Ralepelle
01 Thomas du Toit
Reserves:
16 Stephan Coetzee
17 Tendai Mtawarira
18 John-Hubert Meyer
19 Jean Droste
20 Francois Kleinhans
21 Hanco Venter
22 Marius Louw
23 S’busiso Nkosi
If Curwin has a mare at the back Odwa can shift to 15, same about, If Van Rensburg struggles move Curwin to 10 and Odwa to 15 With Am to 14 and Ward and Deysel to centers.
If Oosthuizen still cannot play then move JD to 19 (lockbench) and start Droste at 04 and play Vermeulen to the bench and Play Kleinhans at 6.
@robdylan (Comment 34) : Is Lewies okay? No news is good news I assume
@The hound (Comment 25) : most minutes played after 20 rounds of Super Rugby in 2016 (Per the Vodacom Rugby App):
1383 – B Barret
1360 – R Combrinck, F Mostert, C Skosan, D Mackenzie
I can’t recall if any of these players were injured during SR, or just rested for some games. But no-one played more than 18 out of the total 20 games. Seems like the Lions do well with player management….
One will have to do a deeper analysis to factor out things like team selection, and non-availability due to reasons other than injury. But the number of serious injuries is a big concern to me. Some time ago, the blood bin was a regular feature during rugby matches, it feels like the “ding-dong-test” has replaced it i.t.o regular occurances during matches.
How many men are injuring their brains on a weekly basis??!! When last did we make it through a weekend without a man incurring a serious injury….(Emotional statement, I don’t have the facts). I purposefully used “men” instead of “players”, because a player is replaced by another player. But for the guy who is injured, each injury has a massive inpact on his life. Dan Vickerman comes to mind, being forced to retire after injury.
To Pat and Philip and every player currently on the injured list – get well, hang in there, take heart, don’t loose sight of your dreams. Above all, I hope you find balance and inspiration somewhere outside the stadium. Because it is a cold and lonely place then the floodlights are switched off.
@Rienke36 (Comment 52) : Not sure that info is totally correct as Andre Esterhuizen has played in every match, maybe play offs gives these few extra time.
@sharks_lover (Comment 50) : will be good to seen Deysel play for us all the way from Limerick 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 54) : He has left?? 🙄 😯 😯 😯 hahahaha
@robdylan (Comment 54) : LOL Rob howzit, i seriously was not aware he had left. Then best we start Kleinhans who is a fetcher after all. did one of the Du Preez boys not play 4 lock at school?
@robdylan (Comment 54) : By the way you are up there so go chat to Jean and send him back 😆 😆 😆 😆
@sharks_lover (Comment 57) : In the words of Basil Fawlty”Don’t mention the war”
@sharks_lover (Comment 57) : he’s old and tired man, let him go earn some Euros for a bit. He’s not better than Vermeulen, not by several very long chalks
@sharks_lover (Comment 55) : Lol, don’t worry, I was also not privvy to that. I was also wondering why he wasn’t in the squad… *oops*
@T-Shark (Comment 60) : it hasn’t been officially announced yet.
@T-Shark (Comment 60) :
@robdylan (Comment 59) : @The hound (Comment 58) : 😆 😆
I hope it’s less serious than it sounds and the 8 weeks is just precaution.
@robdylan (Comment 61) : why not?! If it’s true I think Sharks are stuffing up their PR again!!!
@JD (Comment 64) : so what’s changed? I’m tired of fighting, now I just go with it
@JD (Comment 64) : @robdylan (Comment 65) : But this should change – PR is such an integral and important part of getting and maintaining a happy customer base. They must know this, surely.
Pat just has very kak luck.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 67) : It is patently obvious that they don’t,.
what used to be the strength of the Sharks the P.R ,Marketing and advertising side is now there greatest weakness.
@robdylan (Comment 65) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 66) : @The hound (Comment 68) : Ja Rob unfortunately it has not changed! Really still amateur!
@JD (Comment 70) : To be fair it has improved a little, don’t have captain doing his losing interview in a rugby beginners cap, that one was the bottom of the PR barrel
@The hound (Comment 71) : That one kinda gave credence to the ”what’s written on my forehead” school of P.R .
@The hound (Comment 71) : John Smit the CEOBeginner came up wit the idea 🙂
Well the time is right to tap into what is visibly a good thing happening at the tank. The crowd on Saturday was decent, they looked as if they were enjoying themselves, people have mentioned that the game day experience has improved, facilities and food offerings are better and most importantly the team are playing well and are also clearly playing for each other. Spread the word Sharkies.
@robdylan (Comment 73) : Yup was written all over his forehead
@The hound (Comment 46) : “Loftus Triangle” …..I believe you’ve cracked the mystery that have befallen that union. 😆
@jdolivier (Comment 16) :
Dan Carter spent a third of his international carreer on the injury list.
So no.
Probably with 10s it would be better to take as little contact as possible. Stand deep and kick or pass before anyone can touch you. Only run with the ball when it’s an absolute gimme.
A healthy Morne Steyn will always be more valueable to his team than an injured Dan Carter can be to his.
NZ have enough backup talent so they may afford to use running 10s as fodder. SA not so much.
@fyndraai (Comment 76) : So essentially we want Naas to teach them football for rugby softies?? Johnny Wilkinson was one of the most physical flyhalves in the modern era, he only had 2 injury layoffs, one due too ice skating
@fyndraai (Comment 76) : Johan Goosen, Pat, Morne Steyn, Derrick Hougaard, Butch James, Burton Francis, Monty Dumond. Just to name a few that have had similar blights to Carter.
@robdylan (Comment 54) : We saw Jean Deysel at Kings Park on Saturday. Is he aware that he is suppose to be elsewhere?
@bokbok (Comment 79) : haha, yes, what I mean is he is going – I believe this week.
@jdolivier (Comment 77) :
Yes, if the player being on the field is considered valuable to the team.
Johnny Wilkensen played in 91 of England’s 151 matches over the course of his career. That’s worse than Carter, who played in around 80 out of 130 possible matches for New Zealand.
@fyndraai (Comment 81) : Wish I could recall who made the statement but it rings true :”ballet is a contact sport, rugby is a collision sport” there will always be injuries, some of them freakish ones at that. The point that was made or at least attempting to make, is that our players are more prone to major injuries, maybe there is a flaw in the manner of conditioning in our teams
@jdolivier (Comment 83) : There are two types of injury, pulled muscles ,hamstrings, dislocated shoulders, injuries you can probably avoid or control with better conditioning.
Then there are the broken noses, gouged eyes, kicks in the face, stamp on the back type of injuries that no amount of conditioning can avoid.