Morning everyone – I hope you’ll all bear with me today as I try hard to catch up on the weekend’s activities after taking a small mid-season break myself.
I’ve spent the last four days in Dublin with my old mates – mostly doing charity work and attending church meetings, definitely not trawling the pubs and bars of the Irish capital in search of as much Guinness as possible. You’ll just have to take my word on that!
I still need to find a gap to watch the Sharks game and also to figure out exactly what happened in the curtain raiser, with the Sharks XV going down narrowly to the Bulls. Also, the question that’s foremost in everybody’s mind I’m sure related to how bad Pat Lambie injury is – we’re hoping to get an answer to that one later this afternoon.
For the meantime, I encourage you all to just have a look at the Africa 2 log – that should answer any questions you have in the meantime. Go Sharks!
Tweet
Just looked at the Superbru pool. Starting to shape up nicely 😆
Welcome back boss! I saw a sharp rise in Guinness shares this morning. Odd.
Some (good) news on Phillip van der Walt & Stephan Lewies would be mighty welcome too.
“…definitely not trawling the pubs and bars of the Irish capital in search of as much Guinness as possible…” I am not at all convinced I believe that. Not that I mind; I see your quest to consume as much Guinness as possible as yet another confirmation of your steadfast dedication to all things black and white…
@vanmartin (Comment 2) : @Culling Song (Comment 3) : I saw a range of Otto facebook photos that confirm that both Guinness shares and support for all things black and white were in very capable hands…
I guess Rob was just preparing for Saint Paddy’s day
Was a great game on Saturday. A whole host of standouts. One unsung hero is Esterhuizen- he has really grown into a quality 12 over the last few seasons.
@Big Fish (Comment 6) : Esterhuizen has really developed into the unsung hero of our backline. Considering what a revelation Am has been, and how much I’ve like the little cameos I have seen of Ward, I pity the coaches for the juggling act they are going to have to pull off at center…
@Big Fish (Comment 6) : I walked into him at Gateway on Sunday morning and you do not know how true your statement is ,that guy is huge, size of most locks.
He has such a big boot on him as well, kinda reminds me of Reece in a way, wonder what he would be like at 15.
@Culling Song (Comment 7) : I’d like Esterhuizen to get a weekend off this week. He plays a very physical role in our team and where we can give his body more time to recover from the game we really should. He’s played a huge amount of rugby over the last 24 months and a well deserved weekend off, I feel, is in order.
Looks like Marcel over at Ulster banged up his knee again. Hope Pat is okay
@Hulk (Comment 9) : I’d like to see an Am/Ward combo for the weekend. Could be very interesting, given that Am is supposedly a 12 (not that you’d say it, given his performances in the 13 jersey)
@Hulk (Comment 9) : @Culling Song (Comment 7) : for sure Big André needs a rest even if it’s only allowing him to sit on the bench for 60 odd min. That will then also allow more game time for Am and Ward.
@The hound (Comment 8) :
I hope you mean that figuratively – people who walk into this guy on the field generally discover exactly where the human spleen is located! @Hulk (Comment 9) :
Good point.
@vanmartin (Comment 2) : @Culling Song (Comment 3) : @pastorshark (Comment 4) : yes Pastor saw those exact same pics! 😈 Suppose the old man deserves a break every now and again to enjoy some brew with his bros! 😆
@SeanJeff (Comment 10) : bad luck for Marcell!! Really hope AC will use him in June to ensure he gets over the 30 test mark!
@Big Fish (Comment 13) : must be as he’s still able to type! 😈
I haven’t seen any citings lodged against the Tahs that speared AE into the ground. Surely that was worse than the tackle that Frans Steyn was banned 4 matches for.
@The hound (Comment 8) : he played 15 at school and they tried him there in a couple of age group games. I know your mate GG was keen on him as a fullback, but I guess that idea has been shelved now.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : @The hound (Comment 8) : yes must say in the current squad I can’t see him playing 15. He would probably be the 6th or 7th choice at best as there’s just to many other guys that showed they can play there.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : thats my view AE at 15 and Ward /Am at centre
@JD (Comment 14) : I’m all for that… 😀
@sudhir (Comment 17) : Agreed…but no citing I know of…
@robdylan (Comment 18) : please Rob, would be great to get a team sheet of both teams from the warm up game, failing that, just the sharks XV team sheet.
even a link to this info would be fine
@revolverocelot (Comment 23) : starting team
1- juan Schoeman 2- Stephen coetzee 3) Gerhard 4)Vossie 5 hyron 6 franna 7 khaya 8 dan 9 hanco 10 ben 11sbu nkosi 12 deysel 13 sbura 14 oddie 15 r.smith
@robdylan (Comment 24) : not a bad side that
@vanmartin (Comment 25) : sounds like that side had the Bulls in trouble, but they brought on a lot of kids in the second half and hence it slipped. We lost in the dying seconds, I believe.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : thanks rob
interesting stuff, not a bad team at all. any idea of the bench ?
seems the flyhalf peeking order is lambie, curwin, ben, inny, and then poor old april. damn there must be more to this than just him showing up late for the first team meeting
Might be best if he made a move to some place he can get some game tome like the pumas or kings. still a good player
I find it strange how not only the shark but most teams (except for wp) PR department is so poor with info of the reserve or age group teams.
I love hearing about the first team, but I always keep a eye on the team just below them not only in relation to match day team but also in terms of how they play to see if it meshes with the senior teams game plan
gives you a sense of whose fit, whose next in line, whose coming back from injury, which position is he being groomed in, whose being shifted to tight head, whose back at loose head, whose in form, whose out of form etc. Im not sure the individuals running PR at some of the unions are as big a rugby enthusiast as me and many of my friends.