Rob du Preez has made just two rotational changes to his starting pack for Saturday’s clash against the Jaguares at Kings Park, welcoming back Beast Mtawarira in one of them.
The big Bok, who missed last week’s trip to Joburg due to family bereavement, returns in the number 1 jersey for Thomas du Toit, with the latter moving to the bench. The other change up front sees Ruan Botha given a rest – he’ll play off the bench with Stephan Lewies set to start in the number 5 jersey.
Curwin Bosch and Garth April will reprise their roles at flyhalf and fullback respectively, while Inny Radebe will hope to earn a second cap this week off the bench. Changes to the replacements see Philip van der Walt come in for Jacques Vermeulen and Chiliboy Ralepelle take over from Stephan Coetzee.
Sharks: 15 Garth April, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo (vice captain), 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Tera Mtembu (captain), 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Ruan Botha, 20 Philip van der Walt , 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Inny-Christian Radebe.
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Good team!!!
Go Sharks!!!
Very good team. I really like what I see form the Sharks lately. Really proud of the boytjies these days 🙂
Can’t wait to hear how the commentaters will be pronouncing Jaguares this week.
Expecting a few cards. Jaguares always cop one or two.
@McLovin (Comment 4) : Why are the refs so against them? They should lodge a complaint. 😈
Nice team, seems even stronger than last weeks in fact with Beast, Chiliboy and Phillip back in the mix.
Seems like Keegan’s going to have to play his way back in the team, if he is in fact back to fully fit.
Why didn’t Chilli play last week??
@The hound (Comment 7) : quad strain, I believe
Good looking team!!! Go Sharks!!!
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Thanx,recon I could develop quad strain as well just by looking at Malcom Marx
@McLovin (Comment 3) : Ja that’s always fun seeing it done in 50 different ways!!! And that’s only Owen!!! 😈
@McLovin (Comment 4) : game might end with only 7 players from each team! 😈
Nice to see Phillip back. Should add some welcome fire to the Sharks engine room in the second half.
@McLovin (Comment 5) :
@vanmartin (Comment 13) : yes for sure!!! Was so sad that Ginger giant was not playing against Cheetahs would have loved to meet him!!! Maybe next time!!!
just about the ideal team
Box tickets for Saturday’s game? check
Travel and braai arrangements? check
Getting out of work obligations and tight deadlines? – heart breakingly, gut wrenchingly impossible!
Great looking team! We have a serious need for a proper fetcher. Terra’s a 7 (runner not a forger). We miss Bismark & Marcell!! Can’t wait for the game, hopefully our discipline is a lot better! Go Sharks!
@EugeneVT (Comment 18) : Aaah Marcel,Marcel.my dream was always for a loose trio of the twins and Marcel,best Durban born and developed loose trio in the history of rugby.
That is about the best team we can put out. Bar Lambie it’s about full strength. Really excited about this game. If we can play like we did against the Lions, we will hurt the Jags. Is it just me or is there something really special brewing at the Tank? It’s a real pleasure watching our guys play attractive but yet structured rugby. Well done to RdP and co. Kobus van Wyk has been in red hot form. Our forwards are getting the upper hand against most teams thus far. Our backs are starting to show some very sleek skills and we seem to be a check of alot fitter than previous years. Our depth is also growing along nicely. Making us all proud of the black and white
Meh. …..
@The hound (Comment 19) : Yeah, that would have been a trio feared by any opposition!! Hopefully we have some youngster who is the next “Marcell” that can join up with the twins in the future….
If Happy Sindane can land a few more massive 3pointers this weekend, we should be able to beat these Argies easily enough…
@bokbok (Comment 17) : If you want to give those box tickets away I’ll oblige.
@Karl (Comment 23) : Now there’s a (tragic) name from the past.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 25) : This is not a good place to go to, reverse.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 25) : Have you seen the likeness?
Great team, glad to see Phillip back! Some interesting calls to make this weekend. Wolves to put away the Bulls at home? Chiefs to make the Streamers come back to earth? Highlanders vs Blues will be a tough pick as well as both teams come off their 1st successive victories in a row for the season.
@Karl (Comment 23) : Damn you, now you you got that picture stuck in my head!
@bokbok (Comment 17) : Ag no man!!! Maybe you can still get there it’s still 2 days away!
@Hulk (Comment 24) : don’t think getting someone to go in his place would be the problem. It’s deciding who you give the tickets too but not pissing off to many people because you did not give it to them that’s the problem!!!
@Karl (Comment 27) : Absolutely, if ever a movie had to be made….
@The hound (Comment 26) : Reverse seconded.
First of many easy games for the Sharks. Pretty much only the deaf and blind opponents coming up. Just two proper games left. One against the Lions and one against the Stormers.
@McLovin (Comment 33) : Too many wrong comments…first you call the jaguares easy and then you call the stormers a proper team 😉
@HeinF (Comment 34) :
@HeinF (Comment 34) : Jaguares lost to Stormers and not beaten anyone of note so far. They are a bottom half of the log team. Sharks should walk it.
Bosch just needs to kick the ball into touch and not give the oppo a chance to score a match winng try. 😈
Jaguares
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 AgustÃn Creevy, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Marcos Kremer, 5 MatÃas Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Tomás Lezana, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Gonzalo Betranou, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Bautista Ezcurra, 12 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 13 MatÃas Orlando, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 15JoaquÃn Tuculet
Reserves: 16 Roberto Tejerizo, 17 Santiago GarcÃa Botta, 18 Felipe Arregui, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Rodrigo Báez, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Santiago Cordero
Vat hom, manne!
This is going to be war – two very physical teams having a go at each other. Sharks need to head Claasens advice and stay calm.
@McLovin (Comment 36) : we should. It all just depends on which jaguares team shows up how hard we will have to work for it
That’s one hell of a bench we have there
@stevovo (Comment 6) : Don’t know so much, the tank has been an absolute monster. I was gobsmacked when he single handedly blasted 4 or 5 cheetahs off the ball.
@McLovin (Comment 3) : haha yes. Its silly. I wish someone tells them they dont have to say it in Spanish. Like nobody minds when the Afrikaans commentators say Leeus and Haaie Ggagwaares 😀
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 44) : hahaha just love it Ggagwaares vs Sell see Saarks!!! Just got to love the Super Sport presenters!!!!
Thomas du Toit had a very good game, I would have it difficult not to start him. Ginger is immense, would have definitely found space for him in that loose trio even if it meant starting with a new captain.
@The hound (Comment 10) : That’s not your quad 😉
Should have started with Du Toit ahead of the Beast.
@Loosehead (Comment 48) : The pack is still fairly inexperienced, so Beast starting makes a lot of sense. The Tank can come on in the second half to wreak havoc. In fact, I would have started beast and Lourens, and let both Coenie and the Tank loose in the second half.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 47) : That’s funny man 😆
Anyone want to bet CB is going to make Sanchez sit on his arse too?
All jokes aside, this is going to be a much tougher game than most expect.
@Quintin (Comment 50) : very much so. Worried about injuries.
@Quintin (Comment 50) : Last time this team came to visit us they beat a full Springbok team.,but then again thus Sharks team would probably also have beaten them.
@The hound (Comment 52) : Yeah but I think they are doing much better this year in terms of their discipline however I still think we can get under their skins and unsettle them.
@Quintin (Comment 53) : The hagoooharez has to contend with the Duprz twins, and Ettienne Oosthuizen (save for his weekly enforced 10min. break)…..Then one of the Duprz gets subbed by that Ginger Menace. Let’s also not forget about Esterhuizen’s bone crushing defense in the midfield…..It’s going to be a massive clash.
Interesting stat from sanzarrugby.com: Scrum success Sharks (97%) vs Jaguares (72%) – weird for the country that invented the Bajada scrum
@Bayshark (Comment 43) : The Tank dragging 5 defenders along for the ride in the Kings game was about the only highlight in that dreary mess. I don’t know what he eats for breakfast
@FireTheLooser (Comment 47) : No its my sphincter