Chean Roux has included just two Sharks players in his 28-man squad for this year’s World Rugby under 20 Championship, which takes place in Georgia later this month.
Curwin Bosch is a rather predictable inclusion in the squad and for the Sharks, the challenge now will be to manage the availability of a key member of their Super Rugby squad. It’s perhaps a little surprising that Benhard Janse van Rensburg has not made the cut after all, but perhaps the silver lining for him will be another bite at the Super Rugby cherry in Bosch’s enforced absence.
The somewhat meteoric rise of impressive under 20 scrumhalf Faf de Villiers continues; arriving at the Sharks as something of an unknown after school, he made a big name for himself in under 19 rugby last year and has now been included, somewhat surprisingly, as the only other Shark in Roux’s squad this year.
The squad is otherwise stuffed with WP and Bulls players, as usual.
| Player | Province | Position |
| Juarno Augustus | DHL Western Province | Loose forward |
| Kwenzo Blose* | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | Prop |
| Curwin Bosch* | Cell C Sharks | Flyhalf/Fullback |
| David Brits | DHL Western Province | Centre |
| Jean-Luc Cilliers | Xerox Golden Lions | Flyhalf |
| Zain Davids* | DHL Western Province | Loose forward |
| Francois de Villiers | Cell C Sharks | Scrumhalf |
| Stedman Gans* | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Centre |
| Johan Grobbelaar (vice-captain) | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Hooker |
| Wikus Groenewald | DHL Western Province | Prop |
| Daniel Jooste | DHL Western Province | Hooker |
| Rewan Kruger | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | Scrumhalf |
| Manie Libbok* | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Flyhalf/Fullback |
| Gianni Lombard | Xerox Golden Lions | Fullback |
| Len Massyn | Xerox Golden Lions | Loose forward |
| Lee-Marvin Mazibuko | DHL Western Province | Prop |
| Salmaan Moerat | DHL Western Province | Lock |
| Reinhard Nothnagel | Xerox Golden Lions | Lock |
| Embrose Papier* | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Scrumhalf |
| Yaw Penxe | EP Kings | Winger |
| Carl? Sadie* | DHL Western Province | Prop |
| Wandisile Simelane | Xerox Golden Lions | Centre/Wing |
| Hendre Stassen | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Lock |
| Gerhard Steenekamp | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Prop |
| Ruben van Heerden | Vodacom Blue Bulls | Lock |
| Damian Willemse | DHL Western Province | Flyhalf |
| Nama Xaba | DHL Western Province | Loose forward |
| Ernst van Rhyn* (captain) | DHL Western Province | Loose forward |
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Thanks for this. What do the asterisks signify?
@vanmartin (Comment 1) : I imagine it would be meme era if the squad, who were also in last year’s squad?
Sharks have flattered to deceive at junior level for some time now. More interesting is that the all conquering Lion juniors are also sparsely represented?
Time for a new flyhalf to start this week, i foresee that it most likely will be Ben10 due to him not being selected for the juniors. We need to do something as Bosch will be gone in the last few games.
How long before Lambie / April will be back?
Ben 10 is the man…..he will redeem himself
@KingCheetah (Comment 3) : Based on this squad one wouldn’t think that WP u19s lost 19-60 to the Lions in last year’s final
Its a sad day when a guy who can’t make the S.A under20 squad is being touted the favourite to start for the Sharks.
What a bullshit situation to be in.
@Baylion (Comment 7) :
but that was a lekker win.
@The hound (Comment 8) : I’m not on board with that assessment, it ignores the fact that firstly Humans play sport, and secondly that the game is not played on paper.
Ben not making the squad is complicated and nuanced, and no im not talking about qoutas, by looking at the team for me its clear that everyone was picks on ability to execute the coaching staffs desired strategy and ben was up against it with some exciting young guys also trying to get fh spot, was ben in the ten last year ? I cant remember
I for one and kinda relieved his not going, aprils still injured, lambie need to be brought back slowly, inny has good and bad games (but to be fair how about giving him a sr game when he knows his going to start a week before the time, instead of thinking his coming off the bench, and his injured right now as well) and bosch is off to win a world cup for us
what I think rob will do is start bosch while his still here and bring ben off the bench, and once bosch is gone him and inny and possibly lambie if his fit will compete for the vacated fh spot
cause fb is book, rhyno smith you beauty!
Maybe we have been spoilt but the incumbent Sharks flyhallf has nearly always been a Bok,Lambie ,Frans Steyn,Butch James,Henri Honibal,Stransky,
@The hound (Comment 11) : and David Knox and Clinton van Rensburg and Andy Goode….
Think of other guys who have played there in recent times,Michilak,Ruan Pienaar,and good journey men like Joe Pietersen, Meyer Bosman and Lionel Cronje.
Thiery Lacroix,Tony Brown,
two things.
1) Curwin is available for the Sharks this weekend
2) Pat will most likely be available from next weekend
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Good news ,but we are in a horrible situation ,no back up.
@robdylan (Comment 15) : I watched Ungerer playing for E.P. last week end and he had a superb game.looked fit ,strong and very sharp.
@robdylan (Comment 15) : And April and Inny?
@Bokhoring (Comment 18) : April is fit, Inny is battling with a knee and will be out for a couple more weeks
@robdylan (Comment 19) : thought april was still injured
@Dunx (Comment 20) : was up till last week, but injuries heal
I hope we back the players we have. Its the only way to grow their confidence. Pat should be eased back, geez the guy has just come of yet another long term injury. Play Ben10 or April if they are fit, whats the use of having them on the books if they never get to play a couple of consecutive matches. It will only grow our depth and at the worst we will have enough evidence to make a call on wether they are ready for SR or not.
@Quintin (Comment 22) : my ulcer is subsiding slightly! Both April and Smith has done really well when given the chance. if April is fit and Ben10 has confidence, let them play and back them.
Cronje looked dodgy at the Sharks but now seems to enjoy just playing and being backed by his coaches and team. April has served his punishment and before injury looked back to being full of X factor again.
Sure these guys are not the same class when we could call on Freddy or Steyn or Pat but apart from RdP Jnr, who else would you really want in the squad?
Congrats to all the players (especially Curwin and Faf) for making the final squad. Good luck and enjoy it.
To Ben10 and the other players that did not make the squad keep on working and your time will come!!!
Give Ben10 a shot starting next to Claasens before we write him off.
@Kabouter (Comment 23) : We are in this position because of the bad man management of Gary Gold,when he took over we had Tim Sweil,Jean Luc du Plessis,Robert du Preez,Fred Zeilinger,Lionel Cronje,all back up for Pat Lambie.
By the time Gold left everyone of them was gone, he failed to develop not even one of them, and we were left with a hugely unlucky Lambie and a couple of teenage boys as backup.
@Quintin (Comment 22) : He should also be excused from bok duty. Coetzee threw him straight back in without a thought for his well being. He should bench for April at least 2 games.
@The hound (Comment 26) : I thought they left during Jake time, especially Swiel, RdP and Du Plessis.
Also at that time Steyn played 10 and the queue must have looked very long, but it is hurting now.
How RdP was allowed to go and play for Maties still makes no sense at all.
@Kabouter (Comment 28) : RdP left when we decided to bring in Lionel Cronje and Tim Swiel and use them over him.
@Dunx (Comment 29) : So with Jake then, dammit