The Sharks are looking at a 6-game winning streak, but will need to maintain concentration and discipline today if they’re to put a young Cheetahs team to the sword.
Fans will have clear memories of nightmare performances this season against the likes of the Rebels, Kings and Bulls in Super Rugby, when the Sharks consistently failed to produce the goods in games where they were billed as clear favourites. Today will be a good indication as to whether that monkey remains on their back.
Kick-off at Kings Park is at 16h15.
Sharks: 15 Inny-Christian Radebe, 14 Tythan Adams, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Tera Mtembu, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (captain), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 John-Hubert Meyer, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Jean Droste, 19 Wian Vosloo, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Marius Louw, 22 Garth April.
Free State Cheetahs: 15 Reinhardt Erwee, 14 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Stephan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Ryno Eksteen, 9 JP Smith, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Chris Dry (captain), 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Nicolaas Immelman, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Reinach Venter, 1 Gert Kotze.
Relacements: 16 Elandre Huggett, 17 Andrew Kuhn, 18 Sibabalo Qoma, 19 Ntokoza Vidima, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Dian Badenhorst, 22 Marco Mason.
Tweet
Today I am first like the Sharks
Goooo Sharkssssssssssss enjoy some kitty delights today 😆 😆
@sharks_lover (Comment 2) : here’s hoping
Shoe is completely on the other foot today. In the first round, a full strength Cheetahs team beat a sharks reserve team, this time its the other way around. Sharks should take this easily, but stranger things have happened.
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Howzit Brother, welcome back to the land of the living
and yeah I am positive we should win solidly today and further in the CC and that is my Sept, Oct and Nov resolution 😆 😆 😆
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 4) : Yup, Sharks must make sure pay back is a BITCH
Anyone have a decent link to watch?
Nkosi needs to learn how to pass
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 7) : Bud, I’ve given up trying. Every game is a bloody mission. I now pay for a Rugby Pass subscription – best $20 I’ve spent in a long time.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 9) : Yeah I hear you. My usual sources are not working.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 10) : Sky has managed to change the encryption so it’s getting very difficult for streamers. Batmanstream sometimes has a few options but it’s a gamble with malware, etc.
Sharks should really take this by 25+.
@McLovin (Comment 12) : You new to Sharks rugby?
How the he’ll is this cheat allowed to ref another Sharks game ever , are those in power at Sharks so gutless and balless
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 13) :
@benji (Comment 14) : And we’re off… 🙂
As expected it is men against boys! The slaughter has started!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 7) : Actually the Sharks started this little dance, by loading their Supersport Challenge team with Super Rugby players (To no avail really), so don’t play the victim! Plus this is hardly a CC team sans a few Super Rugby players, this di as close as you get to a Varsity Cup side, with a handful of experienced players. Really no comparison, if Sharks can’t win this training field exercise, then they really have regressed.
@sharks_lover (Comment 6) : There should be no pay back. The Cheetahs merely played their Available players for the CC, unlike the Sharks that sent in the heavy aryillery in the Supersport Challenge. Victim mentality! 😥
@benji (Comment 14) : Sigh!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 7) : VIP box. Type cheetahs vs sharks streaming free not other way around.
@KingCheetah (Comment 17) : Actually not being as totally outclassed as expected.
@KingCheetah (Comment 19) : Look if you going to talk kak like that then rather do not answer and go talk to someone that will entertain that kind of crap.
@sharks_lover (Comment 23) : chill guys
Sharks not ahead by 40. Ref must be against us again.
my sack, how awful is this ref?
Some of the passing by the Sharks (or lack thereof) has been pretty ordinary.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 27) : Ben ten passing a little too hard on many occasions.
Bonus point in the bag before half time. No they just need to keep calm and not let the game unravel into a sevens game.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : Sorry oom
😆 😆
Fair bit of handling errors from sharks. Once they calm down and sort out decent ball to hand they should be doing a lot less work.
Keegan has been pretty influential in this game. Good to see the old man still up to it. Tera also doing a great job linking with the backs
@Bokhoring (Comment 32) : Team just needs to calm a bit, they trying to play to the wings before it is earned, draw in defenders should be the aim, the ball will get to wings in good time, Cheetahs youngsters can be proud of their performance so far.
@coolfusion (Comment 22) : They are in for a serius spanking here.
@sharks_lover (Comment 33) : Cheetahs still great factory for young talent.
@sharks_lover (Comment 23) : Ha Ha a hissy fit! Its facts! Welcome to go check it for yourself. Understand the Sharks coaches wanting to keep the Super Rugby side players fresh, but dont make it a revenge thing for a perceived injustice.
@Bokhoring (Comment 35) : For sure.
@coolfusion (Comment 25) : A Commission of Enquiry must be instituted. 👿
@coolfusion (Comment 28) : That’s just one issue. Nobody drawing the tackler, passing behind, not passing or just throwing the ball away.
@sharks_lover (Comment 37) : Sorry SL, I withdraw that with the contempt it deserves
This ref stays a idiot, so Cheetah player on his knees wins a T/O 😆
Louw spotting that gap very cleverly and snipes. .
Louw replaces Am and immediately scores
@KingCheetah (Comment 34) : Ja they’ve lost the plot a bit from that first quarter.
Sharks do look like they’re enjoying their game.
Tera never passes a ball, ai
This Martens from the cheetahs looks like the next Brussouw
Holy crap this ref is useless. Textbook steal by the Cheetahs player penalised. 😯
Beautiful try! Much better passing!
Franco has been busy since he came on
Young Cheetahs not giving up and scores after turnover. Martens have been plundering our breakdown – should have started for the Cheetahs
Big Tank du Toit doesnt often get crunched in a tackle like that! The Cheetah cubs are giving it their all!
The Cheetahs has won the breakdowns by a country mile. We’ll have work on that.
Cheetahs score their second. Sharks need to slow the game down a bit
April can go from sublime to shite in 5 mins
Idiots and their tip tackle BS 😡
This Martens bloke is killing us at the breakdown
Although a comfortable victory the Sharks again show poor tendencies when they play a so called weaker side.
@Bokhoring (Comment 55) : He”s in good company. The likes of Michelack and Spencer come to mind.
@coolfusion (Comment 21) : Thanks so much. Sorry didnt reply earlier but found it
As for the ref? the less said the better, he missed so many things it became a joke.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 53) : Taking that ball away almost at will. Never seen so many turnovers on the line.
@KingCheetah (Comment 18) : Someones a bit prickly… is it the 2 loses in 24 hours?
@sharks_lover (Comment 61) : Fortunately he was equally poor to both teams
A decent enough win by the Sharks but my word, there is NO patience in the red zone.
@sharks_lover (Comment 61) : Not just for the sharks but cheetahs also. He always seems to be looking where the ball is not. Did he drop a contact or something?
@coolfusion (Comment 62) : The moment this Martens dude came on the Cheetahs started to plunder our ball
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 60) : No problem. That does sometimes happen where they don’t list the hosting team’s name first.
@robdylan (Comment 65) : Yup, left way too many points on the field
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 63) : Just stating facts! This loss is really a non event! Not even the most optimistic Cheetahs supporter would expect anything less than a 50 point drubbing.
As for the Ulster loss, lost to a better side on the day. Unlike you boys that capitualted against the Rebels, Kings and Bulls 😥
@Bokhoring (Comment 67) : Ja he is quite a worker. Also a big nuisance in other phases.
@coolfusion (Comment 66) : he’s just an idiot. I cannot understand how he gets to ref games.
Never again can the Sharks faithful biathch about this ref! Come on the proof is in the pudding! Even against a VC team he feels the need to assist the Sharks 👿
Good win Sharks, though it must be a concern that such an inexperienced team can put two tries past you?
@robdylan (Comment 72) : Missed a tip tackle there at the end too. He really was not paying attention. Also seems to get in the way a lot and not keeping up with the play. Agree he is way below standard.
@KingCheetah (Comment 70) : And yet still made the quarter finals… Cheetahs and sharks played in the same super rugby tournament right? Just checking. Also fail to see how a sharks team devoid of all their super rugby players, losing to a full strength Cheetahs team in round 1 is different to a Cheetahs team missing all their D14 players losing to a full strength Sharks team this week… your logic eludes me.
@KingCheetah (Comment 73) : Stir….stir….stir…I wonder who is going to take the bait?
And we have a winner. ..
@coolfusion (Comment 77) : Touche… hook line and sinker. Oh well, good luck to the Cheetahs for the rest of the D14, sure it will get better and they are proudly flying the SA flag in uncharted territory. I think the CC is now over for them though.
Well a win was expected. Good to see radebe lifting his game a bit there. Also good to see we have some good centers on cards.
@KingCheetah (Comment 73) : two tries
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 78) : Well they are still second on the log. So maybe not just yet. Not with the way the rest of the opposition is looking.
@robdylan (Comment 80) : Both of which came when the touch rugby started 😛
@robdylan (Comment 80) : Ag shame give him one…
fun game to watch if your a shark, cheetahs B/C team plus some u21’s, last three game between these teams has been uneven contests due to clear strength imbalance. but I’ll take it. 5 tough games to go until hopefully a home semi.
would be great if we got a home final, then I may make the trip to durbs from cape town.
I’m impressed with adams, good hands, excellent speed, solid on defense (lets see him go against better teams).
Cheetahs did start the game really well, breaking tackles left and right, some good young players there, just too little experience and quality around them.
Andy Cap did a good post match interview, some good humor and a sneaky question about 7’s.
I don’t get how people say it’s only CC. Really what other trophies can or have SA teams won in the past 7-10 years?
@coolfusion (Comment 85) : Participation award?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 86) : Ja why not. Maybe a clicks giftcard or something. ..
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 75) : That doesn’t surprise me!
@coolfusion (Comment 76) : Hee hee
@robdylan (Comment 80) : I sit corrected! The SS statistician got me flummoxed 👿
Good win by the Sharks, though i expected a bigger margin of victory. The path to tje final is well and truly paved.
@coolfusion (Comment 83) : 😳 😛
@KingCheetah (Comment 91) : Martins looks like a keeper. On fact a few of these youngsters look like they could give the first string a good run. You really don’t have too much to complain about.
@coolfusion (Comment 92) : Not complaining at all, good exposure for the young guys. Yes Maartens has shown a lot of promise.
Willing but inexperienced!
LH: Charles Marais, Ox Nche, then we can look at guys like Gert Kotze, and young Andrew Kuhn, that made quite an impression.
Hkr: Torsten, du Toit, Huggett, Dweba, Reinach Venter
TH: Tom Botha, Aranos, Edrich de Jager, Luan de Bruyn, Gunther JvR
Locks: Basson, Hugo, Bernardo, Wegner, Koster, Visser
Flanks: Schoeman, Cassiem, Henco Venter, Olivier, Mohoje, Jordaan, Wiese, Lobberts
SH: Shaun Venter, Tian Meyer, Zee Mkhabela, JP Smith, Ruan v Rensburg
FH: Zeilinga, Marais, Swart, Stapelberg, Petzer, Eksteeb, Afrika
Centre: Nico Lee, Benjamin, vd Spuy, Venter, Small-Smith, Mgijima
Wings: Rhule, Speckman, Petersen, Mapimpi,
FB: Blommetjies, Jaer
That should give you an idea of how below strength the Cheetahs were!