The DHL Stormers will face the SWD Eagles in a pre-season warm-up match ahead of their 2018 Super Rugby campaign at Outeniqua Park in George later this afternoon.
The game starts at 3pm.
SWD Eagles:
15 Leighton Eksteen 14 Marlo Weich 13 Kirsten Heyns 12 Tyler Fisher 11 Adi Jacobs 10 Robbie Petzer (v/c) 9 Dillin Snel 8 Fabian Booysen 7 Freginald Africa 6 Janneman Stander (C) 5 Cornell Hess 4 Wiehan Hay 3 Basil Short 2 Jacques Vermaak 1 Teunis Nieuwoudt
Reserves:
16 Reinhardt Stears 17 Lux Koza 18 Vuks Sofisa 19 Ruben Schoeman 20 Anton Smit 21 Wayne Wilschut 21 Johan Steyn 22 Aiden Joseph 23 Divan Nel 24 Lyle Delo 25 Christo du Plessis 26 Francois Kemp 27 Logon Vorster 28 Ganfried May 29 Kyle Hans 30 Brad Wanies 31 Denver Prins
DHL Stormers:
15 Sergeal Petersen 14 Raymond Rhule 13 Sarel Marais 12 Damian De Allende 11 Sihle Njezula 10 George Whitehead 9 Paul De Wet 8 Juarno Augustus 7 Jacobus Wiese 6 Stephan De Wit 5 Christopher Van Zyl 4 Salmaan Moerat 3 Carlu Sadie 2 Chad Solomon 1 Alistair Vermaak
Reserves:
16 Dean Muir 17 Jakobus Janse Van Rensburg 18 Caylib Oosthuizen 19 Ruben De Villiers 20 Eduard Zandberg 21 Luke Stringer 22 Jacobus Van Dyk 23 Herschelle Jantjies 24 Joshua Stander 25 Christian Ambadiang 26 Rikus Pretorius 27 Daniel Kriel 28 Ramone Samuels 29 Wikus Groenewald 30 Abraham (Jaco) Coetzee
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Anyone keen for updates 😆
Must be still working with combinations – no usual guys like Vermaak, Carr, Kolisi …
@pierre_mackie (Comment 1) : Yes please
@Julesgr8ter (Comment 2) : they all here but not playing
Game is underway
SP Marais over for the first try
Converted by George Whitehead, 7 – 0
STO up 14 – 0, doing most of the playing, SWD with very little ball atm
SP playing 13, looks like he bulked up slightly, will have plenty attacking options with Rhule and peterson outside him
Whitehead interceps to score under sticks, converts his own try to lead 21 – 0 with out 15mins remaining in first half
Try no4 Jacobus Wiese, Whitehead converts, 28 – 0
Augustus with try no5, Whitehead converts 35 – 0
Halftime: SWD 0 – 35 Stormers
Rhule scores SP converts 42 – 0
Runaway try from the kick-off, Augustus scores his 2nd SP converts 49 – 0
DeAllende scores SP converts 56 – 0
Jacobus van Dyk scores SP converts 63 – 0 with another 20 or so mins to follow
Phew, other than a bit of game time, one wonders what this achieves? !
Character building for the Eagles, jokes
Herchelle Jantjies scores Joshua Stander converts 70 – 0
Fulltime SWD 0 – 77 Stormers (11tries, 11con)
@pierre_mackie (Comment 21) : thanks for updates but game sounds a bit pointless (especially for SWD 😉 ). Not sure how much a coach can get from such a game!?
@JD (Comment 22) : Yeah agreed. What does the SWD coach say to his team afterwards? What did we learn today? F*ckall except the fact that they lost by 77 points and go home feeling like shit.
Exact opposite goes for Fleck, except that it’s still all pointless.
@pierre_mackie (Comment 21) : Thanks for the updates none the less 😆 Can’t wait until our boys start playing again!
Any idea if the SWD left wing is related to our own Adi Jacobs?
Why do we have this crap on a Sharksworld website? haha
@Uli Boelie (Comment 26) : We are THIS desperate for any rugby!
As much as the scoreline is one sided it still great practise running against a team that doesnt know your moves etc and is operating in match environment. Yes they will need to up the intensity but for a first hit out i think Fleck will be very pleased as he got to try things in a full match scenario.
tyler fischer. . wiehan hay…. playing for the swd eagles…. I would like to see them playing for the kings ….
Interesting developments from the bulls squad announcement
Rudy Paige not in the original squad, thought of as fourth choose scrummie (doesnt mean he cant play for the bulls but if his not in the original squad then his gotta play a certain amount of games to qualify to play in a play off should the bulls make a playoff, you never know) thus I dont see him staying at the bulls, hos management must be hard at work to get him out of there
Pottie not in squad as he asked for a sabbatical, and they will access his situation later this year, read: not playing, got enough money to chill with hot wife, will see if he leave to play somewhere else or full on retire later this year, what recession ?
Dual captains for SR ordendaal (deserves it) and man mountain nic de jager (captain cause no one would ever dare question him)
interesting times, Im not sure they make the play offs but expect bulls to be really dangerous this year
@revolverocelot (Comment 30) : Paige underwent surgery recently as far as I know, so that may be why he’s not in the squad?
@Karl (Comment 31) : His apparently on track to be fit for the start of the season, mitchell just wants to focus on the three young scrummies, my view is that mitchell thinks his a decent player but wants too move on, and im seeing signs that bulls are trying to manage their finances better, cut costs, their not splashing the cash as they once did, and they did lose a lot of players they invested a lot into, with very little success, poor coaching in my view
Not much fun to watch or read. As one sided as a Springboks vs new Zealand match, or or any other top tier vs springboks match….;)
Lions lose Skosan to a pre season knee injury today
https://www.facebook.com/TheSharks/photos/a.268468059849653.79920.251571854872607/1998764476819994/?type=3&theater
@revolverocelot (Comment 34) : I don’t see Swys improving on what Ackers did, I am afraid the Lions will have a very hard time in this years SuperRugby comp, especially if they lose key players like Skosan.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 36) : I agree that they wont be as good as the last two year, not in anyway the fault of swys just that through hard work and some luck they had two awesome amazing years, but with so many things to factor in this year I doubt they make a third final, although you never know, but holistically and in terms of statistics it seems unlikely, they definitely have a target on them from all other teams and the comp is way more competitive, I do feel that they will be better than us and the stormers (thinking with my head not my heart) but not by a huge margin.
all the changes in their squad are interesting too, they do have decent depth and they seem to know how to manage and bring through unheralded youngsters. that have that Huge flanker with speed and a strange first and second name.
they still have kriel, whitely, jantjies, mapoe, coatzee(plays way better for them), marx, coatzee the hooker, mostert, kyle brink, kwagga, vorster, rjvr, combrink (jackass, but good player) and as iv said they bring guys through you never heard of and they play like they been there for ages.
Strange that matfield only stuck around as forwards coach for the cc ? that was heralded as a long term appointment, when it was announced sounded to me like matfield wanted to get in on a winning formula. although to be fair having matfield around definitely improves your. line out attack and defense.
interesting times
Bulls to face Sharks: 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Burger Odendaal (captain), 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Aston Fortuin, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Pierre Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Eli Snyman, Jano Venter, Roelof Smit, Andre Warner, Marnitz Boshoff, Franco Naude, Jamba Ulengo, Duncan Matthews.
Date: Saturday, January 27
Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Kick-off: 18.00 (16.00 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
@revolverocelot (Comment 37) : Losing Skosan with Combrinck still out till end March about is a blow but the youngsters will have to step up
Wing options: Lionel Mapoe, Sylvian Mahuza, Aphiwe Dyantyi (watch him this year), Madosh Tambwe while Wandisile Simelani might also get a run at wing.
@revolverocelot (Comment 37) : I was not being critical of Swys, I’m not sure there is any coach in SA that can improve on what Ackers did.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 40) : Ackers is proving his quality at Glaws
@Baylion (Comment 41) : Yes, but I would say his quality was already proven at the Lions. As I said in my previous post, I don’t think there is a coach in SA that could accomplish what Ackers did in his time with the Lions.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 42) : True, but there have been the detractors claiming he merely took what JM left behind.
His few months at Glaws shows that he is the catalyst, and was at the Lions too
@Baylion (Comment 43) : I have never been one of those detractors. The only thing that pissed me off is the Sharks did not get him as a coach even after he played the last years of his career in Durban. As far as I am concerned he has nothing further to prove, he will win a major comp either club or international in the future, of that there is no doubt in my mind. As I recall the franchise was falling apart under JM, players unhappy, leaving, etc. Ackers turned that around, he is a player’s coach. I’m a huge fan.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 44) : Got to agree regarding Ackers. Yes style might have been Mitchells plan but Ackers is the one who made the Lions who they are. Question though, did Ackers go from playing straight to coaching? However Ackers did come from the Gauteng area and may not have wanted to stay in Durban after retirement.
@Hulk (Comment 45) : From a recent interview it seems his family stayed in Pretoria while he played elsewhere. After playing he got involved with Dick Muir’s academy and I think he coached at Garsfontein High School as well before becoming an assistant coach at the Lions
@Dancing Bear (Comment 44) : In my view after mitchell left a bunch of talented coaches came together and righted the ship with a long term plan to invest in players so I put the lions success down do the combo of akers, swys, Ferreira etc with everyone giving their all and bring different skill sets to the table, players did their part too.
Thus whats happening now is akers has moved on to a new challenge and striving to achieve success with different people and players around him and swys aim is to prove he can take over at lions and lead a somewhat changed coaching staff to more success. I wish them luck, but at the same time they have been putting us to the sword for three years so maybe not too luck.
@revolverocelot (Comment 47) : I think a big key to the Lions success as you say was a group of talented coaches coming together but also they were abllowed to build in a non pressured environment a they were not playing super rugby. Very tough to compare to others trying to build and create a foundation whilst playing in a high pressure comp. Not saying the Lions didnt continue to build once they started super rugby, but dont discount the huge impact it had creating a foundation without pressure.
Having chatted to an ex Lions player about the Lions success, his view was that there was total unity throughout the Lions in where they wanted to go, which was the biggest contributing factor to the upward curve.
CELL C SHARKS VODACOM SUPER RUGBY SQUAD
The Cell C Sharks are currently in the process of finalising some exciting new signings, which will be announced shortly.
Akker van der Merwe, Andre Esterhuizen, Coenie Oosthuizen, Cameron Wright, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Courtney Winnaar, Daniel du Preez, Curwin Bosch, Franco Marais, Garth April, Gideon Koegelenberg, Grant Williams, Hyron Andrews, Jeremy Ward, Jacques Vermeulen, Johan Deysel, Jean Droste, Kobus van Wyk, Jean-Luc du Preez, Leolin Zas, John-Hubert Meyer, Louis Schreuder, Juan Schoeman, Lukhanyo Am, Keegan Daniel, Lwazi Mvovo, Kerron van Vuuren, Makazole Mapimpi, Khuta Mchunu, Marius Louw, Lubabalo ‘Tera’ Mtembu, Michael Claassens, Mzamo Majola, Rhyno Smith, Philip van der Walt, Robert du Preez, Ross Geldenhuys, Sbusiso Nkosi, Ruan Botha (c), Tristan Blewett, Stephan Lewies, Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, Thomas du Toit, Tyler Paul, Wian Vosloo
@Baylion (Comment 50) : more signings? 😯 😉
@Baylion (Comment 46) : I can also tell you Johan Ackerman is a life long member of the Sharks supporters club Pretoria, before he went to coach the Lions he used to attend nearly every match with us, quite funny to see his kids in Lions jerseys as when growing up they proudly wore Sharks jerseys where ever they went 😆 😆 😆
but like a true professional he did his absolute best to take the Lions to the top. Wynand Claasens for example the honorary President of that same club. just some trivia
@Baylion (Comment 50) : Du Preez announced that Thomas du Toit will play tighthead this year. Also interesting that they included Coenie in the squad, perhaps they expect he may be back for the playoffs?
@Baylion (Comment 50) : And no Ben10, very thin at 10…..
@Dancing Bear (Comment 54) : In reality we have 3 guys that can play 10( DuPreez,Bosch,April) and then 4 if you count Winnar who can also play 10 and did for some u21 games. Wouldnt mind seeing Cam Wright at 10 either.
@SheldonK (Comment 55) : Sheldon, are you really going to call Bosch and April at 10 depth for super rugby? Seriously we are worryingly weak at 10.after Rob jr.
@Baylion (Comment 50) : team looks solid do we need any more signing ?
@Dancing Bear (Comment 56) : Both ben and bosch are still young, but at this stage bosch and april are way more effective at fh at super rugby level, I think you forget how good april was in the 2016 season, think about the hurricanes game in durban, how quickly we forget, and how quick are we to throw players away. April still a good player and a solid option. bosch young and has potential to be our kurtley beale in a few years, ben in my humble opinion will be really good at fh and inside centre in a few seasons, thats why its good he get some game time with the kings in pro14
@Dancing Bear (Comment 56) : Hey look at the other SA sides depth at 10…so bearing that in mind id say yes definitely. Our depth is better than Stormers starting options pretty much.
@revolverocelot (Comment 57) : April had that one purple patch and has done very little since then, extremely inconsistent.
@SheldonK (Comment 58) : Neither April nor Bosch are capable of defending the 10 channel in SuperRugby. Ben10 is a much better defender than both. I would be very nervous to have either Bosch or April start.