Good news is than Dan has recovered from what looked at the time to be a serious neck injury. Sbu Nkosi is unfortunately ruled out for about 8-12 weeks due to an ankle injury, and will be replaced by Kobus van Wyk. Mapimpi replaces van Wyk on the bench. Beast moves back into jersey #1. Apart from that Rob du Preez Sr has stuck to pretty much the same team from last week.
| The Cell C Sharks |
Replacements |
| 1. Tendai Mtawarira | 16. Chiliboy Ralepelle |
| 2. Akker van der Merwe | 17. Juan Schoeman |
| 3. Thomas du Toit | 18. John-Hubert Meyer |
| 4. Tyler Paul | 19. Hyron Andrews |
| 5. Ruan Botha (C) | 20. Wian Vosloo |
| 6. Philip van der Walt | 21. Cameron Wright |
| 7. Jacques Vermeulen | 22. Marius Louw |
| 8. Daniel du Preez | 23. Makazole Mapimpi |
| 9. Louis Schreuder | |
| 10. Robert du Preez | |
| 11. Lwazi Mvovo | |
| 12. Andre Esterhuizen | |
| 13. Lukhanyo Am | |
| 14. Kobus van Wyk | |
| 15. Curwin Bosch |
There have been rumours that Ledesma may be considering resting some key players. However the Sharks will have to go all out to win regardless of who they play.
Obviously they will be supporting the Highlanders earlier on Saturday. The Sharks (32 log point) and Rebels (35 log points) both currently have a -15 points difference – so the Rebels losing by 1 point and the Sharks winning by 1 point should do it for the Sharks.
EDIT: The Highlanders have decided to rest some key players such as Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Elliot Dixon, Ash Dixon and Rob Thompson. So the Sharks may very well end up playing for pride only.
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Same as its been all season- pretty good team on paper but how they actually fare on the field is anyones guess. Forwards need to get their hands dirty and be aggressive and backs need to get off the line and not give them any space to exploit. Id hope to see a reduction in silly penalities and handling errors but guess thats asking a lot….
I couldn’t think of a stronger team, considering what’s available. Reckon Sharks’ last chance was last week. Either Highlanders will lose, or the Sharks. Nkosi out of Rugby Championship
@SeanJeff (Comment 2) : Mauger has decided to rest a number of his key players – so the Sharks may end playing just for pride in any case.
The reality is that the Sharks really havnt been good enough this year to warrant a playoff place. With the CC being half the comp it usually is i wonder what we can expect from the Shrks for the remainder of the year. Who is sticking around, who is off to Japan, who with the Boks etc…
@SheldonK (Comment 1) : Agree 100%. The Sharks need to get back to doing the basics really well. We need consistency.
Good side that haven’t delivered for me.
I would like to see the Rdp snr go but I think we are seeing an old boys club running the sharks and Gary wont want to get rid of RDP.
On an aside what the heck has happened to the pitch at kings park I don’t ever recall it being so poor.
Generally it has just been a poor year for all the SA sides. I am not holding my breath for the Rugby Championship either.
Moving the Cheetahs and Kings has actually done nothing for the dilution of our talent over too many teams. IMO SA Rugby is due for a serious restructuring.
@Bokhoring (Comment 7) : Very much overdue. We can fool ourselves as long as we want but reality is we only have the local talent pool for 3 competitive super rugby sides at most.
@SheldonK (Comment 8) : I believe the franchises should be run as totally separate entities from the rugby unions, and the top 120-140 players as well as the franchise coaching staff should be contracted by SA Rugby. I think we can get away with a 3 (Super) + 1 (Pro) setup, but no more.
I agree that our talent pool in not big enough for 6 top sides but also think that Fleck, Du Preez and Mitchell have not done great jobs with what they had available in terms of players. None of them have had any real success as coaches( mitchell has one currie cup as his only ever trophy in his career) to have 3 sides in the bottom 6 at the moment is pretty disappointing and while we do need a reduction in teams we also need to consider our coaching and see if it is where it needs to be to get the best out of our squads.
@Bokhoring (Comment 9) : So thoughts on privatisation of the super rugby franchises? As you say 3 in Super Rugby and 1 in Pro14
@Byron Wright (Comment 10) : I wont say i disagree entirely but as a counter argyment what have the players done/achieved to actually warrant them being so highly rated by us. Are we perhaps elevating average guys to great due to scarcity of actual great talent.
@SheldonK (Comment 12) : Possibly you are correct and the Springbok performances seem to be evidence of your counter argument having merit. I like to think I can accurately rate players but in truth I am biased. I don’t think we are the 9th best squad in the comp and we have had comparably good luck with injuries but then as I say I am far from objective.
@Byron Wright (Comment 13) : I think everyone has bias to some degree. Just after another season of looking good on paper but so average on the field it starts to make me wonder if we are not over hyping the guys on paper. I mean yes there are good moments, but really good players need more than jst good moments, they need to be consistently good and i dont think any SA players can honestly say they have been consistently good over the last year or even the last couple of months consistently. We have for a few years now said coaches should do better with the talent at their disposal, but is that true or are they possibly getting out the results that fit our actual talent. Just a thought…
@SheldonK (Comment 14) : and a scary thought because a coach can be changed and new ideas brought in but if the players quality has dropped that is not a quick fix especially with our economy on the ropes.
@Byron Wright (Comment 15) : Well i just look at the experienced players that have left for overseas. I look at the dmishing results of our SA Schools sides in the series they play after Craven Week. I look at the u20 Junior World Cup performances of late. And then add to tht Super rugby performances and well i must admit im struggling to see this new wave of world class talent that we apparently have if it werent for all those coaches messing them up.
@SheldonK (Comment 16) : True our results at the younger levels havent’ been great but we are still consistently competitive at the younger levels. I think the real issue is the player drain overseas which weakens the local sides and there isn’t the hand over of intellectual property that there should be as a result so we are constantly blooding youngsters who leave at the top of their game and then the unions start from scratch.
The Sharks youngsters are doing well at the Craven week so far. Approaching halftime they are leading a powerful Cheetahs side 12-10…
The conditions aren’t great in Paarl today – very wet and muddy field…
Still some good rugby being played.
Sharks youngsters score again after great pressure and a sublime offload – 19-10…
Marius Jonker’s son plays 12 for the Sharks and has been looking good…
Cheetahs score a wonderful try in these conditions…
Try disallowed…TMO picked up a knock there…good call…but some wonderful play in these conditions. Great try saving tackle by the Sharks 13 Menze…
Brave play by the Sharks running it from 5m out – really good play, if a bit risky…
Another great break by the Sharks, but a Free State hand gets in the way…that’s halftime: 19-10…
@SheldonK (Comment 16) : Exactly. How many players currently turning out for our Super Rugby sides will make any of the top 3 national teams in the world? How many current SA Super Rugby players will even walk into a Crusaders side?
Apart from PSDT (and some glimpses from youngsters like Nkosi and Snyman) our top performing players overall in the English series were all playing in Europe (Faf and Willie), or on his way to Japan from Europe (Thor).
Last year’s unofficial “winners” of Craven week, the Lions – having beaten the Sahrks in the “unofficial final” – have lost both their games so far this year – they lost to Free State and were beaten by a very good SWD side today (the Sharks comfortably beat SWD in their first game). The Bulls have also lost both their games, being beaten by Western Province and then losing 17-19 to Boland today.
@pastorshark (Comment 27) : Sharkies are going to have to watch these blikore in the second half, they stepped up a gear against the Bulls side in the second half and won the game going away.
Sharks boys still doing well…another score puts them 24-13 up…
@pastorshark (Comment 27) : Correction – the Cheetahs beat the Bulls in the first round, and the Lions that beat SWD today were the Lions IV, the second stringers. The Lions main boys won on day 1 but lost yesterday to WP. WP have won 2, Lions won 1 and lost 1. Bulls have lost 2 and Sharks and Free State have each won 1.
Great defence as the Sharks steal it on their own line…
@pastorshark (Comment 21) : Very good player.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 30) : Sorry, my bad! The flu that is keeping me in bed must be worse than I thought!!
Sharks with another great try!!! 29-13…
The Sharks are full value for their lead against a strong Free State side…
@pastorshark (Comment 33) : No problem – I was there a few weeks ago (the flu) takes 2 weeks to be properly well again.
So…just for the record:
– the Lions beat EP 46-25 and lost to WP 5-13…
– the Bulls lost to Free State 21-38 and lost to Boland 17-19 today…
Sharks get a yellow card and will spend the last 10 minutes with 14 men…Free State score straight away to make it 20-29…tight last 10 minutes ahead…
@pastorshark (Comment 38) : Ref looks like he is barely out of school
Sharks still playing nicely despite being a an down…
Brillaint play by Free State in these conditions but after all that they knock it on 5m out…
@Bokhoring (Comment 39) : I think he’s reffing quite well though. Some of the reffing at the Craven Week has been below par, but today it was good…
Sharks putting real pressure on themselves with lazy play on their line…but then unbelievable defense saves the day…
@pastorshark (Comment 42) : Some of the reffing has been really bad – I know a few Lions fans are not happy with yesterdays ref in their game against the wp boys. I could only watch that game until about the15th minute and by then the Lions had already been penalised 6 times to wp’s 0.
Jeepers, great defense by the Sharks…and that wins them the game…final play coming up after the hooterand it is 29-20…
And more defensive guts at the death keeps it at 29-20…great result!!
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 44) : Yeah, I watched that…it was really bad…
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 44) : I was thinking about writing an article about it, because lot of the reffing was really poor. But I watched all the games today and thought it was much, much better…
@pastorshark (Comment 46) : Now Im kicking myself that I didnt make the trip to go and watch the game – but the weather is really for the ducks today and there is limited undercover seating. Oh well I did record it so have something to look forward to.
@pastorshark (Comment 46) : And thanks for the updates. 😎
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 49) : No problem…they did well today…some amazing defence. Some wonderful tries to in these conditions. Sharkies will be in the “unofficial final” for the second year running…up against a hometown crowd and hometown reffing they will be up against it…but well done…
Now that the season is almost over…and before I know whether we make the knockout phase or not…I have to say: all in all its been disappointing…so much potential…so many glimpses of great performances…but sooooo inconsistent and in the end just not quite good enough. I hope they take the next step up next season…please?
@pastorshark (Comment 52) : think you’re spot on!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 51) : Well done to the young Sharks on a splendid win. Will be great to see some of these boys make the step up in a few years time. Have a sentimental soft spot for Andre Venter’s son, that played hooker for the young Cheetahs.
@KingCheetah (Comment 54) : He’s played quite well…as always the Cheetahs keep producing good young players. It was a good result for the Sharkies.
@KingCheetah (Comment 54) : Will be interesting to see how many of these players both the Cheetahs and Sharks hang onto…
Well here’s hoping the sharks show up to at least give us one last blast for SR 2018. I think we deserve at least that much.
Highlanders just not doing the Sharks any favours. Two charge down tries to the Rebels and they lead 22-31 with 25 minutes to go…
Oh my word…Highlanders miss touch kicking to the corner twice in a minute!!! 22-34…goodbye Sharks…
Highlanders tease us again with a try…29-34 with 16 minutes to go…
And just like that the Highlanders hit the front…two tries in two minutes…
The conversion is good and it is 36-34…with 13 minutes to go…
My nerves…Rebels all out attack but Highlanders hold out…
Highlanders score!!! I think there was a forward pass there…has to be disallowed…and is…
The Rebels scrummie is very lucky to still be on the field. He was already on a yellow and should have got another for a shocking tackle. Think Jackson was aware of the red and didn’t have the guts to give it…
Landers kick for the corner and then go and lose the lineout. Clean catch by the Rebels against the throw…
That should have put it beyond doubt…damn…
Highlanders hold it up and get the turnover scrum. Come on, score now!!
Highlanders scoooooore!!
Three unanswered tries makes it 43-34 with 4 minutes to go. The Sharks are alive…
1 minute to go…
Rebels get a penalty…37-43…final play to come…
My nerves…
Jaaaaaaaa…
No…penalty to the Rebels…what the hell?
Rebels still in this…hot on the attack…
Huge hit by Naholo is a try saving tackle and he wins the penalty! He is our hero…
Highlander win 43-37…
So here is the equation…
1. The Rebels get a bonus point and go to 36 points.
2. The Sharks are on 32 points and a win without a bonus point puts them on 36 too.
3. The first tie breaker is number of wins. Rebels have 7 wins and Sharks 6. If the Sharks win today they also go to 7.
4. The two sides started the round on exactly the same points difference. So with Rebels having to lose and Harks having to win, that means the points difference is in our favour…
All that means any win will put the Sharks through…
@pastorshark (Comment 79) : The Kiwis have amazing depth. Basically a nothing match for them and their second stringers just dont give up.
@Bokhoring (Comment 80) : Exactly…just incredible…