Curwin Bosch had to fly home due a family bereavement and Boeta Chamberlain has been promoted to the 10 jersey. Sean Everitt went with a 6-2 split on the bench with only Sanele Nohamba and Jeremy Ward covering the back line. I would assume in case of Chamberlain needing to be replaced Mohamba could take over the place kicking from 9 and Andre can deputize at fly half.
Dylan Richardson comes in on the bench as a loose forward replacement.
This is definitely a match the Sharks can win, but the Canes will be the Sharks’ most difficult challenge thus far. The Canes will be back after a hectic travel schedule, but the Kiwi teams do seem to shake off travel fatigue when they arrive back home.
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Lukhanyo Am (c), 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Sikumbuzo Notshe, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 James Venter, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Le Roux Roets, 20 Dylan Richardson, 21 Phendulani Buthelezi, 22 Sanele Nohamba, 23 Jeremy Ward.

Here’s hoping for a win, but more importantly for no injuries amongst the backs during the 80 mins
Excited about this game. It’s interesting that Everitt has gone with a 6-2 bench split, is this the new South African strategy when it comes to strong forward packs?
@Hulk (Comment 2) : I guess in an extreme case, either of Buthelezi, Notshe or Burden (not unfamiliar to the backline) could fill a spot in the centres or on the wing…
@Karl (Comment 3) : Fassi would be more than capable of taking over at 10 in my opinion if anything goes pear shaped with a number who could be going to FB.
And now for something completely different. Remember Jacques Potgieter?. He is the marquee signing for my local side. Brakpan Rugby Club. 😆 Seriously. He is player/mentor with Reggie Muller (coach) who played in Sharks academy with Jacques. 😀 So the Sharks are everywhere.
@markm (Comment 5) : interesting. he wasnt here long he basically left after half a year i think
@markm (Comment 5) : I feel like things haven’t gone quite to plan for him.
Great…DSTV Now is on the Blitz…it is stuck in the Studio pre game and the same 20 second clip just repeating itself…great! Just great!
Thomas out of the squad – Majola in. Ox moved to the bench
@Bokhoring (Comment 9) : why is that?
The first time I can actually watch a whole game and DSTV let’s me down…I am one frustrated puppy right now!!
Please keep me updated…
Struggling in scrum and lineout. Areas the Sharks need to sort out
@pastorshark (Comment 10) : Not sure. Missed the prematch talk
Schoeman scores for the Sharks. Chamberlain created the gap
Forward pass picked up. Try cancelled
Ah, there it is…
0-3 then
Canes stuffing us at every scrum. Need to sort this urgently
Am intercepts and Tambwe scores on the other side
Our scrums are absolitelt horrendous…
Great scrambling defense but Canes getting penalty at every scrum.
Discipline boys. You cannot give away penalty after penalty
We urgently need a tight 5
Ben O’Keefe’s player management is poor…
Jeepers…Mapimpi off after failing his HIA…
Ward on…
O’ Keefe…try…no try…and then goes to the TMO because Perenara chirps him… 😯
Canes will happily scrum all day.
Now Boeta comes off. Oh dear
Am not even sure he got that ruling right…? Maybe Sharks got away with one there…
@Bokhoring (Comment 30) : craaaaaaap…
5m scrums are basically free points for the Canes…
Just everything going wrong for the Sharks…big test of character for the boys…
All our backline reserves used up in first 20 minutes
@Bokhoring (Comment 35) : Just worst case scenario…
Try had to come…
Canes lead 10-7
Am needs to settle the boys down after these gut punches…
It’s like no matter which way the scrum twists or lifts or falls, he defaults to Canes penalty
@Bokhoring (Comment 35) : Who’s playing 10?
And immediate punch back by Paul
Jeepers we are good with the ball in hand…
What a great try that was!!
@Karl (Comment 41) : Nohamba…
@Karl (Comment 41) : And he made the break to create that try…
And he nails the touchline conversion…
@Die Kriek (Comment 40) : but that is probably fair…our front row is being owned!!
@pastorshark (Comment 46) : He’s pure class!! Hope we can keep him for a few years
@Die Kriek (Comment 49) : just brilliant…
That was a stupid gamble by Tambwe…
He should just have put the pressure on the receiver rather than make an impossible go for the ball…
14-17…Canes…
Sharks do look good on attack. Pity about our 1st phase problems
Oooooh…Esterhuizeen almost in at the corner…we are so good with ball in hand!
@Bokhoring (Comment 54) : yeah…Everitt needs to try and change something there…
Sounds like we need to sure up the defense. Got load-shedding so this thread is all I’ve got
Damn Chamberlain is out
Mohamba equalizes
Unreal how, despite being completely dominated at first phase, it is now 17-17 after 35 minutes…
Anyone know why the props were swapped?
@Hulk (Comment 57) : No, we need to shore up our tight 5…
And another lineout lost
@Die Kriek (Comment 61) : No…but if it was strategic, then Everitt has got a few answers…
Need our man mountain lock to stabilize the scrum
And we lose the lineout…come on man…
@Bokhoring (Comment 65) : yup…
@pastorshark (Comment 64) : They’ve both looked good in open play but need to up their scrumming
Thomas must be injured – he is out of the squad
@Die Kriek (Comment 68) : a lot!!
@Bokhoring (Comment 69) : Well shit….
@Bokhoring (Comment 69) : must be…
@Bokhoring (Comment 65) : make the change at halftime…
@pastorshark (Comment 64) : Perhaps the idea is to have our strongest scrum on at the end of the game. Therefore when we need to create a penalty or win a tight head for a win we have the best chance to do so.
Nohamba looking very good at 10
That deep line out ball has been stolen 3 times now, hopefully thats the last one
You kind of have to be impressed with our grit…some Sharks sides of the past would be 20 points down now…
ANOTHER lineout loss. Stop that now…
@Bokhoring (Comment 75) : very good…
Need to bring Roets in after halftime. Move Ruben to 5
@pastorshark (Comment 78) : What is the cause of our line out woes? Jumpers the throw or are we just getting our calls wrong?
@Hulk (Comment 74) : that’s all good…it’s just not great that ourweaker scrum is quite so much weaker!!!
@Hulk (Comment 81) : most calls going to the back and they are picking us off there…throws not quite accurate enough…
@pastorshark (Comment 82) : sounds like we are losing a lot of lineout ball.
@Die Kriek (Comment 76) : do what the Canes are doing…low risk lineouts…
@Bokhoring (Comment 80) : Absolutely…I feel he has to make the change now!
@Hulk (Comment 84) : unfortunately…and when oir scrums are walking penalties, then you just cannot afford that!
Lightshedding in the studio
Only 5 tackles missed by the Sharks compared to 17 by the Canes. We can’t complain about that area…
@Bokhoring (Comment 88) :
8 penalties to 1…
Ox is on
Defense let us down there a bit. Lam scores
The worst sort of start to the second half…
24-17 Canes lead
@Bokhoring (Comment 93) : after so few missed tackles in the first half, that glaring one costs us!!
Seems clear release or holding your body weight at the tackle not necessary this year
I can’t say that this refereeing performance convinces me that home refs should be reffing their own teams. I’m not suggesting anything deliberate, but the fact is just that human beings are affected by bias…that breakdown penalty was iffy…
Another cross kick another try for Lam
Shit…
Can the Sharks come back from 31-17
Daylight for the Canes…
Show more of that grit now, boys!
Burden on.
Bullshit call!!!
All 50-50s going to the Canes
@Bokhoring (Comment 106) : That wasn’t even 50—50, it was a tackle clear as day
Even Murray Mexted is amazed by that call…
What’s happened?
@Die Kriek (Comment 107) : it really is not a good idea to have home refs…
@Hulk (Comment 109) : Tackler holds Am but he gets a knee down immediately, ref says it was a maul first, gives Canes the scrum
@Hulk (Comment 109) : just too many poor breakdown decisions…
@pastorshark (Comment 110) : Marius van der Westhuizen has been proving this for 5 years
@Die Kriek (Comment 111) : thanks.
@Die Kriek (Comment 113) : even Peyper in the Stormers Canes game…
@Hulk (Comment 109) : Tackled player had knee on the ground. Called a maul
@Die Kriek (Comment 113) : to be fair, Marius van der Westhuizen is kak even when he is a neutral ref…
Scrum already looking better
@Bokhoring (Comment 118) : much better…with Ox at tight head!!
Here comes our big man…
Roets, Majola and Richardson on
But another crucial lineout lost
Another lineout lost this time on their line!!!
Is roets on yet?
Sharks need to calm down. Play busy unravelling
@Bokhoring (Comment 121) : thanks.
That was a very poor decision…quick lineout 25 metres back and cocked up…
@Hulk (Comment 124) : Yip
@Bokhoring (Comment 125) : Trying a bit too hard, just need to take a breath
Patience, boys…you are so good…no need to rush it!!
Just should have taken that second 5m lineoit calmly…
@pastorshark (Comment 131) : If your forwards cannot complete a lineout properly I guess you start trying the silly stuff
Ag O Keefe…that balls was clearly out at the ruck when Schreuder went…
Now becoming a rout. Maul try from the Canes
Well I guess going 2 from 2 in NZ was always going to be a tough ask
@Bokhoring (Comment 132) : but then that ends in the same place…just calm down and execute…
Game over…
38-17 ouch
O Keefe gifted them those 7 with another incorrect penalty…
How about calling the Canes for offsides? 1 m off at each breakdown…nothing…
And Majola scores after Burden grabs a missed Canes lineout
The Sharks get one back…
All this doesn’t make it look so clever to have started with such a weak tight 5…
I suppose it’s always easy to be clever after the fact…strong tight 5 against travel weary Canes has logic to it…just hasn’t worked out that way…
Great kick by Nohamba…
ANOTHER 5m lineout steal…sigh…
And another crucial lineout lost
Fassi with a shocker…
Really. Now the breakdown is reffed
Canes have won FIVE lineouts against the throw…and all of them cleanly…
Finally we win a lineout – on a Canes throw
@Bokhoring (Comment 149) : not even worth getting upset about…he refs it to go in favour of the home side and doesn’t ref it to go in favour of the home side…
The message is clear to the coaching staff:
– we are awesome with ball in hand
– our backs are very dangerous
– our tight five has to be sorted out…I think there has to be a change at lock…
That should be a yellow for Coles
@Bokhoring (Comment 154) : has to be…
Come on, O Keefe…he is such a poor manager of a game…take control, man!!!!
After all that, no yellow for Coles…
It is all just a tad frustrating…
A sixth linout lost…despite all the O’Keefe nonsense we have just lost this game because of a very poor first half in the scrums and a very poor lineout for the entire game!!
38-22 final score…
All things considered, we were never supposed to win this one, especially after Boeta went off. Still a bit miffed by some of the decisions, but I don’t think it would’ve changed too much
@pastorshark (Comment 157) : Can’t Everitt make an issue of it after the game? I mean the post match review process, whatever it is. I don’t trust the citing commissioner to do anything.
Brent Janse van Rensburg needs to kick some ass; that forwards performance was sorely lacking…what – at this point – does Burden bring to the party?
@SeanJeff (Comment 162) : As usual nothing will happen i managed to watch the last 20 mins. I was annoyed by our hopelessness in the lineouts and the kiwis doing their best to hurt our players led by dan coles as well. I hope we do leave to 6/7 nations
@Die Kriek (Comment 161) : We could have won this game if we had parity in the scrums and could just take most of our line out ball. Nohamba slotted in perfectly at 10
Nohamba deputised superbly. Schreuder was a liability, quick taps not working out. Fassi was brilliant as usual. Tambwe made the same mistake twice on his wing.
@Dunx (Comment 164) : Didn’t watch the game (got sh*t loaded, thanks Eskom for keeping the lights on for the SONA speech but not the rugby) but John Dobson brought it up after the Stormers game that these Canes were taking cheap shots with intent to hurt players all of their game long.
Just saw the game and it was lost by us. Coles should have got a yellow card but the game was over as a contest. Atrocious defending for 3 tries (21 points) and Everrit getting carried away was the real reasons for the loss. Get the basics right Everrit. We don’t need another hero!
@SeanJeff (Comment 163) : I thought Burden was really good after he came on. He created the go forward for our last try…
@Bokhoring (Comment 165) : @SeanJeff (Comment 166) : Nohamba is just such a talented footballer!!
Didn’t see the match, 2 failed hia’s were they off the ball crap like the stormers game or just bad luck for us. Glad nohamba did well, from what I’m reading
Lineouts and scrum are killing us and cost us the game today . The lock pairing seems to be the problem in the scrum. When Roets comes on the scrum becomes stable. If we continue with Andrews and van heerden then maybe Tyler Paul must shift to lock in the scrum and Andrews to flank. The hooker must work harder to find his jumpers. It is simply not good enough at this level. Perhaps complacency has crept in. Coaches need to crack the whip or wield the axe. The ref did not blow in our favor but that is not why we lost.
Kirifi got away with a lot in the rucks. Like Jaco Peyper or not he didn’t allow the canes to transgress. I was at Newlands for the Stormers VS hurricanes game and I can say that there was a hell of lot of foul play and disruption by the canes. Difference was that the Stormers were more physical and clinical.
Kirifi got away with a lot in the rucks. Like Jaco Peyper or not he didn’t allow the canes to transgress. I was at Newlands for the Stormers VS hurricanes game and I can say that there was a hell of lot of foul play and disruption by the canes. Difference was that the Stormers were more physical and clinical. @sudhir (Comment 172) : @sudhir (Comment 172) : And the Stormers set piece was dominant.
@sudhir (Comment 172) : I’m not quite seeing why Andrews is a starter…we talk of his lineout calls but that is not making our lineouts any better…and he certainly lacks strength…
How well have the Lions played in the last 10 minutes…from 15-26 down to 30-26 up…
Aw crap…Stormers steal it after the hooter…that sucks!
Just a question…two head injuries to Sharks players; I didn’t notice the incidents, but is it possible they were the result of being targeted by hurricanes players in the tackle?
…because one HIA is random, two is either very unlucky, or suspicious
@pastorshark (Comment 175) : Agreed, Sharks only won 57% of their own line-outs in this game. I never noticed Andrews doing anything in the loose either.
@SeanJeff (Comment 178) : mapimpi broke his nose tackling Barret.Too high in the tackle. Didn’t look like major contact. Freak injury.
Any update on our injuries?
@SeanJeff (Comment 180) : Does he ever
@markm (Comment 182) : Mapimpi and Boeta not in the clear yet; no word on Thomas; Bosch back with the team.
Sharks forwards will need to front up against the Rebels, they aren’t a great team but if they on the front foot they do have some dangerous backs. If Mapimpi out id like to see Ward start on the wing. Also think our tight 5 needs a review…bit soft
@SheldonK (Comment 185) : Rather call up Mvovo. Ward defended that channel like a center not a wing. Positioning was lacking. Mapimpi was missed on defense and attack.
@sudhir (Comment 186) : I based it on who was there. Interesting to see if they do call up anyone. Mvovo hasn’t played in ages, don’t know how match ready he is.
Per iol.com, Thomas fit again, Mapimpi is available, Boeta failed HIA and back to Durbs, Lwazi on his way to Oz
@SeanJeff (Comment 188) : Just wonder if Boeta would pass the HIA under normal circumstances…???
Assessment of last weekends game
Poor Scrums and line outs
Numerous disruption to the team through out the week and during the game
We had no chance
Hopefully this week we are able to bounce back but I tend to think too many aspects are still not in our favor
@revolverocelot (Comment 190) : I saw on the Breakdown that the Sharks are ranked 14th out of 15 teams for lineout success this year. That throws the idea that Andrews is providing a benefit there out the window. So we losing lineouts and at scrumtime.
@SheldonK (Comment 191) : Time to get big Vic involved…