The Sharks team announcement for the Kwas game had to be delayed due to a player testing positive for Covid. The player and two others who had close contact are in isolation, and we wish him/them well to recover fully from the virus.
Anthony Volminck gets a chance for his new union by starting in the 15 jersey with Manie Libbok moving to the bench. Dan Jooste and JJ van der Mescht swap starting places with Kerron van Vuuren and Ruben van Heerden respectively, and Dylan Richardson drops to the bench with James Venter taking the 6 jersey. Kwezi Mona may also make a debut for his new union and Cameron Wright covers the 9 from the bench. Thembelani Bholi will start in place of Henco Venter who misses out on squad selection.
15 Anthony Volmink, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Jeremy Ward (c), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 James Venter, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 John-Hubert Meyer, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Khwezi Mona, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Dylan Richardson, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Sbu Nkosi.
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Definitely enough firepower to get a bonus point, griquas are tough at home, but it seems that if you spread it wide this season, points are available. We have the back three to be able to score some exciting tries.
@jdolivier (Comment 1) : Got a good feeling about Volmink, reckon he’ll be good on debut. A few dynamos on the bench like Richardson and Nkosi.
Nice to see Cam Wright back. He just can’t stay away!
@SeanJeff (Comment 2) : i share your sentiment
Griquas lead 3-0 sharks discipline not ideal
Beautiful interplay by backs and forwards and nohamba scores under the posts, bholi is a man mountain
Sharks 7-3 13th minute
Up an unders not being fielded by griquas at all
Griquas off feet at most rucks
Griquas scramble defence is a brick wall, but it does seem like the sharks will break it shortly, good turn overs in the rucks by the boys from Kimberly
7-6 20th minute
That’s obstruction ref … Player straight to ground … No tackle
Rucks now a free for all, no rules being applied
Sharks getting turned over too often.
7-9 27th minute
Much better ball retention from the Sharks
Volmink off shoulder injury libbok on
We are cursed in the back 3.
Our scrum has been vulnerable this part of the season penalty conceded for collapsing
Blown a chance 5m out :/
Then give up the scrum pen.
Hands in the ruck is meant to be illegal
Blame me guys, I turned it on when it was 6-7.
Come on ref … First offence there is a shoulder charge
Can see its this ref’s first game – players off their feet at the rucks, hands in the rucks, eish
We are terrible at the breakdown. Another holding on 5m out. Not sure about our #7.
Wow, the griquas can lie flat on the ground on the side of the ruck and the steal is allowed
We need a different strategy at the rucks to protect our ball against the Kwas allowed free for all
@Bokhoring (Comment 24) 2bd team : club rugby standard at best
We need to just take the next 3. Grab the lead before trying to play, especially with the way it’s being reffed.
Libbok gives me chest pains, Andrews saved us there.
@Here be dragons (Comment 29) : to be fair we haven’t attempted doing what the griquas are doing in the rucks, maybe we can also slow them down as aggressively and win some penalties
@Here be dragons (Comment 29) : Yip, first need to win the game before we try for the 5 points
@jdolivier (Comment 31) : We just seem so slow to adapt to reffing, every week.
Jaco Peyper better have a chat with this ref – cannot allow Kwas prop sticking in his hand into a ruck to pull the ball to his side twice in a row
@Here be dragons (Comment 33) : its been the whole season, unfortunately
We do miss Am and Fassi to add some unpredictability in our backline
@Bokhoring (Comment 36) : definitely
10-9 sharks in the lead again 44th minute
No way the ref saw that grounding
16-10 griquas score
Kwas doing well to keep the ball and start making small breaks – leading to a good try. Sharks have a battle on their hands with a team that has their tails up training 10-16
Kwas 10 is playing very well
No forward movement … Scrum goes up. That has to be reset …bits dangerous and no longer a fair contest
And now we forget to tackle – we are in trouble.
It’s official there is no plan b, we are losing to a side that has lost horribly the entire season. Terrible performance thus far
23-10 griquas 55th minute
Need to get Dylan Richardson on pronto – James Venter has been anonymous with a ref that allows a free for all at the rucks
Commentators don’t know the laws
If it’s carried back it’s a 5m .. if it’s held up it’s a 5m for going forward warren
Need to hook that ball out quickly – otherwise it will be a penalty against us
Libbok scores in the corner
Good angle nohamba great line libbok, score in the corner sharks
23-17 sharks need 3 more tries for a bp
We cock up the lineout and Griquas score on the other side
Griquas score again this is pathetic
This is so annoying
30-17 wtf
Kwas forwards (and especially loose forwards) outclassing ours by miles
We have to be THE most frustrating team in the world to support!!
The ref has been iffy, but we have been truly kak! Predictable, not creative at all, silly mistakes, absolutely nowhere at the breakdown and the set piece…
We may yet end up winning this game, but we have been poor…
Finally we score after keeping calm and holding onto the ball. Good decisions by Bosch
Much better now…
Nkosi sparks a great try by regaining the ball, good work from Louw, Ward, Phepsi and a strong finish from Richardson
Bosch converts and the Sharks leads by 1
All of a sudden the sharks are energized
Richardson making a huge difference
All of a sudden we have woken up…much better at the breakdown…the bench has added value…
@Bokhoring (Comment 66) : big difference…
Libbok not my personal favorite, but he has been better than usual
Clever kicking from Bosch
Gut feeling says Griquas knick this.
@Here be dragons (Comment 71) : sharks reserves have been better. If we can keep our discipline for 5 minutes we’ve got this one
Lots of tackles today where guys pull the ball carrier to ground head first…surely the level of danger there is very high. One of those injured Volminck…
Wright on now
Horrible call ref ruck formed 2nd man in
There’s the penalty for Griquas to knick it…
Kwas get a penalty in range – will sneak the game
@jdolivier (Comment 75) : That has been the case all night…
We are such an unsatisfying team to watch
@Here be dragons (Comment 79) : Frustrating as all hell…
We have been truly kak…
Kwas take it
I hate to say I called it.
Or they don’t if Bosch kicks it
Well, Sharks can nick it…well played Sbu Nkosi…
Why did we kick possession away off a scrum in their half?
@Here be dragons (Comment 83) : I hear a fat lady singing
And Bosch does it
Holy crap. We stole it
I don’t quite want to say that was undeserved, but we were exceptionally lucky…and pretty damn poor most of the night…
I got that wrong, I admit. But man we have decision making problems. Fair dos, we played great off the restart. Better needed going forward. We stole it.
Ox is the best loose head and tight head the Sharks currently have available. Pity he can’t play both sides of the scrum at the same time
Possibly griquas best game of the season, we looked very average. Replacements really worked hard to save us. Not enjoying our no plan b strategy, we got lucky
Bad luck, Griquas…
Man of the match should be Nkosi for putting his body on the line to regather that kickoff
Our last 15 minutes were much better…and real hats off to Sbu for that regather off the kickoff after the hooter…
@Bokhoring (Comment 95) : That was top class…
I had my eyes closed for Bosch’s kick. I worry that we aren’t fluid enough in thinking. Look how if a ref calls against us, we never learn to adapt. It’s a young side yes, but we really need a leader. Can Jacques Botes come back?
Nkosi and tambwe for the wings and penxe fullback until volmink is healed
@Here be dragons (Comment 98) : what a legend
@jdolivier (Comment 99) : Libbok is the most worrying fullback we’ve had since SP Marais. It’s either genius or horrifying.
@Here be dragons (Comment 101) : atleast he isn’t earl rose
@jdolivier (Comment 100) : Botes is my favorite Shark of all time. Absolutely played his guts out every single week, didn’t get a cap or any plaudits, but outlasted players that were twice his size.
This game should be really good for the Sharks players in the long run – builds the belief that you can pull games out of the fire
@Here be dragons (Comment 103) : he was a true warrior for us
@Bokhoring (Comment 104) : if they can learn that lesson quicker than reading a ref
Richardson should focus on playing flank – he can be one of the great opensiders
Pepsi did well tonight, notshe just has that x factor we are lacking currently, Richardson is really improving each match
@jdolivier (Comment 108) : Phepsi linked well in the try, but he is getting turned over too often when he takes up the ball. Three times in this game, and quite a few in previous games as well. Honestly feel more comfortable when Bholi takes up the ball against tight defenses – he can use his bulk to smash the defenders making it easier for the cleaners
Kwas were good tonight, especially Tinus de Beer and the flanks. Well done to our Sharks for fighting back for the win. Game turned in our favor once Meyer was subbed. I still don’t rate him as a tight head. Ox scrummed well on both sides. Maybe time for a re look on the starting TH.
@Bokhoring (Comment 109) : bholi was immense, isn’t phepsi still really young? something he can work on. Also tonight and turn overs are really not an accurate reflection. We are blessed with a group of youngsters with bright futures
Is James Venter carrying an injury or still experiencing concussion side effects? Does not seem like his normal self.
We really need some brains. We try to run it out of our 22 too much. Likewise we just don’t play smart. We won the scrum in their half, and booted it to them, then conceded a pen which marched them into our half and nearly gave them the win. We were beyond lucky to beat the Lions and once again lucky here. Lots of eager young guys which is good to see, but no one to change the tempo and grind the win.
@jdolivier (Comment 111) : I have noticed over a couple of games that when he fields a kickoff more often than not he turns over the ball in contact. I’d prefer it if a stronger and bulkier player takes up the ball in those cases. Bholi, Venter and Notshe seems better suited at doing that right now. Coaches should work with Phepsi with his technique when going into contact, and obviously the cleaners should be more awake. I think he can add a lot of value as a mobile linking number 8 like e.g. Kankowski
The other player that gets turned over too much is Ruben van Heerden, and his case because he operates too often as an isolated one-off runner from second phase. Sharks in general are mostly poor in support at the rucks. They can turn on the intensity and accuracy at the rucks for short periods of time (and often then we get results), but generally are slack in this dept for largest part of games.
Los Pumaaaaaaas! Wow, the All Blacks don’t even get a bonus point!! And it is thoroughly deserved…what a performance by Argentina!! Wow!!
@pastorshark (Comment 115) : And Sanchez scored every single point including the try. Argentina always had classy fly halves.
@Bokhoring (Comment 114) : the lack of commitment in the rucks has been concerning.
Again flip man, game cancelled because of Corona virus.