I must be honest. All SA rugby during Covid times feels like one extended Currie Cup, but the real Currie Cup will start on Saturday. At least the Sharks will not only play against WP / Stormers, Lions and Bulls, but also against the Griquas, Pumas and Cheetahs.
The Sharks are taking a pretty strong team to Kimberley with Boeta Chaimberlain at flyhalf and Manie Libbok at fullback. Phepsi Buthelezi has been announced as the captain for the Currie Cup season.
[…]Sean Everitt has announced the starting team for the decisive game against the Bulls. Makazole Mapimpi has picked up a calf strain and is replaced by Anthony Volmink with Werner Kok moving to 14.
The Sharks have a very daunting task if they want to win the Rainbow Cup SA. Not only do they have the beat the Bulls while scoring four tries, but also have to prevent the Bulls from ending within 7 points or score more than 3 tries.
[…]The Bok squad for the Georgia tests, BI Lions Series and SA tour game has been announced.
Nienaber and Rassie have stuck with the stalwarts that won SA the World Cup but added a number of players with Bok caps – old hand Morne Steyn, the du Preez twins, Marco van Staden, Rynhardt Elstadt, Damian Willemse, Marvin Orie, Scarra Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen and our own Ox Nché.
[…]Sean Everitt made wholesale changes to the Sharks lineup for the away match against the Lions in Johannesburg. It is probably more of a rotational change to give other members in the squad a chance in the campaign and keep the regular starters on their toes.
[…]Sikhumbuzo Notshe has been ruled out for a few months due to a ruptured patella tendon, so the loose trio has been rejigged with Venter moving to 8 and Bholi coming in at 7. Good to see JJ van der Mescht back in the starting lineup.
Still no sign of Makazole Mapimpi, but Marius Louw replaces Jeremy Ward who drops out completely.
Hopefully we will see 80 minutes of effort from the Sharks, after last week schooling by the Bulls.
[…]Sean Everritt has made just two changes from last weeks squad – Jaden Hendrikse is promoted to start while Grant Williams drops out and Sanele Nohamba moves to the bench.
This will be the Sharks’ toughest match of the competition so far. The Sharks have scored 9 tries vs the Bulls 5, but have conceded 7 vs the Bulls 1.
[…]Sean Everitt has kept an unchanged starting team for the home game on Saturday against the Lions, with only two changes on the bench – Le Roux Roets for JJ van der Mescht and Jaden Hendrikse for Sanele Nohamba.
[…]Unfortunately Covid travel restrictions have pretty much killed off the Rainbow Cup in its planned form and South African fans now will have to settle for some more local derbies. The Sharks will take on the Stormers on Saturday in Cape Town with a pretty strong team.
The Sharks have shored up the tight head depth by loaning old Shark Wiehahn Herbst from the Lions.
[…]Coach Sean Everitt has brought back some more big guns for the match against the Bulls on Friday evening. Siya Kolisi makes his first start for the Sharks in the open side position. Ox Nche, Ruben van Heerden, Henco Venter and Sbu Nkosi all make their first appearance in the Preparation Series.
Boeta Chaimberlain gets another start at 10 while Anthony Volmink has been given the fullback jersey.
The Sharks have managed over these 4 preparation games to give some game time to quite an extended squad and now has decent depth in most positions (bar tight head IMO). It will be interesting to see which squad the coach picks once the Sharks compete in the Rainbow series.
[…]Sean Everett is using the Preparation matches to give all players in his extended squad some game time. The starting team is complete reshuffled with only John-Hubert Meyer and Aphelele Fassi remaining from the team that started against the Cheetahs.
Boeta Chaimberlain and Rynhard Jonker will form the new 10-12 combo with Curwin Bosch and Marius Louw on the bench. Lukhanyo Am will captain the team from 13.
It seems Dylan Richardson is earmarked to come on as hooker replacement (after exclusively featuring at open side lately) although it is quite possible that he can deputize at open side and only move to open side should Dan Jooste need replacement.
This should be another high paced entertaining game as the Lions also like to give the ball plenty of air.
[…]Sean Everitt has kept pretty much the same squad that beat the Griquas at home to travel to Bloemfontein to face the Cheetahs on Wednesday.
Jonny Meyer starts at tight head in place of Michael Kumbirai; Manie Libbok and hard working Werner Kok swaps places with Jordan Chait and Thaakir Abrahams respectively.
The last time the Sharks visited Bloemfontein they received a 27-point spanking – so the young Sharks will have their work cut out for them.
[…]Many of the front line players (including new high profile signing Siya Kolisi) are currently on a conditioning programme – so Sean Everitt has picked a number of next level players for the first preparation match against the Griquas on Sonday at Kings Park.
Murray Koster will get a start in the 12 jersey next to Manie Libbok at flyhalf. Jeremy Ward captains the team from the outside centre position.
[…]In a year where rugby fixture dates have become as reliable as the stock management schedule in a liquor store, there will be another 4 Sharks games to watch starting on the 28th February.
The Currie Cup teams plus the EP Elephants will play a series of games to prepare for the hopefully upcoming Rainbow Cup.
[…]Sean Everitt picked the same 23 players that won the semi-final in Cape Town with Jaden Hendrikse moving into the starting lineup.
The Sharks pack (apart from getting on the wrong side of the ref in the scrums) stood up well against the highly rated WP pack. We will need more of the same against the Bulls at Loftus.
[…]After a two break caused by Covid the Sharks travel to Cape Town for the semi-final against WP. Sean Everrit has selected what must be close to the strongest side the Sharks have on their books.
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