James and Henco Venter join the growing injury list and are also not available for Saturday’s game against the Bulls. It will be up to Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Tera Mtembu to guide the young loose forwards in the squad.
Likewise JP Pietersen has been roped in to add some experience in the back three.
The squad includes a number of U/20 Bok players who traveled to Argentina in 2019 – Thaakir Abrahams, Caleb Dingaan Celimpilo Gumede, Jaden Hendrikse, Emile van Heerden plus “old” Sharks hands JJ van der Mescht, Phepsi Buthelezi and Sanele Nohamba.
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The Sharks have been hit by a number of high profile injuries even before what’s left of the 2020 rugby season kicks off. Aphelele Fassi picked up a shoulder injury during training last week and will be out of action for at least 3 months after undergoing surgery. Really sad news as many of us were really looking forward to again seeing Fassi ghosting through defenses.
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Since the match between the Sharks and Stormers in March, I had to watch a couple of Super Rugby Aotearoa games (high quality games) and even had to resort to watching some Super Rugby AU games (perhaps I chose the wrong games but mostly error ridden affairs). Monster tackles, physical games with teams giving no quarter, great attacking moves – rugby to appreciate. However one element was missing – the tension in the pit of your stomach while edging (more like screaming) YOUR team on defending their slim lead while the other team is camped on their try line. I miss the elation after winning a crucial match and even the physical pain after losing. Watching rugby as a neutral is more of an intellectual exercise – you can appreciate the great play, but in the end it means nothing to YOU personally.
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The Sharks are getting ready to resume training but supporters will still have to wait a while before seeing our team on a rugby field.
At least there will be some live rugby (with crowds) on TV this weekend. Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks off with the 5 Kiwi franchises playing each other home and away. Whoever tops the log at the end of the tournament wins!
In other news:
Louis Schreuder is reported to have been released from his contract and will be leaving the Sharks with immediate effect
Hi, Sharks fans
I hope you enjoyed the first article in the series.
Our second article saw The Sharks taking on the Highlanders.
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While the Kiwis have plans for some rugby to be played this year (they have managed the first wave of Covid19 infections down to new cases in the single figures), it looks very likely that South Africans will have to wait quite some time.
StevieS has a proposal (originally published on sarugbymag) on how to get at least one live game on TV. Any other suggestions?
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I hope everyone is still doing OK in these trying times. In the absence of any rugby (for that matter any sport apart from Belorussian football and Taiwanese baseball) StevieS has volunteered to create a few articles to keep the conversation going:
Hi, Sharks fans
During these days of lean rugby news, I thought it might be nice to delve into the old match programmes I have lying around to see what our teams looked like in the past and to see which clubs/teams were playing in the curtain raisers and who was playing for those teams. There are some interesting names, some which you may have forgotten. So, without further ado:
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In a sign of the importance of the local derby against the Stormers, Sean Everitt has selected exactly the same team from last week’s match. In the current Super Rugby format a team will firstly want to top the conference log.
If the ever improving Sharks pack can hold their own against a highly rated Stormers pack, the dangerous Sharks backs and loose forwards can take the chances on offer. The Stormers will be smarting after a shock loss to the Blues at home and will be very motivated for this match. South African derbies are generally hard fought battles of attrition but if the Sharks team can put together the same performance as in the first half against the Jaguares this team should have the ammunition to edge the Stormers.
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Sean Everitt is clearly not a coach who believes in starting his preferred 15 for every possible match. Lukhanyo Am is back to captain the team, but Makazole Mapimpi, Tyler Paul and James Venter have all been rested.
Dylan Richardson and Henco Venter takes over the 6 and 7 jerseys and Lwazi Mvovo takes over the 11 jersey. Louis Schreuder and Sanele Nohamba swaps places.
The Reds will be full of confidence after the 10 try 64-5 demolition of the Sunwolves last weekend. Brad Thorn has been quietly building up a strong squad and especially a decent tight five. The Sharks forwards showed much improvement last week, but still need to up their game especially in the lineouts.
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Lukhanyo Am is rested and replaced by Jeremy Ward in the starting lineup. Andre Esterhuizen will take over the captaincy.
Sanele Nohamba gets a chance to start at 9, after doing exceptionally well as an emergency fly half. Mapimpi has recovered from his head knock and will hopefully get the chance to torment the Rebels with ball in hand.
Thomas and Ox are back in the starting lineup. The Sharks have the backs and loose forwards to cause problems for any opponent, but the forwards will need to start fronting up at scrum and line out time. A repeat of last weeks performance will see the Sharks get zero log points from this game.
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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.
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In the only change from the curse breaking team from last week, Madosh Tambwe replaces Sbu Nkosi who has a slight niggle. Lukhanyo Am will start his 50th Super Rugby game for the Sharks and Craig Burden (surprisingly only now) should get his 50th Super Rugby cap when he replaces Kerron van Vuuren later in the game.
This will the Highlanders first game of the season having had a bye last week. The Sharks will have a very short turnaround from last week’s game, but should stand a good chance of taking a win here.
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With the dramatic Bok win against the English in the World Cup Final last year still fresh in our minds and hearts, it does feel a bit surreal that the Super Rugby season kicks off this Friday. And what a kickoff it will be for a Sharks team under new management with a couple of new faces in the team.
The Sharks have an absolutely atrocious record against the Bulls. We have not beaten them in a Super Rugby match since 15 Feb 2014. Apart from a draw in 2016 we have been beaten by our cousins from Snor Dorp in every single match since then. For crying out loud, we have a better record against the champion Crusaders.
Come on boys – time to change this sorry state of affairs!
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Sean Everitt has included all his Boks in the 28 man squad for the Super Hero Sunday game against the Stormers. This is effectively the Sharks’ last warm up game before the Bulls game on the 31st January.
A number of the Sharks’ new signings announced last year has been included in the squad as well as giant lock Le Roux Roets who has joined the Sharks from the Pumas.
Being a warmup game the focus should be more about getting the team to gel and integrating the new players into the Sharks’ structures, but expect a hard game with no quarter given by either team. SA teams do not like to loose to each other – even in warmup games.
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Kolbe takes over the 14 jersey from Nkosi who drops out of the squad. Rassie insists the plan (box kick ad nauseam, hope the opposition drops the ball, defend like demons, scrum and maul, kick the penalties) won’t change and the 6-2 bench split seems to be an indication that we can expect more of the same.
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