The Sharks will mix experience with youth in this year’s Absa Currie Cup campaign, as they face the annual exodus of players to the Springbok cause for the four team Castle Rugby Championship.
Having lost 10 players to the Springboks, two to injury (Pieter Stef du toit, Tim Whitehead) and the departure of another two (Frederic Michalak returns to France and Ryan Kankowski who will complete the year with his club in Japan) will make things very tough for their Currie Cup campaign, but it is an opportunity for the younger and fringe players to step up.
The Sharks named a 28-man Sharks squad to do battle in South Africa’s premier domestic competition.
The Currie Cup tournament kicks off with an away game against Western Province this weekend, with the first home game at Mr Price KINGS PARK taking place against the Lions next weekend.
The experienced Sharks stalwarts will have to guide the youngsters, three Springboks and a number of veterans of many campaigns who will provide experienced heads around the exuberance of youth.
For the youngsters picked to play this season, this presents an opportunity to stake a claim for long term inclusion and a shot at Super Rugby and beyond, which each year throws out a couple of players that can be added to The Sharks stocks.
Of course one cannot rule out any further injuries or any further call up’s for Sharks players to do national duty.
While the Currie Cup provides the breeding ground for future stars, it also issues up a challenge to the participating teams, a challenge The Sharks will gladly accept.
Sharks Currie Cup Squad
1. Meyer Bosman 2. Jacques Botes 3. Anton Bresler 4. Craig Burden 5. Dale Chadwick 6. Kyle Cooper (INJURED) 7. Jean Deysel 8. Pieter-Steph du Toit (INJURED) 9. Monde Hadebe 10. Wiehahn Herbst 11. Conrad Hoffmann 12. Paul Jordaan 13. Marius Joubert 14. Francois Kleinhans 15. Louis Ludik 16. Jandre Marais 17. Peet Marais 18. Charl McLeod 19. Lubabalo Mtembu 20. Odwa Ndungane 21. Gouws Prinsloo 22. Julian Redelinghuys 23. Cobus Reinach 24. Sbura Sithole 25. Rosko Specman 26. Steven Sykes 27. Riaan Viljoen 28. Tim Whitehead (INJURED)
Looking ahead
Looking at the squad, one can assume there will be no rest for the players that have just returned from the Super Rugby final in New Zealand, as the Sharks now travel to Cape Town for their opening match against Western Province at Newlands Stadium on Saturday evening.
The squad of 28 carries 3 players that are still out injured in Pieter Stef du Tiot, Tim Whitehead and Kyle Cooper, and also two players getting a rest (Anton Bresler, Charl Mcleod) leaving only 23 to select from for their next outing.
My guess is the team selected to face Western Province could be as follows:
15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndugane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sbura Sithole, 10 Riaan Viljoen, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Lubabalo Mtembu, 7 Jean Deysel (Captain), 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Jandre Mare, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Marius Joubert, 22 Gouws Prinsloo
Looks wea
k!
RUUDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIII lol tell me when ur done, i was busy adding a new part but it said you were editing :lol:, i’ll add when ur done
@ Loosehead:
Gaan skyt jy blikskottel 😆
good day everyone,
2 @ sharky_forever:
Flok, jy was so stadig, ek was seker jy was al klaar… of aan die slaap op die job… toe gaan ek maar aan… sorry!
Ek is klaar, ge-edit… en uit.
Competent front row, good locks, 2 serious loosies and some promising young loosies, thin at flyhalf, rest of the backline good enough.
Sharks have impressive depth!
Donner, dit sneeu hier in die Panne…. dis mooi maar dis bibberkoud!
Dit sneeu nou nie genoeg om sneeumanne te bou nie, maar was vroeër genoeg om die gras en dakke wit te maak…
Seker slegs die 4de keer in my lewe wat ek lewendig die sneeu sien val voor my oge, en nie op TV of op die Movies nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Eish dit sneeu orals, selfs by Michealhouse hoer skool
Ok have completed the article, lol
Also strong talk of BUrden maybe getting called up for national duty if Chilli does not recover from injury
its between him and Liebenberg of the WP
Surprised Zeilinger didn’t get a shot, he looks promising! nah Plum is going to play Bosman at 10
@ Cheetah4eva:
Have to say i agree with you, Zeilinga is a seriously good young talent
I think they also trying not to take to many out of the under21’s as they have a good chance for silverware in their age group
7 @ grootblousmile:
Can you put a picture of the snow up if you get time?
Hello GBS yes heard the snow has been spreading up north towards your way, a pel had said they had a few flakes in Bloemfontein last night and have seen its been snowing at Joburg airport, enjoy it man – go try make a snowman if there is enough just careful overnight if the ground below is cold enough and it freezes could be slippery. Am sitting looking out the window at a tropical type shower without the thunder and its not cold here
Yes it waass snowing in Soweto, they thought it was pap falling from the heavens
12 @ Bullscot:
Snow has all melted.. but it’s snowing again… will wait for it to be a bit whiter.
Not nearly enough to build even a miniature snowman…. hehehe
8 @ sharky_forever:are you an Old Boy?
15 @ Loosehead:
Tjarkie_Fornever is an OLD BOY fure sure, whether he is a Michaelhouse Old Boy is another story… hahaha
13 @ sharky_forever:
Its great to hear you guys so excited about the snow, when you get as frequently as we do you kind of forget there are places that don’t get it often, but even so we still love it here too when it snows. I guess the only downer is how the folk on the streets will cope with the cold overnight do spare a thought for those who not in warm homes when its cold like that.
Would have been a bit cold to eat sharky and would especially stay away from eating it if any of it lying was yellow
@ grootblousmile:
😆 farkoff ya bloody brakenjanpan damduiker lmfao
@ Loosehead:
lol Nope loskoppie i was at Maritzburg College, we used to moer Michealhouse
@ Bullscot:
lol this is true
And just so you okes know, i have updated the article as there is news that Mcled and Bresler have been given a rest
So squad for the weekend is only 23 players available as far as i am aware, Also it seems Plum wont coach the Sharks for the most of the CC and HRE and BAshford will be taking care of the coaching things.
18 @ sharky_forever:Not when I was there.
@ Loosehead:
traitor lol
you went to Michealhouse?? WTF?? and you dont support the Sharks??
Plumtree to take a break
2012-08-07 15:58Email | Print
John Plumtree (File)
Related Links
Potgieter to lead Bulls Bok injury alarm for 2013 Lions’ Currie Cup squad named Johannesburg – John Plumtree is to take an indefinite break from rugby during the forthcoming Currie Cup, the Sharks coach announced on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old did not specify the length of the rest period or exactly when it will happen, although he did confirm he will be at the helm for the start of their campaign, which begins against Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday.
Assistant coaches Grant Bashford and Hugh Reece-Edwards will take charge of playing affairs during his absence and will be aided by commercial manager Rudolf Straeuli.
“There’ll be a point in this competition I’ll be taking a break from rugby,” Plumtree said. “It will come in the next couple of weeks.
“Everything will carry on as usual, I will be around, but other senior coaches will take charge of the team.”
The Sharks boss said he needed some time off after the conclusion of their Super Rugby campaign, which ended with a heavy 37-6 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton.
“It is a resting period,” Plumtree explained. “The senior coaches have obviously been coaching here for a long time at a high level, so they will look after the team.”
The Sharks arrived back in Durban late on Sunday following a hefty three-week Super Rugby trip, which took in two return trips to Australasia and a visit to Cape Town sandwiched in between.
It all ended in heartbreak, though, after a one-sided final in New Zealand and Plumtree said: “We’re obviously disappointed, but I was also very proud of the team.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in the future with these players.
We’re just going to look forward to this Currie Cup now. It was a fairly emotional time for all of us, but it’s in the past now.”
The Sharks have to quickly pick up the pieces and prepare for the start of their domestic campaign, which kicks off with a clash against Western Province at Newlands on Saturday. It will be almost an entirely different team for that clash following Springbok call-ups and injuries.
Ten Sharks were called up for national duty in the Rugby Championship, although winger JP Pietersen has since withdrawn due to injury.
Another Bok Ryan Kankowski has left the union, along with France international Frederic Michalak.
Looking ahead to the Currie Cup, he added: “We have a proud tradition in the competition reaching three of the last four finals.”
Flok, have just been asked to tender for 90 PC’s, 70 Notebooks and 20 Desktops… some lekka high end stuff!
Goodie!
This is a good team considering we lost about 10 players to the Boks.
Bresler and McLeod to take a break this week. I would probably have given Ludik a break too. Those players and the SharkBoks must be exhausted.
22 @ sharky_forever:
Plum nees this break. The S15 is exhausting and with the added stress of us making the final with all that travel would have taken its toll. We need him fresh for the next S15.
Good team this. We sure do have depth. Now if we had PSDT and Whitehead that are out injured we would have been looking even better.
25 @ Puma:
nees = needs
9 @ sharky_forever:
Now if Chili is out injured, it would be awesome if Burden got that call up from Meyer. Would feel really chuffed for him. He has been so loyal to the Sharks and a underrated player, so really pleased Meyer could see the class player he is.
24 @ Puma:
Hello Puma yes your guys definetely need a break been a tough few weeks, problem is the Currie Cup underway so soon doesn’t allow that especially as your first game is against WP, a difficult one for the coaches as with it being 6 teams there not going to be many ‘easy’ games this Currie Cup so do they rest the guys now and put a lot of young ones in and risk getting off to a losing start to keep the bigger picture in mind or do they have to look at going with the best all out for the win with the best available players.
27 @ Puma:
Ha hows that for ESP Puma was thinking as was posting first one to you to ask you what you thought of the rumours going around about Burden and possible Bok call up. Is he better than Liebenberg of WP? But have to agree he must be a super team man to have agreed to undergo the transformation from backline player to hooker which is such a specialist position requiring loads of different skills and this at a time that he knew he would be playing third fiddle to Smit and du Plessis.
28 @ Bullscot:
Howzit Bullscot,
Bresler and Mcleod are rested this week. Think Bresler has played all 18 games this season. That is a heck of a lot of rugby. I would have rested Ludik too. He played plenty games in the S15 as well. The rest are fine they never played all of the S15. However, the players that travelled in the past 3 weeks will be feeling exhausted. So hope they all go well this week.
Liebenberg and Bruden both great players. I just prefer Burden. A real live-wire hooker. He used to play wing at first if I am correct. So loyal to the Sharks too. Remember we had Smit and Bissie as our top two hookers at the Sharks for years, then Burden. To think most players in Burden’s position would probably have looked to go overseas to play, not Burden he has stayed with the Sharks. That is true loyalty. Feel this would be a awesome reward for staying in South Africa and playing his rugby. Never lets the team down either.
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