Pat Lambie is the Sharks’ only injury concern heading into their clash with the Kings in Durban this week after he picked up an injury in the clash with the Bulls.
The versitile back picked up a back injury in their one-point loss against the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday and Sharks coach Grant Bashford is worried that he will not be available for the clash with the Kings.
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Bashford said: “Pat’s back is the only injury concern, it looks like he might not be available, but the forwards seem to have come through nicely although Willem Alberts may not train until Thursday.
“But we’ll assess that during the week. They’re the only two struggling at the moment,” Bashford added.
With the potential loss of Lambie the Sharks will be glad that they could have the services of JP Pietersen and Meyer Bosman for the game in Durban.
“We’re hoping that Meyer Bosman and JP Pietersen will be available for selection this weekend, they still have to pass fitness tests but there is a very real possibility that they will both be available.
“If that happens then it’s not the end of the world for us even if it is never nice to lose people – Butch [Andrew James] has four weeks so he’s definitely out,” the coach mentioned.
The side from Durban threw absolutely everything at the Bulls on Saturday and they felt that they had done enough to win the game and the brand of rugby they played was much more like the Sharks of old and in contrast to the brand of rugby they have been playing this season.
“No-one can say there was any lack of effort out there, if anything, we did all the playing. There were lots of positives: our intent to play rugby was awesome, the commitment shown from 1-22 was outstanding and unfortunately, on the day, it comes down to a missed kick here and a missed kick there.
“Unfortunately, we missed 16 points at goal and it’s always going to be difficult up there if you miss those opportunities to put on points.
“One of those kicks would have been enough, so it was disappointing, you never want to blame the kicker but on the day, the result was pretty much down to that last kick of the game,” said the coach.
With James out there is a gap at flyhalf but Bashford is confident that there is enough talent at the union to fill the void left.
“We have options at 10, Meyer Bosman has played there, so too Riaan Viljoen and we have Fred Zeilinga who’s a good player. So between the three of them, I’m sure come selection time, we’ll make a decision based around that.”
The Sharks are still riddled by injuries amongst the backline players and with nine backline players out still it means that there are chances for other players, like Fred Zielinga, to make an impression.
“One thing we always say is when people are out is that it opens up opportunities for others and everyone who has had an opportunity has taken it.
“In some of the games the result hasn’t gone our way but it hasn’t been through lack of effort or commitment to the jersey and when you have as many injuries as this, that’s what you look for – commitment and playing for pride in the jersey,” said Bashford.
No great problem… he’s been way off form with the boot anyway…
Wait, wait, wait… Butch suspended for 4 weeks too… so who will play flyhalf? The Revolving Door (Meyer Bosman)? Maybe Zelinga…
1 @ grootblousmile:
Pat has only been off from with the boot since coming back from the June tests. Before that he had 88% accuracy. Have no idea how he went from brilliant goal kicking to missing so many of them now.
Just a pity Pat was way out with his goal kicking, as the rest of his game was excellent, probably one of his best games this season. Played more the type of style we know him to play. Remember Morne too missed 4 kicks against Samoa, but his general game there was superb. However, Morne got his kicking right in the next game back in SR. I think Pat was carrying this injury since last week. Just a guess as if you look at this game from the start from time to time he is holding his back. Another thing if he missed two kicks it was up to the captain to change the kicker. Why did Butch not take the kicks? Could be he does not want to take them due to save his knees? Just have no idea why the kicker was not changed when he misses two you give it to the next kicker or not? I would.
We have Bosman coming back and also Viljoen can play FH. Bosman a better kicker at goal though. Ludik would then slot into fb. Just no idea who will play outside centre, unless JPP is back. Or we then have to bring in Fisher to play there. Jeez just about every week we had to change our centre pair this season.
Bosman played well for Sharks in the CC last year. Zelinga not a bad fh either he could slot in.
1 @ grootblousmile:
I feel sorry for Pat. He is taking a lot of abuse because of his bad kicking the last two weeks from mostly Shark Supporters. Disgraceful that supporters can be so vitriol. Those supporters have to remember it was his excellent kicking at goal the whole season that just kept us in the hunt and got us some wins. Most of our early wins was all points coming from Pats accurate boot. If he never got those we might be playing in the relegation game instead of Kings. We relied so much on the young lad getting us a win then, now that he is off with the boot they become vitriol towards him. Like I said if it was not for his accurate boot all season it would be us playing the relegation game and not Kings. So some Shark Supporters should be more grateful that he kept us in the position we are in as it was his boot getting us points so we don’t have to play the relegation game, as our whole team played badly this year because of mostly players out injured. Some Shark Supporters are really fickle.
You know as bad as Morne was last year I did read terrible nasty stuff said about him on many sites. Sure lots were disappointed in him but the vitriol stuff was sad to read. However, I NEVER EVER saw a bad comment from Bulls supporters on the Bulls site about him ever. Well the bit that I did read there. They stand by their man 100% even when down and out. They may have been disappointed in his game, but never vitriol towards him. Sharks Supporters should learn from that. The reason I think we lose too many players as well at the Sharks is this kind of disgraceful attitude towards players when they struggle. We should be standing by our player now not dissing him. Watch Pat will also leave the Sharks if that carries on much like Fransie did a few years back.
3 @ Puma:
I feel for Pat Lambie too… and like I said ysterday, he and Riaan Viljoen must just practice, practice, practice… it will get better.
Maybe Pat just needs a break and the injury might be a slight blessing in that regard… however, The Rugby Championship is in just more than a month’s time… he needs to sort himself out and in double time too!
Come on, admit it… you see no wrong in the chap you love him to bits…. hehehe
4 @ grootblousmile:
Nothing wrong with his general play at all. He had to play behind a not so strong pack this season. Just the last two games his goal kicking has gone to pot. We need our kicker in RC to be at least 85%. He was 88% kicker until the June tests. Even when he came on for the very short time he did in the June tests he slotted all his kicks. So from great kicking to this? No his kicking is way, way better. Something is not right. I think he was carrying a niggle back injury last week already. Bad captaincy from Butch not to change the kicker when he is not getting them over as well. Butch should have taken the kicks after Pat had missed two.
If he has a back injury doubt he will be ready for RC. Well if it is a serious back injury. If it is a muscle sprain or a bruise there then he will be fine by the time RC comes around. He only has to be ready to sit on the bench so all is fine….
Morne will start every game as he should gbs, Morne has been in great form this year. Look Morne was in terrible form last year, but he worked on it and got into good form and also had some great centres to play with this year. I know he is going to France, but Meyer would not play him for almost full 80min in all the June tests if was not going to be playing RC. Morne will be there for sure. Now we had better hope like crazy he does not pick up a injury. Read that Demetri is carrying a knee injury and that would leave us with Elton who has not played that great this year. We need Morne now to stay healthy fit and keeping fingers crossed that Pat can be there as back up in the RC. Feel for Pat really too much vitriol towards him coming from Sharks Supporters. Maybe he should move to the Bulls seeing that Hollard is also now out injured…………hahahahaha. Bulls never diss their players. Respect them for that.
Pat will get his kicking back that I have no doubt. Just hope his injury is not really serious. If he has even a slight niggle in the back this week he has to sit this game out. Back injuries can become really chronic. Rather let him rest this week.
Puma wrote:
i would hate to be the teams kicker under your captaincy, eish what if the next guy misses his next 2, where to then?
grootblousmile wrote:
Did you not pick up what Puma said? He pleaded that Lambie should have been stripped of the kicking duties after only 2 misses. Admit it Puma he cost you the game.
Alberts injured again?
6/7 @ superBul:
Yes we lost the game because Lambie missed his kicks, I know that. Also if Viljoen got one of the two he missed we might have won. We simply lost the game by our bad goal kicking. I am NOT disputing that. The reason I said Pat should have been replaced of the goal kicking after missing 2 was ONLY because he missed so many the week before. Probably in any game give your main kicker 3 kicks, he misses those you need to change the kicker. Butch should have taken over the kicks.
Look Morne lost us three RC games last year, the game against Arg, Australia and All Blacks in Dunedin with bad kicking. Had we changed the kicker in those games, we could have won the RC series. Ruan should have taken over the kicks there. WE just never had a great kicker in the RC last year. Goosen and Elton as well missed many kicks. Pat was the only one that kick almost 100% for the Boks in the eoyt last year. Remember we only beat England by a point and had Pat missed one we would have lost. He got every one of his kicks over there in driving pouring rain. He was very good in that game. It is only when a kicker is struggling the captain should change the kicker. Like I said probably after 3 missed kicks.
Also had we not lost Bissie or Butch for 18min of the game who knows we just may have scored another try. We will never know. Again after our coach took off Bissie, Deysel and Alberts almost all at once we lost momentum and then we lost Butch for 8 min as well. Who knows had Butch been on he may have slotted that last kick. So yes, there were also other factors that lost us that game, but mainly our very bad goal kicking.
7 @ superBul:
Super the ideal situation should be a team should ALWAYS have two equally good kickers on the field. Who do we have for the RC if Morne is off injured? I do hope that Ruan can take the kicks, but I think somehow that Vermaak might start at sh. So we had better hope that Morne does not pick up any injury in our RC or if he goes off form with the Boot again. It could happen it happens to many players. Right now Morne is back to his best like he was playing in 2009 so hope he does not pick up a injury this week or in the playoffs.
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