Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby Jake White has named a powerful line-up for Friday night’s pre-season warm-up match against the Lions at Ellis Park, in this, their final hit-out.
White pointed out after training on Tuesday that he would name potentially a similar side to the one that will play the Bulls in the Vodacom Super Rugby opener at Growthpoint KINGS PARK next Saturday. This will obviously give the team the best opportunity to gel as a unit in the match scenario.
Media Release
“It’s going to be as close as it gets to a dress rehearsal,” he explained. “I’d like to pick a team that I’d like to start against the Bulls, I’ll give them as much game-time as I can in the first 40 or 50 minutes. Then if I’ve seen enough of what I need to, then I’ll look to give other guys a run. But the quicker I can get cohesion and group work going the better it will be.”
Like the Saracens match, the potential for injuries is a concern – as it would be for any coach before the actual tournament has started – although it is a reality all teams face. But certainly, first prize would be coming out of this game unscathed, regardless of the result.
“As a coach you’re always going to be concerned about losing guys to injury. I don’t think a coach ever gets a team he wants to start, even at Springbok level. Whenever you get one back, someone else inevitably breaks down. What we want is a situation where we hopefully come through this Friday’s game unscathed, but if they don’t then we’ve at least used the two warm-up games to give other guys an opportunity to get game-time, and they’re ready to step in if need be.”
An all-Springbok front row will face the Lions while Pat Lambie returns from honeymoon and Francois Steyn (pictured) is over his injury, as is fullback SP Marais. Lwazi Mvovo was stretchered off as a precautionary measure in the Saracens match but suffered no ill-effects from the bump he took and has been named on the wing. Ryan Kankowski has been named on the bench with White looking to get him back into the system as early as possible.
Cell C Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Tera Mtembu, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (Captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 Jacques Botes, 21 Ryan Kankowski, 22 Charl McLeod, 23 Fred Zeilinga, 24 Heimar Williams, 25 S’bura Sithole, 26 Jaco van Tonder.
Why the Sharks stick with Cobus Reinach above Charl McLeod is beyond me!
I see no Willem Alberts and no Keegan Daniel… shey should be the starting 7 and 8 on 15 Feb against the Bulls.
Other than that, this seems to be their best combination for the season.
@ grootblousmile:
Agree. McLeod is a their best scrummie, a game breaker of note. Had he started against the Saracens, the result may have been different.
This is a bloody good side. Even the reserves are good quality.
3 @ Blue Traveller:
Sharks could still make the side better and specially among the replacements, there will have to be space for Kyle Cooper (hooker) – I believe he got married this past weekend.
JP Pietersen is also still not back in the starting lineup…
@ grootblousmile:
Their depth is scary.
5 @ Blue Traveller:
They are the Super Rugby franchise out o all 15 Franchises, with the most depth… like you say, their depth is actually scary.
@ grootblousmile:
But, like the Stormers, they flatter only to deceive. Yes, they have made few semi finals and finals, but have never been able to pull a win off.
7 @ Lion4ever:
I hear you…. but what is the first thing you would do as a coach / franchise?
Would it not be to get yourself the best squad out there, and then a good coach can turn around the “Always flatter to deceive mode” and turn it into a title or 2.
The question is whether they are there, with Jake White at the helm this year….
Anyway, the other 14 sides are’nt just going to bend over for Jakey’s boys to violate them, so the season will be interesting.
@ grootblousmile:
GBS, it looks like Voldy has finally fallen over and is in the process of being absorbed into SA Rugby Mag’s website.
The Webbie there is busy changing indexes on the DB and it appears that they are working on re-routing all of Voldy’s traffic to SA Rugby Mag site.
9 @ Alles wat mal is:
Oh, is’nt that what you predicted?
Good luck to them.
@ grootblousmile:
Yeah, I predicted that.
@ grootblousmile:
We must now get the good guys over here to Rugby Talk.
They must come talk here.
11 & 12 @ Alles wat mal is:
Well, I am not going to go talk to them and solicit them to come over… one does not kick someone else when he is down.
Those fellas & flatties who blog there at Voldy have always been welcome to join us here if they want (as long as they adapt to our more friendly and less troubled and quarrelsome vibe). We do not want mayhem, racial slurring, politics and shit here… we want rugby folks, to add to our rugby community.
I suppose there are still a few of the older bloggers there on Voldy who hold a few grudges against me, whereas I believe I have moved on, no grudges.
This site has made me mellow out and understand what it’s really about.
@ grootblousmile:
Your attitude is the right one.
14 @ Alles wat mal is:
I think so too… live and let live.
Evening all. Good strong Sharks side. They will be hard to beat over the season this year, and good luck to them. Still think the Stormers are well placed too (as i do every year 😉 )
As long as SA gets the trophy.
The Sharkies seem to look the part. Their lock combo has been the weak link in past but with PSDT and Bresler things look rosy.
And with Alberts waiting in the wings things can only get better.
But we all know that rugby is not played on paper.
17 @ Tuff Gong:
Hello Gong!
We have not spoken before… welcome to Rugby-Talk, hope you enjoy it here with us!
@ Tuff Gong:
Welcome to the fun side of the island 🙂
Can’t really see any SA franchise challenging the Sharks this year, and I doubt the Aussie sides will be a match either.
Very strong Sharks squad for Friday night…
Looking at what players have been rested, left out or are injured or unavailable?
Forwards:
Cooper (hooker) Oosthuizen (lock) Hewitt (lock) Herbst (prop) Dell (prop) Daniel (loose forward) Alberts (flank) Downey (flank)
Backs:
Swiel,JPP, Whitehead, Esterhuizen, Fisher, Ungerger, Chavhanga,
Prolly one or two others, just can’t think of their names…..
That on it’s own is a pretty strong 15 and covers every position.
@ nortierd:
As excited as I am for the season? nothing is won on blogs or on paper
20 @ nortierd:
We said that the Sharks had an awesome squad last year too, before Super Rugby… they ended out of the play-off’s in 8th spot.
We said the Stormers are in with a chance to win it outright after the previous year’s Conference win…. they ended 7th and out of the play-off’s.
We thought the Bulls were no-hopers, a mid-table side… and they won the Conference and ended 2nd on the Combined Log
We wrote off the Cheetahs… and they made the play-off’s.
Guess what we’ve been taught out of it all, is that nothing is certain and the playing happens on the field and not on paper!
21 & 22 @ Sharks_forever:
Hello Mnr Hateboospeerdam!
@ grootblousmile:
DAgse ou groote, and I just beat you too the punch lol
And a good evening to everyone, yes even those from Voldy that is spying on us in here but to shy to join…… 😆
25 @ Sharks_forever:
So, whassa happening?
@ Sharks_forever:
@ grootblousmile:
True, but Jake has already proclaimed victory
26 @ Sharks_forever:
Spies??
Just call them “Roofkykers”
Hehehe
28 @ nortierd:
Hy gaan nog een dag sy bek so groot rek, dan gaan ‘n perd in sy bek kak!
That’s what bothers me most about Jake the Snake… his wayward mouth.
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