Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira did not travel to New Zealand
The Cell C Sharks squad that has made the long trek to New Zealand to face the Crusaders in the semi final clash in Christchurch on Saturday, is missing some key players.
The Sharks will spend a week in Christchurch preparing for their Super Rugby semifinal against the Crusaders.
“We’ve got some great memories there — a couple of months ago we had a great time,” White said.
“I think it would be disrespectful not to get to New Zealand straight away. I’m old school and I think if you’re going to play in that country you’ve got to live in that country.”
“It’s a long-haul, it’s obviously about 36 hours to get there. It’s never been done before that a team who has to fly there has won, so we’ve got no chance of winning the game and we might as well just enjoy the 36 hours and have fun this week.”
Should the Sharks once again prevail, they might only be required to take a short flight over the Tasman to face the Waratahs in Sydney.
However, should the Brumbies beat the Waratahs in the second semi final, both they and the Sharks might have to take the long haul back to South Africa to face off in Durban to see who will be crowned as the 2014 Super Rugby champions.
Tendai Mtawarira has been excluded from the squad with Thomas du Toit deputising for the Springbok prop.
The Sharks will spend a week in Christchurch preparing for their Super Rugby semifinal against the Crusaders.
The majority of the squad who did duty on the weekend made the long journey across 10 time zones, although injury prevented Anton Bresler and Mtawarira’s inclusion.
After leaving the field injured in the 30th minute of Saturday’s game, Anton Bresler has not recovered so Marco Wentzel has been included in the touring squad to provide second row depth.
Stephan Lewies, named to play in the quarter-final match, but withdrawing late, is with the squad overseas.
“He was just sore before the Highlanders game, and we didn’t want to risk him and then have him come off early,” explained Director of Rugby Jake White.
With Mtawarira still battling with a neck injury, White has entrusted the loosehead duties to young Du Toit and Dale Chadwick.
“Thomas was outstanding, we have him and Dale. With Beast only 50-50, we’ve stuck with Thomas and Dale, and that’s not too bad considering how they performed,” White concluded.
I’m curious about something. Should the Sharks beat both the Crusaders and Waratahs, the players like Bresler, Beast, Zeilinga, Swiel etc. that have all played a part in the 2014 campaign, but aren’t overseas, will they also get medals?
Will extra medals be handed out for the management to bring home and give to these players?
I think it would be disrespectful not to get to New Zealand straight away. I’m old school and I think if you’re going to play in that country you’ve got to live in that country.
I like that part, good on you Jake.
@ nortierd: Well, the old school sure doesn’t teach their pupils to up-and-walk-out-halfway-through-a-contract; maybe he was absent when they taught them about morals & ethics.
Still bitching.
You are worse than my mother in law.
Still are probably about the same vintage.
😆
3 @ BrumbiesBoy:
Ha ha
While you are moaning, have a look at the story about Brumby Jack.
Seems like more bad news for you, your hero has been banned
They should play Tonderai, boy can make things happen
@ Gena_ZA:
Not sure I will have him opposite Nadolo.
@ nortierd:
Mvovo is even worse…only option is JPP, and a 50/50 one at that as well.
@ gunther:
At least you”ll have the cleanest Kia Picanto in CT come Saturday lunchtime.
@ Pietman:
Mvovo and JPP wings, Jordaan and Sithole centers, McCloud and Lambie 9 and 10 and Frans at full back
And tell them to kick the damn ball out when clearing
@ Pietman:
It’s interesting to note that Keegan Cullen has fallen completely out of favor with Jake, didn’t even make the touring squad.
Miskien moet hy maar Bulls toe gaan, julle het n groot tekort aan los voorspelers
nortierd wrote:
Dit is dalk nie ‘n slegte roep nie, Keegan het altyd sy beste games gelos vir Loftus.
@ nortierd:
En dalk sal Jono Ross beter voel as ons vir hom ‘n maatjie kry wat kan ingels praat.
@ MacroBull:
Ha ha, beste games gelos vir Loftus…classic 😀
Hy word obviously nie waardeer daar in Shark’s wereld nie, so hy kan eerder gaan waar hy welkom is
14 @ nortierd:
Keegan is mos anyway op pad oorsee (Kubota, Japan)… so daar’s nie kanse dat hy na een van die SA spanne sal gaan nie.
@ nortierd:
haha nee hy sal eerder terug huis toe gaan (kings) as na die Bulle toe.
Waarheid daar is nie plek vir hom nie, en met Lewies wat dalk nie reg is nie is Kanko se waarde hemelshoog om die lynstane te beheer.. Deysel gaan goed en daar is nie n manier wat Alberts nie 80 minute gaan speel nie en Marcel wys na al die kritiek wat hy gekry het na hy n bok kontrak aangebied is hoekom Meyer hom so hoog hou, Flow se plek in die bok span moet seker onder druk wees.
Albertsd kan seker slot toe skyf maar dan kan Terrier, op die bank skyf want hyt al 6,7 en 8 gespeel die laaste twee jaar vir die snaaks.
@ grootblousmile:
Deesdae jol die ouens mos nog SR, maar CC tyd eet hulle mos sushi
16 @ MacroBull:
“The Cullen of loose forwards” het iets wat nie Deysel of Coetzee het nie, brains.
Hy weet dat dit beter is om in spasie in te hardloop en hy weet hoe om te pass…..mmm, dalk sal hy nie Bulle toe gaan nie, hy is overqualified en sal ook nie in hulle spelpatroon inpas nie
@ nortierd:
Hy sou seker die vodacom cup kaptein wees. Ek dink Deysel en Coetzee se offloading was die jaar beter as hul agterspeler spanmaats gewees.
Deysel, 16 offloads in 2014.
Coetzee 12 offloads
Bissie 8 offloads
Sithole 7 offloads
Jordaan 5 offloads
Fransie 16 offloads
JPP 10 offloads
@ MacroBull:
Ek weet nie waar jy daai stats gekry het nie, maar al wat ek Saterdag gesien het was “kop omlaag, bal onder die arm vasknyp en charge”
Ek neem aan dat die stats tel dat as hulle klaar in n muur vasgehardloop het dan neem iemand anders die bal oor. Jacques Potgieter het die jaar gewys hoe dit gedoen kan word. Daai 2, aaikonna, nie een keer gesien dat hulle eers kyk om te pass nie, wat nog te se, die bal vir iemand in n beter posisie as hulle self gee.
@ nortierd:
Well dit is nie juis uitstekend nie, as mens in ag neem dat Israel Folau 42 offloads gegee het.
die beste suid afrikaner die jaar is Willie met 20 (10e op die lys).
Ek het nie Saterdag gekyk nie, maar die Sharks oorspelers was fantasties die jaar, en waneer hulle die bal oor gehou het was hulle redelik gevaarlik tot Reinach ens. hulle hande op die bal gekry het.
Jacque Potgieter het 10 offloads… ek kry die van die vodacom stats app, jy moet gaan kyk by die Apple store, dit is ‘n uitstekende application.
Reinach is soos aplon, hulle druk die ongelooflikste driee, maar hulle seinige spel kan games verloor, naamlik die Sharks vs Brumbies (ek weet daar was ander faktore wat bygedra het, maar die feit dat Reinach, elke keer wat die Sharks bietjie momentum kry self wou hardloop het uitgestaan vir my)
22 @ MacroBull:
Die Sharks scrum was fantasties, as n geheel. Hulle voorspelers was goed en het die game gewen, maar die aanhoudende crash, boom bang tipe rugby het hulle amper gekos.
Bissie het een keer gekyk en gepass en Chavanga was weg. Gaan kyk bietjie weer na die game, en na Deysel en Coetzee. Dit lyk nie eers of hulle van plan is om uit te gee nie, en dit maak dit makliker vir die verdediging. Hulle het albei goed gespeel en mooi gehardloop, maar as hulle net die werk doen en dan uitgee vir iemand in n beter posisie, kan hulle baie meer driee druk
@ nortierd:
10
Plotting again the downfall of the Sharks?
😆
Or so it seemed
@ Hondo:
@ MacroBull:
20
What’s your source?
@ nortierd:
Ja nee ek stem, maar die Play offs is ‘n ander beast, een swak pass en een los bal kan jou die game kos. Ek verstaan wat jy, maar mens hoef net na die 2011 WC final te kyk wat se extra druk daar is op spelers, veral voorspelers.
Tot die punt dink ek die Sharks voory kan verwoesting saai met hul voorspelers met hulle offloads ens wat ons al die jaar gesien het, behalwe vir die laaste game kon mens sien, hulle is lus vir speel. Sal, maar sien, selfvertroue is n groot ding.
@ Hondo:
vodacom rugby stats… just search for it on any Smartphone/Tablet.
I have it on my Android phone. Excellent App, they have updated it a lot through the year and I think vodacom has invested a ton of money.
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