The Sharks Super Rugby loss to the Bulls in Round 14 came at a cost as at least two players will miss this weekend’s Waratahs clash.
Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane has broken his hand and looks set to miss the next month of Super Rugby.
Ndungane will have surgery later this week after he broke his hand in the second half but had it strapped and played on.
Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis suffered a partial tear of the medial ligament in his right knee and is also looking at about a month out of rugby.
There are also concerns that centre Adrian Jacobs could be on the injured list as he is struggling with an ankle injury and will face a fitness test on Thursday.
On the positive side Springbok captain John Smit fully participated in training and is in line to play the Waratahs.
Basically it’s not too bad, they only really lose Jannie, because Mvovo should slot in at left wing with JP Pietersen moving over to the right wing… and let’s face it, Adi should not be in the run-on side anyway.
John Smit could give Bissie some needed rest every 2nd game or so.
For me JDuP has not really delivered as a prop. He holds his own at scrum time,or gets his arse whipped [ like against the Crusaders] but never dominates the opposition loosehead.
2@ Loosehead:
Nominate a SA Tight Head who does dominate the opposition Loosehead
@ grootblousmile:
Is there anybody in the World who dominates from that position? It seems they have lost that mindset and is playing more mobile players now.
@ grootblousmile:
@ superBul:
Mujati? I watched him play and he has really developed into a quality tighthead.
5@ Loosehead:
But the whole Northampton forward play is based around a pack that CAN SCRUM AND RUCK.
And they do it devastatingly well for the most part.
I quite like the England / Leicester TH Dan Cole. He has a really good scrumming technique IMO, and although he looks quite small on the TV the England website lists his stat’s as 1,9m tall and 119kg, so he can’t be that small.
I think any young prop looking to build a technique would not go far wrong copying his.
Sometimes I think SA coaches are obsessed with bulk in the front row and often ignore technically better props because of their size. A guy like Mujati being a case in point.
5@ Loosehead:
Mujati has played Club Rugby up North… do you think the standard there as well as the pace is anywhere near Super Rugby standard?
Do we know how he would have fared in any of the SA Franchises against the same opposition as those the actual Super Rugby players faced?
How do we know Mujati would fare well in Super Rugby or for that matter at the World Cup, how do we measure that… we would only hazard a wild guess that he could, not true?
The best indicator that we have that he would not, lies in the fact that ALL European based players from SA have returned severely undercooked to SA, and to the Springboks. Take BJ Botha, Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar & Butch James last year as prime examples (Butch a current example)… before that John Smit and Matfield…. there are more one can mention.
Juandre Kruger was a STAR up North at lock, here at the Bulls he plays Vodacom Cup. Johan Muller was an aging Sharks lock, now he’s a stalwart up North.
Ernst Joubert and that ugly oke from Namibia are cooking up North, here they would not make the run-on sides… and did’nt before they left.
Etthienne Reyneke is 3rd choice hooker at the Stormers, not near a starting berth… Gary Botha is much worse than he was before he left for up North, he rightfully now lives in Chiliboy’s shadow.
CJ van der Linde battles, yet he was bloody good up North before he returned.
I can go on…
Neewat, that will be an experiment, at best!
When he was here in SA he was mediocre to uberkak, in European conditions and against European opponents he has done well, so where does the truth lie, somewhere inbetween, we suppose… but we just do not know, do we?
PLUS there is the open question whether he would even be eligible to play for the Bokke now, being a Zimbo and all, not even resident in SA for 2 years (remember the Beast problems last year… and he was resident in SA at the time).
Scrap that notion, it is not even worth worrying about it.
@ grootblousmile:
MAYBE. But then some players go overseas and come back better, like Percy and Bob Skinstad. When Matfield returned, no one complained that he had lost form. Jean Div bounced back to his best after about 4 games, and Smit only became worse AFTER he came back to SA.
Soon Marius Joubert will return, as well as Watson. I think that we would have to look at those guys, as they were really heralded up North as great players. And say what you want, but Luke is a good player.
Like Matfield said about life in Europe. Its pretty much a over paid vacation.
I would also like to see how Butch and BJ fares once they get settled. Hopefully somewhere along the line Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar will also return and get a chance to settle.
As for the Sharks… they should be happy about Adi. JP and Mvovo would be a great pair. Its not so much that they lost Jannie, but who is the back up to their backup? Who will cover the bench? Smitty?
8@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
You willing to hazard that guess on Mujati on a whim and pure conjecture… in a World Cup squad?
I’m not.
I think props actually develop in European rugby….Mujati is our best tighthead….well unless Cobus Visagie decides to make a comeback.
These injuries don’t harm the Sharks, more than adequate cover is available.
The Sharks will be the moer in after last week….just like I am.
Bluebird.
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