The 6th and Article in the set discussing the Sharks Super Rugby players for 2012.

In this Article we look at the contenders for FLYHALVES in the Sharks 2012 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.

The Contenders:

Name: Patrick Lambie

Date of Birth: 17/10/1990
Place of Birth: Durban
Position: Fullback / Flyhalf
Height: 1.77 m
Weight: 92 kg
High School: Michaelhouse
Club: Jonsson College Rovers

He attended school at Clifton Preparatory in Durban before attending Michaelhouse from 2004–2008. He represented his country at the schoolboy level for his last two years of school. He was head boy and captained both the rugby and cricket team in his final year at Michaelhouse.

Lambie is capable of playing flyhalf, centre and fullback, and was the leading points scorer in the 2009 ABSA Under 21 Currie Cupdespite only turning 19 later that year. He represented South Africa at the Under 20 level when he was selected for the squad, and was utilized extensively as the first choice fullback during the 2010 Under20 World Cup in Argentina.

Lambie broke into the Sharks senior team set up in the 2010 Super 14 season, where his debut was spent in the fullback position. He was shifted to centre in the 2010 Currie Cup and due to injury was required to fill the flyhalf berth. Due to his natural talent and unwavering nerve he made the position his own and was integral in helping the Sharks reach Currie Cup success in 2010, including scoring two tries, three conversions and three penalties in the Sharks’ 30-10 win over Western Province in the final of the tournament. He was awarded with the “Man of the Match” award in the Currie Cup final. Lambie was also the second highest point scorer in the Currie Cup.

Lambie was called up to represent the Springboks during their 2010 tour to Ireland and the United Kingdom. He made his début against Ireland on 6 November 2010, at flyhalf after Morné Steyn was substituted in the second half. He converted a try on his debut.He has since then made six appearances in total for the Springboks with five off the bench and one start. He has also started against the Barbarians team for the Springboks at fullback, but this is not an official international match. Patrick Lambie was Michaelhouse school’s first South African rugby player in their 115 year history.

Debuting at the Rugby World Cup before his 21st birthday, Patrick Lambie’s star has shone brightly since making his debut for The Sharks at just 18 years of age. He is fast becoming an established Springbok while his role at The Sharks is firmly entrenched despite his youth. A rare talent that understands time and space which allows him to maintain composure despite the pressure, his range of abilities covers the entire skills’ set.

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Name: Frederic Michalak

Date of Birth: 16/06/1982
Place of Birth: Toulouse (France)
Position: Flyhalf/Scrumhalf
Height: 1.82 m
Weight: 85 kg
High School: Joliman
Club: Fidelity Security Jaguars

Freddy was born in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne and is a French rugby player, who currently plays in South Africa for the Sharks in Super Rugby and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup. His early career was spent playing for his hometown team, Toulouse, in the Top 14 and in the Heineken Cup. He moved to South Africa to play for the Sharks in the Super 14 after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but after just one year with the Natal Sharks he moved back to Toulouse. He has also played over 50 tests for France to date. He originally played scrum half but has played mainly at flyhalf. He has appeared in advertisements for companies such as Nike and Levis.

Michalak made his debut for Toulouse in 1998. He was a member of the team that won the French championship in 2001 and the Heineken Cup in 2003 and 2005. Michalak made his first appearance for France against South Africa on 10 November 2001 and became a regular on the French side. He was selected as a member of the squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Michalak was also a part of the Six Nations French Grand Slam winners in 2004 and the champions of 2006.

Michalak signed with the Sharks for the Super 14 in 2008. The team, who had previously signed former French internationals Thierry Lacroix and Olivier Roumat, saw him as a key player in the Currie Cup campaign of the Natal Sharks, the provincial side that operates the Super Rugby side. Michalak made his Super 14 debut against the Stormersbut featured in only nine games before being sidelined by injury and shortly thereafter ending his spell with the Sharks. He played in the 2008 Currie Cup final, helping the Natal Sharks to win and becoming the third Frenchmen, after Olivier Roumat and Thierry Lacroix to win a Currie Cup medal. Michalak re-signed with his former club Toulouse for the start of the 2008-09 season.

Michalak’s second spell with Toulouse was frustrated by injurywith two serious injuries that limited his appearances for his club.

On 31 May 2011 it was announced that Michalak had signed a one-year contract with the Sharks, effective immediately – which meant that Michalak would not play in Toulouse’s Top 14 final on 4 June 2011.The Sharks’ need to fill vacancies left by injuries to several of their scrumhalves is widely considered a key short-term motive for the signing for the 2012 season, he is also seen as an extra option at flyhalf, a position where they had issues in 2011.

He contributed 192 points in the 2011 Currie Cup, finishing as the tournament’s top-scorer and will look to add his brand of mercurial magic to the Sharks backline in 2012.

Name: Paul Abraham (Paul) Jordaan

Date of Birth: 04/01/1992
Place of Birth: Somerset-East
Position: Flyhalf/Centre
Height: 1.80 m
Weight: 90 kg
High School: Grey College (Bloem)
Club: Varsity College Old Boys

Jordaan was born in Somerset East in the Eastern Cape, where he attended Gill Primary and represented EP at Under 12 and Under 13 levels in 2004 and 2005 respectively. He then became a boarder at Grey College in Bloemfontein, his father’s alma mater. He was selected for the Free State Under 16’s in 2008 and the Free State Academy side in 2009. He made the SA Academy team in 2009 too but didn’t play because of injury. Paul signed for the Sharks academy at the end of 2009 after having received bigger offers from other unions. While Jordaan has impressed at inside centre, he is also a capable flyhalf.

Paul Jordaan has been a significant contributor to The Sharks junior teams and indeed brings with him raw power and pace at both flyhalf and centre, making him an invaluable member of his former teams and the right mix of creativity and directness required of these two positions.

Additional players:

Riaan Viljoen & Meyer Bosman could also play flyhalf, if needed. Frederic Michalak could play at scrumhalf as well and Patrick Lambie is well suited at fullback where he’s done duty for the Springboks too, so all in all the Sharks have gone for multi-talented and / or utility players in most backline positions.

Starters:

Patrick Lambie seems to be preferred at flyhalf this year, so he should command a starting position at flyhalf, probably with Frederic Michalak doubling as his backup in addition to playing at scrumhalf.

This was the SIXTH article in the range dealing with the Sharks, the CENTRES will be up next.