The Sharks have announced their 24 man team for their pre-season match at the Woodburn stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
Surprisingly the captain for the first two warm up matches is none other than Francois Steyn, who was capped 56 times before leaving to play in France and then returning towards the end of the 2012 season.
The Sharks take on the Leopards in their first match and then travel to Nelspruit the following weekend for their 2nd pre-season friendly.
With last year’s vice-captain Bismarck du Plessis still in rehab for a knee injury and expected to miss the first few rounds of Super Rugby, it makes a lot of sense to have Steyn deputise for team captain Keegan Daniel.
John plumtree explained that “Frans Steyn is captain because Keegan Daniel is going to play off the bench in the first warm up match” after their Tuesday morning field session.
“I saw him as good back up to Keegan and it’s an opportunity for him to grow his leadership. I’ve noticed a big difference in him in terms of his personality and character since he’s come back from France. The players have a lot of respect for him as an individual and as a player.
“He’s a very competitive person, he doesn’t like to come second in anything he does and he’s probably going to be a regular starter.”
The Sharks side to play the Leopards is an interesting mix of new and old, with Franco van der Merwe getting a run for his new team together with the likes of regular campaigners in Jacques Botes, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo and Odwa Ndungane all starting, with plenty of experience to come off the bench.
- Allan Dell
- Kyle Cooper
- Wiehahn Herbst
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Franco van der Merwe
- Jacques Botes
- Jean Deysel
- Lubabalo Mtembu
- Charl McLeod
- Patrick Lambie
- Lwazi Mvovo
- Francois Steyn (Captain)
- Tim Whitehead
- Odwa Ndungane
- Riaan Viljoen
Replacements 16 Craig Burden, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Jandre Marais, 19 Anton Bresler, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Meyer Bosman, 23 Paul Jordaan, 24 Louis Ludik.
Kick off is at 19:00.
Must say I am surprised, although not unhappy about it, with Bissy injured Keegan did need a back up capt.
Also with the combo’s chosen? if one reads between the lines one gets an idea of what is to come in selections
What’s happened to Puma??
2 @ Sharks_forever:
Yeah, have not seen the Oompie around for a few days now!
@ grootblousmile:
Yeah bro kinda weird not to see him around
Maybe email him some time to see what’s wrong
2 @ Sharks_forever:
and GBS, think I saw Puma post on one of the threads that he was going away on holiday
Sharky do you think after the Sharks slow start to their campaign last year that they deliberately choose two weak opponents for their warm-up to try and chalk up big wins and build up confidence to hit the ground running this year?
4 @ Sharks_forever:
Mailed the Oompie…. let’s see if he responds
2 @ Sharks_forever:
7 @ grootblousmile:
Howzit you two, You both must be sleeping….. 🙂 as you both missed my post last Tuesday. Said there I was going to Cape Town on holiday for two weeks arrived here last Wednesday and probably would not blog until I got back to Umhlanga on the 13th.
Have a little time now to look at RT and see what’s up with the rugby news. Sitting here overlooking Table Mountain really a spectacular view must say.
Well what a surprise that Fransie is Captain, never saw that one coming! Thought Alberts might fill in as Vice Captain until Bissie gets back Then think he may not start every game. This is telling us that Fransie is set to start every game this season. Not sure about him being captain then again he could be a brilliant captain just have to wait and see.
Sharksy bro, are you going to this game? If so let us know how it goes as not sure if it is on tv. Where is JPP? Why not in this warm up game also Alberts? Anyhow will be interesting to know how the players went in this warm up game. Just hope no injuries.
Now I have not checked from typos as I am terrible on a laptop. Seems like not enough space on the key board for my fingers…………..
@ Puma:
Hey Pooms, yeah i will be going to the game it seems, joining Sharksgirl and her hubby.
glad you are relaxing a bit, bro this is the weaker of the 2 warm up matches, PLum is clearly trying combo’s out.
@ Bullscot:
HIyas BS, and yes you have it 100% correct, Sharks are wanting good wins, even though it is not strong opponents, it gives confidence and momentum
@ Puma:
No injury worries bro, Plum has taken a different route this year, in this match he is playing starters plus a few none starters, next week you will see many from today, plus those missing from today , like Kanko and jannie and Alberts etc
@ Puma:
I am not surprised Rudi is missing a lot, 😆 I greeted a few days ago, and the old fart still has not responded lol
9 @ Sharks_forever:
Yip having a great time so far. Have not been to the Cape in 9 years now. Traffic has exploded here, everywhere you go there is a traffic jam……. 🙄 Still a great place for a holiday.
Can see this is the weaker of the two warm up games. Anyhow I don’t take too much out of a warm up game, just as long as we get it right on what we have been doing in training. Score does not matter in these games. Just hope no injuries. Also where is JPP and Alberts?
Great you going to the game, so in detail you can tell is how it went. As there is nothing showing here that the game will be on.
Tell Sharksgirl I said hello and hope she is keeping well.
Okay we off out to dinner. Catch up when I am back next week or if I can on Saturday if you put a article up on the game will check for it to see how we went.
Go Sharks! Please just now injuries. Can’t wait for the season to begin…. 🙂
Cheers bro good to catch up. Hope you keeping well.
11 @ Sharks_forever:
His mind must be somewhere else…………hahahahaha. I posted just after him and told him I was off on holiday…..hehehehe. He has to get it together as the rugby is starting soon…… 🙂 Need a alert Rudi here……………
Okay off to dinner now. Catch up on Saturday bro. Good chatting.
10 @ Sharks_forever:
Okay missed this post…… I must be like Rudi now………….
Pleased no injuries. Really looking forward to the S15 so just hope no injuries come from the warm up games.
Okay now really out of here. Enjoy the game bro.
Puma wrote:
He is now doing business with deceased people. Got himself into a never ending job. Sadly his main man, his right hand,s dad passed away yesterday, so maybe he must jump out of his comfort zone. Imagine GBS smile disappear if he has to lay out a corpse!!!!
13 @ Puma:
So, we need an Alert Rudi here… but some other people are allowed to go to Slaapstad on holiday and sip long lazy drinks, looking out on the ocean…..
Sounds like double standards to me… hehehehe
Things are just a bit strange here in my surrounds for the week, with what’s going on around me in my business partner’s life… and the boom experienced at the same time in my business life and in the business life of the new funeral thingy.
Worked till 0:45 this morning, was up at 06:45 again… and that happens every night and morning to try and get through my day, however futile that attempt might be. Come back from holiday and come help me for a few days, this buddy of yours needs it… badly!
Come on, I’ve worked so hard for all of you guys here at Rugby-Talk for three and a half years, one would expect you guys to queue up and work out a schedule between the lot of you to help me out… hahaha
Never thought this new venture of mine would explode so quickly and be so busy after barely a month and a little bit in business.
15 @ superBul:
No, I won’t have to do that, we have a full-time Mortitian in our employ too, he prepares the remains of the deceased (see this is the more favoured wording to use, it sounds less harsh than saying corpse.. hehe).
He better not have a father or mother die soon though, because then I’m slightly farked…. Hahahaha
Damn, will have to think what we would do if he had to be absent…. think we must appoint an appie for him, that oke can do all sorts of driving around for us too and at the same time learn the trade of mortitian to assist. It will spare my partner from going out at 03:00 in the mornings and it would greatly assist him if someone else could do the driving around stuff.
Puma welkom in die stad van die Kampioene. Het jy al die pad gekom om te sien hoe die Currie Beker lyk?
This is Plumtree’s first error of the season IMO.
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