THE only thing that is likely to be on Springbok captain John Smit’s mind at the moment is how they can possibly overcome the Wallabies in Brisbane this Saturday, but on his return to Durban, he is set to resume contractual negotiations with the Sharks.
Article with compliments to the Daily News.
Rumours have been buzzing around for some time predominantly linking Smit with a possible move to the Lions, where former Sharks coach and current Bok assistant coach Dick Muir is trying to re-build the franchise into a formidable force once again.
Smit’s Sharks contract is up at the end of the 2010 season, and with the Springboks set to have a few weeks break between this weekend’s Tri-Nations test and their next, Sharks commercial manager Rudolf Straeuli said they were keen to sit down with Smit.
“We are waiting to meet with John once he returns from overseas. He’s said that he hasn’t committed to anyone else and that he’ll come to see us when he’s back. So that should happen in the next couple of weeks.”
A source close to the Bok captain confirmed to the Daily News that interest in acquiring the services of Smit had been expressed by the Lions and from other quarters, but that the 32-year-old was in fact likely to re-sign with the Sharks.
Meanwhile, Absa Currie Cup captain Stefan Terblanche will lead an unchanged run-on side against the Pumas tomorrow night at the Absa Stadium, in what will be his 100th Currie Cup appearance (25 with Boland and the rest for the Sharks).
The successful starting lineup from last weekend remains entirely intact, while there is just a solitary change on the bench, where Willem Alberts returns from injury to replace Skholiwe Ndlovu.
Sharks coach
John Plumtree said it was important to reward the players with reselection after they performed so well against the Blue Bulls.
“We’ve talked about how if you front up, you’ve got a great chance of being selected and I thought everyone deserved to be re-selected this week. That’s the kind of environment I want to create, where there is healthy competition for places. If you don’t perform, you don’t get picked and this was one game where everybody really stood up. We do have some guys returning from injury, which is great news for us, but they are going to have to work to get back into this team.”
Alberts is one of those that will have to work his way back off the bench, but he is set to have an extended run in the second half “with a view to giving him some game time ahead of the match against the Cheetahs next week”.
For the most part, though, Plumtree said it was crucial for combinations to settle.
again it shows how the like of lions supporters and a few on other blogs claim they have facts that John Smit was signing and off to the lions
even on Sharksworld when i said Smitty was staying at the Sharks i was laughed at and that they had facts
wellmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i guess my facts were right , and this is very much what i said in here a few months ago , and my source just happens to be Smitties best friend
also i was said ruan is definately off to ulster , well that is still not done and dusted , although i never claimed to have the facts on that one
Is smitty gonna stay at the sharks ?? who knows , but one this is sure , he has the intention of wanting to stay there
Good day tighthead my friend , how you been??
It seems the rumour spreaders did not really have a clue
things looking up at the sharks
Hey Sharky, great win against the Bulls!!
I really enjoyed the one scrum where the short Sharks front row got under the Bulls and gave it to them!!
Technique is always king!!!
lol TH yeah was great
ust say i was surprised at that as i was one that thought we could win, but i felt our scrum would suffer
well what a nice surprise that was when we creamed them upfront
and aint it nice to see smitty is so loyal to the sharks
i got that info though 3 months ago from CD when i called him
lol and how the people were running around how it was definate that smitty is off to the lions 😆
@ sharky_forever:
Well contracts aside, it is near to impossible to move a young family away from the winter paradise called Tekweni!!
3@ tight head:
That scrum was’nt funny!
OK, it was…. Gary riding high, totally lifted from the ground….
Sharks should be great for next year
youngsters are getting game time now and the experience , like lambie etc
@ grootblousmile:
Why did I know you would relive your pain here!!
I must say I was at the game and had a close look at the Bulls pack warming up beforehand and thought that they would murder the Sharks, who were a little lightweight.
The Bulls must be very unhappy and need to show it on Saturday.
lol rudi , some days i love that sense of humour of yours 😆
lol true TH , like i said CD told me around 3 months ago smitty had just completed his new house that was built
why on earth then move??
but of course the likes of lions supporters tried spreading rumours around to try sotth their pains 😆 like there was 8 sharks players going to the bulls etc
well as we know the only one that got was murray
11@ sharky_forever:
What is life without humour?
agreed brother agreed
btw by the way , i leave for the cape around the 22 aug
I am going to drink beer and listen to kak from grown men.
See you boys later.
As a die hard Lions fan who continually lives in hope (and is destined to die in vain I’m sure), I can honestly say that for Mr smit to move to the Lions he would have to be so mad, that he is already booked for a full frontal lobotomy.
The Lions would have to pay him wheelbarrow’s full of crisp unused notes on a monthly basis for him to even express an interst I’m sure. To the best of my knowledge i dont think they have that sort of money lying in a bank account or a secret vault in Doornfontein.
HOWEVER, maybe, just maybe they can make enough extra tom from the NZ test at the Natonal Stadium to entice Smitty and a few other experienced “Rugby Warlords” to the City of Gold for a couple of years.
15 Bars is not a figure to be taken lightly.
Personally I say leave the players and buy Manie a new Buggatti Veron (spelling?).
Who needs trophies or a full stadium?
lol scrumdown
mate i hear ya and them frustrations
manie as i see it as an outsider is the cancer at the lions
16@ Scrumdown:
There’s nothing much wrong at the Lions, the problem just lies with Manie, his whole Administration, all the Clubs in the area, all the players at the Union, the Stadium and surrounds and all the Lions Supporters… that’s all!
Hehehehe
@ grootblousmile:I’ve had a tough day and have just drunk a tin of condensed milk (not the little one either), so i feel better now.
Whats this about Ruan NOT going to Ulster?
@ tight head:Bulls front row are pussys!
@ 4man:
Not you as well!!
Puma and I will have words with you!! That is a ‘young mans’ drink!! A young man that has just run 40k with a 20k pack on his back!! 😆
@ sharky_forever:Wahl Bahrtmann lived in Jo-burg and came to all the practices and games in Durban….no problem…and he still ran his company.
@ 4man:
Just because your Sharks actually won last week, no need to get so cocky!! 😉
@ Blue Bird:I AM a young man!!! and I feel much better now after drinking the condensed milk!! When I was a boy a 20kg pack was one that was half empty!
@ Blue Bird:Hmm, we actually win quite often and 9 times out of the last 11 against the Bulls at Kings Park…maybe they should carry bigger packs at training…..and drink more condensed milk!
@ 4man:
That is called the ‘sugar rush’ and only lasts for a while!!!
Looks like you could do with some help with your Currie Cup Picks young man!! Shall I mail you mine!! Hehehehehh
@ 4man:
I think John Smit got all the condensed milk first!! 🙂
@ Blue Bird:Que!
@ Blue Bird:I wish my arse was as fat as his, then it wouldnt hurt when I ride the bicycle.
@ sharky_forever:1 – Sharky, I believed you brudda, actually I too never took notice of any rumour that Smit was off to the Lions. I don’t have any source at all, just know he had recently built a house and finally moved into it here in Durbs. You go through all that no-way will you just head off.
Hope Ruan stays on too until after the world cup. So hoping that deal with Ulster is not a done deal yet.
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