Cell C SharksCell C Sharks Director of Rugby Jake White has named his team to play the Bulls in Saturday’s opening Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Bulls at Growthpoint Kings Park.

Getting off to a good start is vital to the team’s tournament aims and there is no discounting the value of winning early to set up a platform for ongoing success. The team he has named includes 11 Springboks in the starting line-up with a further three on the bench as he has been able to name pretty much a full-strength side.

Media Release

Wing Odwa Ndungane admits that they know what is coming from the Bulls who can be relied on to play a similar style of rugby we’ve grown accustomed to.

“We know what to expect,” he says, “they always bring physicality and the back three can expect a lot of high balls to field. We have to be able to deal with their strengths, we’ve had a good week of preparation and so hopefully it all comes together on Saturday. On paper, we have one of the strongest teams, but we cannot just relax and expect to arrive and win the games. We have to work really hard and front up on game-day.”

Jake White admits that a big crowd will certainly spur the players onto a performance worthy of the team’s name.

“The first couple of games here, there’s a buzz in Durban, people want to come and watch games here, maybe to have the home games early on and get the whole crowd behind us is going to be a bonus. Had we gone away at the start and lost that opportunity for our home fans to come and watch this new team, perhaps they wouldn’t have had the same reward. For us, with the new set up, maybe playing the first few games at home and having the fans behind us could be a massive advantage.”

The match kicks off at 19:10 on Saturday evening with the parking gates opening at 4pm, the turnstiles at 16:30 and the curtain-raiser between the Tiger Sharks and Bulls Sharks (comprising Vodacom Cup players) taking place at 16:30.

 

Cell C Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (Captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 Jean Deysel, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Heimar Williams, 23 S’bura Sithole.

36 Responses to Super Rugby: Cell C Sharks name team for opener against Bulls

  • 31

    Puma wrote:

    @ Puma:
    Sorry typo posting from my iPad and making too many errors.
    Beserker = Bresler

    That’s about the only time spell check got something right
    Happy

  • 32

    @ Puma:
    Look. I really like psdt. I just believe Paul Willemse is going to be an absolute monster to play against. the bulls best kept secret before the super rugby season and flip was arguably our best player of the end of year tour. Psdt and eben groupies somehow forget flip.

    If the sharks forwards can put the bulls backline under pressure. which happens ton everyone with a struggling pack. but on an equal contest. If the bulls backline gain any dominance they eill be difficult to keep down.

  • 33

    Al wat ek kan se is Boooooom!!!! Maar ek sal nooit die Bulle afskryf nie. Ek dink dit gaan nader wees as wat meeste dink.

  • 34

    Macro the problem i have with Paul is his match fitness. It has always been a huge problem for him. If he can play 60 min at 90% he might get the overhand but i highly doubt he can.

  • 35

    @ Rambo_Hunter_BigBok:
    Geez im notnsure about that. he was pretty good in the currie cup.

    I just somehow have faith he will be a handful this year.

  • 36

    Id say pauls weakness is that he can get the odd card.

Users Online

Total 22 users including 0 member, 22 guests, 0 bot online

Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm