Kockott keeps his spot
5 Mar 2008
Sharks scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar will not play against the Blues on Saturday.
Pienaar has failed to recover from a collar-bone injury, which means Rory Kockott will wear the No 9 jersey again. Kockott has been impressive for the Sharks this season – both in general play and kicking at goal – so Sharks coach Dick Muir won’t be too concerned by the news.
But Muir is still not sure whether hooker Bismarck du Plessis (rib) and the experienced AJ Venter (infected leg wound) will be passed fit. A decision on the Springbok duo will be made later in the week.
Meanwhile, the Blues have been training with wet balls to counter the expected slippery conditions in Durban.
The Auckland-based side has struggled with their handling on previous trips to the Shark Tank at this time of the year, and are determined to get a grip on the situation. Practicing with wet balls is a ploy used by Blues flyhalf Nick Evans and assistant coach Greg Cooper when they were with the Highlanders.
“We trained out there with a slippery ball and we aren’t looking at those kind of natural factors to put us back and not allow us to play the game that we can play,” Evans told RugbyHeaven. “We have a lot of talent and the boys believe they can back their skills for the conditions that are there. There’s no doubt that the ball will be slippery – we know that and we will take the right precautions and maybe give ourselves a bit more time.”
45 Comments
5 Mar 2008, 12:20 pm
Ek sien.
5 Mar 2008, 12:25 pm
Ek ok…:-)
5 Mar 2008, 12:43 pm
we in ****… kockott is too slow getting rid of the ball.
5 Mar 2008, 12:44 pm
Mamma always said dont play with wet balls.
5 Mar 2008, 12:48 pm
kockott tries to be way to clever, get the ball to fred, I think he had the ball max 5 times from set plays last week…
5 Mar 2008, 12:49 pm
Agreed Travelling Shark.
5 Mar 2008, 12:51 pm
We need Bismarck in the team. When Ruan comes back i would choose the following backline.
9 – Kockott
10 – Pienaar
12 – Steyn
13 – Murray
11 – JP
14 – Ndungane
15 – Terreblanche
Bench – (Backline; Barritt and Michalak
5 Mar 2008, 12:59 pm
Maybe this backline!?!
9- Pienaar he’s a class act!
10- Steyn at least he tries to create, run, he’ll learn to pass when AJ klaps him for making him clean rucks to often!
11-Mentz serious pace and catching high it good
12-Barrit he’ll gain confidence soon to pass the ball in the tackle as he did so well last year
13- Murray best 13 in the SA!
14-Jp he’s big, fast and…and…and…um, that’s it!
15-terrorblanche jeez, dunno, he’s hopefully got experience
5 Mar 2008, 13:02 pm
Shimmy.
Ndungane vs Mentz!!!
I know who would be in my team of those two.
5 Mar 2008, 13:03 pm
Doesn’t matter. They are about to face their first challenge. Now they have only eliminated an excuse.
5 Mar 2008, 13:04 pm
Kakhot is going to get bliksemed pretty soon. He is an excellent player but needs to calm down a bit.
It will be interesting to see if Burden starts at hooker or if Skipper gets the nod. Burden played rather well last weekend.
My pet hate, Keagan Daniel, also played well. The trio of Daniel, Kankowsky and Botes were superb. AJ will struggle to get a run on start.
5 Mar 2008, 13:07 pm
Skunk,
Check on the sharks website…you’ll see mentz at least has a better try scoring rate. that’s my only reason for putting him above odwa.
I feel sorry for a guy like adi jacobs….such an awkward player but clearly has some magic in those hands!
5 Mar 2008, 13:16 pm
Jacobs is imo the best linebreaker in SA. But we musn’t forget that we only see him play when the opposition is tired (impact).
5 Mar 2008, 13:19 pm
Shimmy
Odwa has a better defence and has created more tries then Mentz. Henno has a problem with looking for work.
5 Mar 2008, 13:31 pm
mentz is kuk! end of. adi is possibly the most exciting center is sa at the mo.
5 Mar 2008, 13:33 pm
Skunk agree with you 100% In no way is Mentz better than Odwa!
5 Mar 2008, 13:36 pm
So….sorry bit off the point here, but am rather curious. remember the sharks bought this big winger from the lions, he played for the boks a few times….Dean Hall?! what the **** happened there, does anyone know?
5 Mar 2008, 13:36 pm
9. Pienaar
10. Michelak
11. Terrablance
12. Barrit
13. Murray
14. JP
15. Steyn
5 Mar 2008, 13:38 pm
Loosehead, i dont agree with you.
Whilst Daniel will be great against the reds, brumbies etc, he will get manhandled by the big kiwi loosies if he starts.
The Sharks need a hard man like AJ there to front up and compete at a more physical level and then bring Daniel on with fresh legs.
5 Mar 2008, 13:40 pm
Daniel is great wish he could get a few minutes at centre if we run the opposition dizzy.
5 Mar 2008, 13:43 pm
Where are the results for the keo prediction competition ?
5 Mar 2008, 13:44 pm
Where are the results and standings for the prediction competition ?
5 Mar 2008, 13:49 pm
Kockott has become a very good place kicker and he would be one of my first selections for the team.
5 Mar 2008, 13:55 pm
WTF!! How can anyone think Daniels is good?! He thinks he’s 2m and 120 kgs.. Someone his size should be fetching like a demon and stepping through gaps, not trying to make them throguh players..
And off the topic, but what happened to the tongan import??
5 Mar 2008, 14:02 pm
Why on earth would you leave Fred on the bench?? (7&8). Fred needs time on the ball to get it right, with kockott there it doesnt look like this will happen…
Lets get the ball to the backline – 1st half try against bulls, murray drew 2 defenders and offloaded to Odwa to score. Leave it as is, the boys will settle.
I agree with Loosehead, Aj is looking slow and his age seems to be catching up with him. His experience will keep him in the team, i reckon move him to lock; Botes, Kanko and Daniel deserve another shot…
5 Mar 2008, 14:06 pm
#17 shimmy,
i remember the guy too. dean hall was a bok earlier this decade. i think his career is done and dusted. had a persistent and non-responsive knee injury as far as i can recall.
5 Mar 2008, 14:09 pm
with all the rave reports about allistair hargreaves in the junior SA teams , is he ever going to kick it with the big boys?? he and muller could make a good combo yes /no?
5 Mar 2008, 14:11 pm
19 Biggles, listen to the Bulls supporters, they will tell you how hard and uncompromising they are. Daniel was outstanding against them.
AJ is looking his age.
5 Mar 2008, 14:20 pm
Best Sharks backline
9.Kockitt(Must be told not too go glory all
the time)
10. Pienaar(for the sake of the springboks)
11. Ndungane
12. Jacobs
13. Murray
14. Pietersen
15. Steyn (also nees a talking to about option
taking
5 Mar 2008, 14:23 pm
I dont think we are all talking about the same Rory Kockitt… The Rory that plays scrumhalf for the sharks is ****!
Freddy got the ball at most twice in the first half from kockitt. Rory tried to run & kick EVERYTHING himself & not getting anywhere… the oke is an idiot!
5 Mar 2008, 14:32 pm
Agreed AJ is getting too slow for the new ELF game, Daniels way better suited to the new style of play.
5 Mar 2008, 14:35 pm
#30. im with u john_psycho. kockott is real ****, he thinks he’s better than he really is!
5 Mar 2008, 14:39 pm
rory is a legend! big things from this kid imo.
adi is a star. in fact adi, murray and kockott have been the pick of the sharks backs so far. jpp is not shining but not kuk either. solid is how i think of his play at the moment. steyn is off the boil. baritt too. but class is permanent. these guys will click on fri night at the tank. i will cheer them on.
go sharks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 Mar 2008, 14:50 pm
I also feel a few Sharks have been off the boil, namely JP (Hasnt done much this season), Barrit seems to just run straight at the opposition defence and Steyn hasnt been his best either. Hope they start sparking they need to this weekend. I reckon Kockott is great, in the mould of what a scrummy should be, bloody irritating get the oppo blood boiling. I still reckon Ruan would be an amazing Fly Half ?
5 Mar 2008, 14:51 pm
#30 To be fair, it was pretty clear that he was under team instructions to take the kicking pressure off Michalak. Ruan would have done the same thing, only Ruan is a better kicker out of hand.
Kockott’s certainly not the finished article yet, but he’s an exciting talent and I’m glad to see him get some game time, even if it costs the Sharks against the Blues. The most persistent criticism of South African backs is that they’re not imaginative enough, and they rely too much on set patterns – that’s why we’re suffering under the ELVs. But you can’t make that accusation about Kockott. Sure, he’s going to screw up every once in a while (just like Steyn), but as he gets more experience his judgement will improve, and we’ll be left with just the skill and flair.
I hope so, anyway.
5 Mar 2008, 15:01 pm
I want to see Mathie or Mcloed in action, when do they get their chance?? Yes Kockott was good last season,but if you get as much of the ball as he doe, then you are bound to do something good. The Sharks have the most exciting attacking backline of the SA teams, the only reason why its off the boil, is there is no service, thats because it doesnt get past 9. It seems hes on a one man crusade – lets put it down to small man syndrome.
Ruan cant get back quick enough…
5 Mar 2008, 16:12 pm
Ja, Kockott isn’t my cup of tea either. He spends waaay too much taking a look around before getting the ball out and also appears to take the wrong option 50% of the time.
Re: Steyn. I’d like to see him a lot closer to the action, preferably at 10 or 12. His main strength – to my eyes – isn’t his ability to kick drop goals, but rather his ability to break the libne and read play.
Also, am I the only one he thinks he’s gotten a helluva lot slower suddenly?
5 Mar 2008, 17:08 pm
I’ve added a clip of the 1st Sharks try against the Bulls last Saturday on my website if you want to go have a look…click on my name to go there.
5 Mar 2008, 17:40 pm
How on this earth can you suggest Koockott has been playing well this season after his last showing?? He was shocking? Knocked ball on about 4 times among other things. For a scrumhalf that is very worrying, is it not?
5 Mar 2008, 18:50 pm
#38 If you’re use these message boards to advertise your site, you could at least make an effort to contribute to the discussion.
#39 I disagree. Yes, he made a number of mistakes, not least of which was getting clattered by an opponent on his own 5 metre line and knocking on. But he also made a few really good sniping breaks, and his distribution was quick and neat. The speed with which he cleared the ruck was a key factor in Michalak’s try, for instance.
He didn’t have a perfect game – none of the Sharks did – but the mistakes were balanced by some moments of excellence, and overall I don’t think it’s unfair to say he had a good game.
Individual mistakes can be worked on. I’d much rather have a player playing at a generally high standard but occasionally ******** up than one playing at a low standard but not making any mistakes.
5 Mar 2008, 19:03 pm
Kokott came on against stormers and made a big difference, he scored the points that won the game.
he got under the skin of the bulls and they didnt like it. he never takes a step back and is always up for the battle.
fair enough, he is a little rough around the edges, but given time, he will develop into a fine player.
i’d rather have playing 4 me than against me.
5 Mar 2008, 23:24 pm
fokit
5 Mar 2008, 23:59 pm
JJOOONNNTTTYYYYY!!!! JJOOONNNTTTYYY!!!! Skrik wakker, die site raak al hoe k@kker. Is die comp nog aan of wat? Where’s the points table for I’m clueless to my progress, if any.
6 Mar 2008, 04:58 am
Kockott will have the Blues this weekend. Sharks in for a huge whipping
6 Mar 2008, 12:07 pm
No Venter and no du Plessis? Fantastic!
Two less forwards who love to interfere in the back line and kill every move.
Put Craig Burden in, he’ll do a much better job.
Keagan Daniels’ pace is such an asset too.
Great news!
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