Hernandez back to boost Sharks
27 Aug 2009
Juan Martin Hernandez has recovered from an ankle injury and will start for the Sharks against Western Province at King’s Park on Saturday.
It will be the first time Hernandez is paired with scrumhalf Rory Kockott, and in theory the two should form a formidable halfback combination.
There’s also a new-look midfield, with Riaan Swanepoel and Andries Strauss, who replaces Springbok centre Waylon Murray, named in the run on side. Skipper Bardenhorst will earn his 50th cap for the Sharks.
The Sharks are hoping that Deon Carstens recovers from a knock, but Pat Cilliers has been bracketed at loosehead if Carstens fails to recover.
Coach John Plumtree was liberal in his praise of Province, who are the only side too have beaten the Sharks to date.
‘We have a lot of respect for this Province side, it’s loaded with talent,’ he told the Sharks’ official website.
‘They have a heavy forward pack which has scored something like nine tries from driving mauls, this team is quite well-balanced and they can compete against any team in this competition.
‘They’ll come here knowing they can beat us, the plus for us is that we’ve been playing well and are expecting a large crowd. The players look forward to these challenges so it’s not been hard from a coaching perspective to get the team up for this game.’
Plumtree added that he was pleased with the progress his side has made this season, particularly considering the number of Springboks they’ve lost.
‘We’re just wrapped with the way the team has been able to function without our Springboks, and we did it last year as well,’ he said.
‘Everyone is stepping up when they need to and the good thing is that we will be able to just filter the Boks back in if the team continues to function now, without having to rush them in.’
Sharks - 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Chris Jordaan, 13 Andries Strauss, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Juan Hernandez, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller (c), 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Deon Carstens / Patric Cilliers
Subs - 16 Craig Burden, 17 Patric Cilliers / Deon Carstens, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Waylon Murray
18 Comments
27 Aug 2009, 12:37 pm
look forward to seeing him in action
27 Aug 2009, 12:43 pm
El Mago Dragon!
27 Aug 2009, 13:12 pm
With Terblanche at 15 and Hernandez at 10, the kicking game will be excellent. Let’s hope the pack makes the most of it, as Plumtree says the WP forwards aren’t the pushover they once were.
27 Aug 2009, 13:29 pm
Very good team , this time WP will have to dig deep. Don’t know much about Hernandez but believe his very good. With Kockett back it’s not going to be an easy game for province , but we have to take it.
27 Aug 2009, 13:35 pm
Skipper has been a loyal servant of Sharks rugby over the past few years, but Craig Burden has really impressed of late and has a great future ahead of him so I find this swap a bit of a surprise.
But Plum obviously knows what he is doing.
27 Aug 2009, 13:50 pm
Andries Strauss Again?! Skipper to start ?! Wonder what Plums` been smoking . . .
Hopefully he comes out of the trip before saturday afternoon and go with Burden and Murray!
If the sharks lose this one it`s another season down the drain . . .
27 Aug 2009, 13:56 pm
#6 Original Pierre: Pierre!! here is what i has just posted in sharksworld
Must say i find 3 positions quite strange…
1) Burden has been brilliant , unless the change is because of scrumming power concerns ?
Skipper does add a little more bulk?
2) Strauss @ 113 for Murray? surely it should have been Murray , not only faster but just as good in defence and he passes the ball
3) On the bench Downey has been dropped , again is this for Rhodes as he is bigger then downey , so i assume scrum power is worrying PLUM ?
Carstens is bracketed in with Cilliers ?. Is the injury concerns worse then we know ?
Comment 30, posted at 27.08.09 13:52:47 by sharks_lover
27 Aug 2009, 14:05 pm
What is sharksworld and can you give me some directions please?
27 Aug 2009, 14:34 pm
#7 sharks_lover:
Not sure why Plum has slotted Skipper in to start. Burden has been unbelievable the last few weeks.
Surely its not because of Skippers bulk, hes only 4kgs heavier than Burden.
And Burden, along with the Beast and Deysel, is apparently one of the most powerful players in that side.
Might have something to do with a technique issue. Burden is still relatively new in this position and the province hooker has been scrumming very well.
Either that or Burden is carrying a slight injury.
Deon Carstens is still strugling with a knee injury and hasnt been training with the team this week.
Murray to come on after 50 minutes hopefully.
27 Aug 2009, 14:41 pm
#8 Original Pierre: http://www.sharksworld.co.za
27 Aug 2009, 14:43 pm
#9 John Galt: Hi John, i hear what ur saying thats why i asked the questions i did,
One tries to make sense of it. not always easy though
27 Aug 2009, 14:56 pm
is it the sharks’ policy to import pretty boy rugby stars, they’re way of getting the ladies in the tank, broadening the demographic?
27 Aug 2009, 15:34 pm
Looking forward to seeing Hernandez playing on Saturday.
27 Aug 2009, 16:05 pm
GO PROVINCE!!!
Will be a large game, boys!
May the best team win, as long as they’re wearing blue and white!
WP jou lekker ding!
27 Aug 2009, 16:21 pm
sharks have now got 3 no. 10s when Ruan returns. I am surprised to see that WM is not in the run on team? Go Sharks!! give them a good klap!! this is going to be a mammoth game.
27 Aug 2009, 18:01 pm
When Boks are back our backline might look something like this :
Stefan, Odwa, Murray, Hernandez, JP, Pienaar / Monty, Rory
or
Hernandez, Stefan, Murray, Swanepoel, JP, Monty, Pienaar
or
Pienaar, Odwa, Murray, Swanepoel, JP, Hernandez, Rory
So many options but where do you fit everyone in? You can`t drop Stefan and we paid so much for Hernandez you can`t afford to leave him out, but is Pienaar a better no 9 than Rory?
Nice position to be in really.
28 Aug 2009, 00:25 am
#16 ORIGINAL PIERRE
If only kockott wasnt there, not a fan at all.
My backs would look like this
9 – Pienaar/McLeod
10 – Hernandez/Pienaar
11 – Odwa/Jordaan
12 – Adi/Henandez
13 – Murray/Adi
14 – JP
15 – Stefan
20 – Mcleod/G Cronje
21 – Dumond/G Cronje
22 – Mvovo/Strauss/Jordaan
Nice that we have a good choice, could cause major problems for many defenses. I beleive that Pienaar could be an amazing 10, pity he has been moved around so much (plus injuries). Plum has a lot of work finding the balance between the players and keeping Pdv happy..
28 Aug 2009, 04:59 am
#17 Travelling Shark:
Kockott is a game breaker. He demolished the Cheetahs a few weeks back all on his own. He just needs to channel his temper and remain calm at crucial times.
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