SA latest – Sharks lose Sykes
21 Jun 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from South Africa’s Super Rugby franchises.
Sharks lose Sykes – Lock Steven Sykes has failed a fitness test and will not travel to New Zealand to play the Crusaders in Saturday’s play-off.
Sykes is still battling a knee injury and won’t be available for the game. Gerhard Mostert and Alistair Hargreaves are likely to pack down in the second row.
The good news for the Sharks is that Odwa Ndungane and Eugene van Staden will be available for selection.
Chiliboy to lead Bulls? – The Bulls have already begun the process of searching for a new captain given Victor Matfield has played his last Super Rugby game for the Pretoria franchise.
Reports from up north indicate that Chiliboy Ralepelle could be handed the ultimate responsibility in 2012. Pierre Spies and Dewald Potgieter are also strong contenders.
The Bulls will also need to decide on a team captain ahead of the Currie Cup in July. Given that a number of senior Springboks will be unavailable due to Tri-Nations duty, Gary Botha, Derick Kuun and Potgieter are in the running for the position.
The Bulls are also set to confirm a new coach for the Currie Cup. Frans Ludeke will stay on as coach of the Super Rugby franchise, but former Free State U21 mentor Pine Pienaar is expected to take the reins in the domestic competition.
Penalties to break deadlock - A penalty shoot-out will decide play-off matches that are tied after extra-time.
This according to a directive from Sanzar on Tuesday. Any draw in the regulation 80 minutes would be followed by 10-minute periods of extra time, then another 10-minute period of “sudden death” if needed, in which the first team to score would be awarded victory.
Should the score still remain level, the teams would have a kicking competition, nominating five players to take shots at the posts from set positions on the 22 and 15-metre lines with victory awarded to the most accurate kicking side.
27 Comments
21 Jun 2011, 09:03 am
That should crank the tension up a few notches. Which team has the kicking ability for this kind of tie-breaker?
21 Jun 2011, 09:20 am
Schalk likes to attempt the odd drop goal…
21 Jun 2011, 09:38 am
Stormers have a few kickers. Grant, dewaldt, aplon, jantjies, schalk.
21 Jun 2011, 10:52 am
Sudden death is such a crock – if teams are that even after 80min then the game shouldn’t be decided by a stupid penalty awarded to the 1st team that can get into the opposition half… don’t mind the penalty shoot-out though, as the game can’t go on forever. Sudden death is bullsh*t though.
21 Jun 2011, 11:00 am
Does this include tests? The last thing players need with their current workload is to play even longer games.
21 Jun 2011, 13:42 pm
Spies as captain?? lol the team wont be inspired by his on field performances.
I think it will be between chili and potties.
21 Jun 2011, 13:44 pm
Give Gary Botha the captaincy for the Currie Cup. It can be a nice going away present for him.
21 Jun 2011, 14:00 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-7:
It would not be in the interest of the Bulls to give Gary the captaincy.
Rather blood a talent like Potgieter.
Having said that, I think a black player captaining the Bulls in 2012 onwards would be a major deal and would do wonders for the development of the game up North.
21 Jun 2011, 14:01 pm
The prophecy shall be fulfilled……
Rallapelle as Bulls captain…..(real possibility)
Rallapelle as Bok captain (where have I heard this before)
Give or take 2 years……
bwahahahahaha (evil laugh) SWART GEVAAR
Lmao!
21 Jun 2011, 14:11 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-9: Hope you enjoyed our game Mshini. Heart stopping stuff but brilliant.
Anyhow I think Rallapelle was a superb captain in the u19′s. Think he played great on Saturday too. He will be a very good captain for the Bulls.
21 Jun 2011, 14:23 pm
No big loss for the Sharks. Sykes is over rated. So the Bulls have 3 hookers now. Weppener, Chilli and Botha. How long is Botha’s contract for, because he must go.
21 Jun 2011, 14:33 pm
Didn’t Potgieter captain SA Schools – I know he was the EP Craven Week captain.
21 Jun 2011, 14:33 pm
Someone told me the other day, not sure how true this is, that in the RWC after the drop goal shoot out, at some point if the winner has still not been decided, it can eventually lead to a coin toss to determine the winner! Can you imagine if we beat NZ via a coin toss?
21 Jun 2011, 14:53 pm
StefanT15: Not allowed to take Swanepoel who has been part of squad all year and toured with us for 4 weeks. He didn’t play 4 games. Caleb Ralph,Reds?
21 Jun 2011, 14:55 pm
@Puma(Puma)-10:
Was at the game bud,flew up Friday & drove to Loftus in my black and white!!! It was awesome,watched the Natal Duikers beat Loftus 200 ??? as the curtain raiser then of course yes THE BIG GAME.
Freddy Michalak and Gerhard Mostert were superb. Mostert for me especially,finally stepped up to all the promise. Big fella,an even bigger game.
21 Jun 2011, 15:02 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-9:
21 Jun 2011, 15:34 pm
Only change for the Sharks should be v Staden in for J d Plessis. Papjannie was weak on Saturday.
Please, no Odwa. We already have one OAP out wide in Tereblanche.
No ways Odwa would have scored that try Mvovo did agaisnt the Cheetahs.
Mvovo is fast, strong in the tackle and even stronger on his feet with ball in hand.
Leave Odwa at home.
21 Jun 2011, 18:54 pm
Ja, fark off already Sykes.
Thank goodness. His mind is already in Ulster.
Go Mostert you Good Thing. A more than able replacement. Makes Elstadt look like a pussycat in comparison. Full stop.
21 Jun 2011, 18:58 pm
Sharks team I would opt for:
15 Patrick Lambie
14 JP Pietersen
13 Steffan Terblanche
12 Meyer Bosman
11 Lwazi Mvovo
10 Freddy Michalak
9 Charl McLoed
8 Ryan Kankowski
7 Jean Deysel
6 Keegan Daniel
5 Alistair Hargreaves
4 Gerhard Mostert
3 Jannie Du Plessis
2 Bismark Du Plessis
1 Tendai Mtawarira
16 John Smit
17 Eugene Van Staden
18 Ross Skeate
19 Willem Alberts
20 Conrad Hoffman
21 Louis Ludik
22 Adrian Jacobs / Odwa Ndungane
21 Jun 2011, 19:07 pm
Bulls team next year?
15 Zane Kirchner
14 Gerrard Van Den Heever
13 Jaco Pretorius
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Steffan Watermeyer
10 Morne Steyn
9 Francois Hougaard
8 Pierre Spies
7 Dewaldt Potgieter (capt)
6 Deon Steggman
5 Juandre Kruger
4 Danie Russouw
3 Werner Kruger
2 Chillyboy Ralepelle (vice capt)
1 Dean Greyling
16 Derrik Kuun / Willie Weppener
17 Russouw De Klerk
18 Flip Van Der Merwe
19 Gerrit Van Velze
20 Dustin Jinka
21 Francois Brummer
22 Akona Ndungane
21 Jun 2011, 19:08 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-19: Think Plum will start with the same team as last week.
Is Hoffman not still injured?
21 Jun 2011, 19:10 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-19: Starting XV swap Oupa with Jacobs, Deysel with Alberts then all good.
Wonder when Hoffman is back. Is he back this week? Will be a beautiful thing again if he is on the bench as back up to McLeod
Cant stay long but like your team. Not sure of Skeate and will take Odwa anyday as back up for back three over Ludik.
Sorted. Sharks can win this one and make us believers again. Fark, the last babbelaas nearly killed me. The next one may be oblivion.
21 Jun 2011, 19:15 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-15: Sorry mate, had to go out. So only see your post now. Sorry to answer late.
Damn wish I went to the game. Did think about it but opted to watch from home. Would have been awesome being there. Was one of the best games I have watched in a very long time. The best in this years S15.
Mostert was brilliant. Hope he is in that form again this week. Actually hope the whole team are.
Travel will be a monster, but we in the play offs that all that matters right now.
See rain is forecast. Doubt we will see a brilliant game like we done against the Bulls cause of the weather.
21 Jun 2011, 19:18 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-22: hahaha. Was worth the hangover buddy.
Agree I would have Odwa on the bench instead of Ludik. He can cover fb and wing. For that matter even outside center if he has too. Though we will have Adi for that. Would love for Adi to start. But Stefan will for sure.
21 Jun 2011, 20:50 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-22:
Odwa is a good cover I might agree there I thought he might want a definate fullback for such a big game because a full back will cover both Lambie & Michalak if they get injured
I dont see Bosman moving to no.10 if they both go off the field..
Jacobs would do well defensively instead of Bosman but Bosman had a good display against the Bulls fairplay to him..
I thought Hoffman was back this week but if not that is a weak position for the Sharks..
Skeate will have to cover lock because Sykes is out but also Skeate is a good impact players from the bench I dont see the Sharks having very many other options to be honest…
The Sharks could do with BJ Botha, Johaan Muller & Brad Barrit and with those 3 the team would be complete
21 Jun 2011, 23:05 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-20:
As things stand now, pending some acquisitions to be announced, the Bulls should look like this:
15 Zane Kirchner
14 Gerrard Van Den Heever
13 Stefan Dippenaar
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Akona Ndungane
10 Morne Steyn
9 Francois Hougaard
8 Pierre Spies
7 Dewaldt Potgieter (capt)
6 Deon Steggman
5 Juandre Kruger
4 Flip vd Merwe
3 Werner Kruger
2 Chillyboy Ralepelle (vice capt)
1 Dean Greyling
16 Willie Weppener
17 Russouw De Klerk
18 Fudge Mabetha(or I feel maybe someone like Fondse)
19 Gerrit Van Velze/Arno Botha/CJ Stander
20 Ruan Snyman/Lohan Jacobs (or maybe someone like Jano Vermaak or Sarel Pretorius)
21 Francois Brummer
22 Stephan Watermeyer
And yes I reckon Potties will be CC captain and make a huge success of it. No amount of grooming of anyone else will cause Ludeke to push him aside. Nothing wrong with Chilli. I just hope they don’t make Sp[ies captain. He is not a team guy, he is on his own mission- totally infatuated with himself, his genetics and his religion(in that order), so I see a big crash-boom-bang if the mantle falls on him. He probably was the single most influential factor in the Bulls coming short this year.
22 Jun 2011, 04:48 am
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-13: Will never happen. If anywhere is going to have a two-faced coin it is New Zealand.
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