Sharks sweat on back row bulldozers
11 Jan 2012
Willem Alberts and Jean Deysel are in a race to be fit for the start of the Sharks’ Super Rugby campaign.
The back rowers are being treated for injuries that coach John Plumtree fears could preclude them from the opening game Super Rugby fixture against the Bulls on 24 February. The duo are central to the Sharks’ success, with their ball-carrying ability a source of momentum. Plumtree said he was hopeful that they would recover.
Meanwhile, injury-plagued scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann tore a pectoral muscle during a gym session and will be out for four weeks.
The Sharks have resumed their pre-season programme after a short festive season break and Plumtree is pleased with their progress. He was also optimistic about the squad’s depth, so crucial in an extended Super Rugby campaign.
‘If you look at our forwards, there is a lot of experience there now and some of these guys have been playing Super Rugby for five or six years. In the backs, there is a mixture of experience and youth,’ he told the Sharks’ official website.
‘We’ll see an introduction of young players as well during the campaign which is positive going forward. I think we’re in good shape but it’s a long competition isn’t it? If you lose two or three guys to injury, especially if it’s in the same position, then suddenly you can come under pressure. But the U21s did well last year and our Vodacom Cup side is full of promising youngsters as well so we’ll also able to draw from them.’
24 Comments
11 Jan 2012, 10:06 am
Bunker Busting Dragons!
11 Jan 2012, 10:07 am
i will be at opening game at Loftus ….bulls …sharks…
not sure who to support!
11 Jan 2012, 10:14 am
these two will always be injury prone the way the sharks coaches are instructing them to play. crashballing all day is just dumb.
mccaw, reid & kaino or dusatoir, harinodoquy, bonnaire will outsmart these “bulldozers” anyday.
11 Jan 2012, 10:19 am
Well, the Sharks are always our toughest local opposition, so it is certainly possible that our new young team might lose their opening home game.
The Sharks are traditionally strong in the early stages of the tournament, before fading later.
So if I was a betting man, well, the odds on this one would be 50/50, despite the fact that it is being played at Loftus.
11 Jan 2012, 10:41 am
Deysel broken again?
Is he out of his motorplan?
11 Jan 2012, 11:11 am
Rather dont risk them early Plum.
Its a ridiculously long season and to risk them in the first game, an away game, would be very short sighted.
The Bulls/Sharks game is going to be very interesting.
With most of the dead wood out of both sides, it’ll be great to finally see some youngsters getting a shot.
This whole season excites me actually. I have my season tickets for the tank and am aiming to get to all games.
Had a really pitiful showing last year by my own standards.
11 Jan 2012, 11:53 am
@Transformation-3: he has no choice as he is stuck with with two soft locks who are not equipped to do the hard work.
11 Jan 2012, 11:58 am
@Tacitus-4: Sharks won at Loftus last year against a pretty strong Bulls outfit.
I reckon the Sharks will be going into this game positively. As much as the Bulls would like to remonstrate otherwise, the loss of a bunch of stalwarts is hardly going to bolster their cause.
I am not saying this to rub their noses in their situation, but I recall in the late nineties how the loss of players like Mark Andrews, Henry Honiball, James Small, Andre Joubert and a few others all in a short period of time affected the Sharks. They too had fairly decent players to take up those places, but you just don’t replace a stalwart that easily.
For the Bulls to lose their triumvirate Bakkies, Victor and Fourie all in one go is rough. Add the others to the exodus, and its going to be tough. One thing the Bulls have going for them is an incredible half back pair in Hougaard and Steyn, which is one of the most important combinations on a rugby field.
Bulls fans might need a bit of patience this season.
But, I don’t make predictions any more when it comes to the Sharks. Although the Lions were awesome, and definitely deserved their title one would have expected a slightly better showing by a Sharks team laden with Springboks. Sharks looked disinterested (Afrikaans = slapgat) – which is unforgivable. Losing to a stronger opponent is one thing, but not even putting up a fight is something completely different.
So – who knows. I think it will be interesting. Bulls are a team full of character, whereas I think the Sharks have let themselves down recently so, Tac – I would go with 50/50 as well.
11 Jan 2012, 11:59 am
@RL-7: Ja, the Sharks are in trouble at lock and centre. If I were in the management group there, I would have spent the entire player recruitment budget on those positions.
I am actually excited to see how the Lions will do. Its their time right now, so I hope they push on.
11 Jan 2012, 12:00 pm
Don’t rush them back, Plum.
Maybe these injuries will actually force Plum to change tactics a bit. Not all bad imo.
11 Jan 2012, 12:02 pm
@pokkel-10: Jean Deysel is destined to play lock all season, and so I think Plum should rush him back. The Sharks have very little in reserve when it comes to lock.
11 Jan 2012, 12:09 pm
@grant10-2: don’t wear your speedo – will get funny looks
11 Jan 2012, 12:15 pm
@Dusky-11:
Plum has actually alluded in the Witness that he will not be playing Deysel at lock. Skeate and Hargreaves
at 5 and at 4 you have Bresler, Jan-Andre Marais and Peter-Steph du Toit.
11 Jan 2012, 12:17 pm
Yeah I can’t wait for that 1st game at Loftus. I’ll be there to support my Sharks again : )
11 Jan 2012, 12:20 pm
@pokkel-13: Geez dude – I hope some of those guys step up this season. Also, we need major improvement in the centre. I wonder if it was a good idea to let Adi go. Near the end of the CC, he actually looked like the best option for the Sharks….
11 Jan 2012, 12:32 pm
@Dusky-15:
The Sharks should never have let Mostert go. But the Marais laaitie is good, I’m expecting him to really step up this season.
11 Jan 2012, 13:24 pm
@pokkel-16: did he play for the baby Boks, not that it says much since the coward Hargreaves actually played and captained the baby Bok team.
So how good is this Marias really if someone like Hargreaves and Deysel is deemed better starters?
11 Jan 2012, 13:38 pm
@RL-17: I’m not sure. He played in quite a few CC games last year and what impressed me was his tackling and hitting of rucks. I don’t have the exact stats off hand but Marais went through 3 or 4 games in the CC where he didn’t miss a single tackle and he was one of the top tacklers and he hits a huge number of rucks. That’s what you want from a number 4. He’s not flashy but a grafter.
11 Jan 2012, 13:41 pm
@RL-17:
Plum also said he wanted both Deysel and Alberts in the team towards the end of the CC and he basically played Deysel at 4 just for that reason.
That is the Sharks biggest problem is their reliance on 1 or 2 big ball carriers and they became so predictable. I really hope Plum can come up with some other ideas this year because as a Sharks supporter I’m tired of the stupid one dimensional rugby of the Sharks.
11 Jan 2012, 13:48 pm
@RL-17:
Skeate came along nicely in the CC and I think he will keep Hargreaves out of the team. You can’t play Skeate and Hargreaves together that would just be a disaster.
Bresler is also a graftera and quite a hard man.
I think the Sharks have enough personnel but I’m not sure they have the gameplan.
The centres in the squad are Bosman, Joubert
, Whitehead and it seems that Mjekevu is also going to stay with the Sharks. Jordaan is also en exciting prospect. Plumtree just need to have the balls to play some of the youngster and not the overpaid Joubert and Bosman.
11 Jan 2012, 13:48 pm
@pokkel-19: Ja – I am with you there. I also agree, Mostert was a big loss. Sharks need one, possibly two big signatures and it will sort out a lot of their problems.
In a way, I am glad they didn’t go the cheque book route and are prepared to give some of the youngsters a run. Lets hope we uncover something this season.
11 Jan 2012, 13:49 pm
@pokkel-20: Ja, that’s our biggest disaster…..Bosman & Joubert…..eish…..
11 Jan 2012, 14:01 pm
Is it just me or do these two guys get injured lots? Wow this is ridiculous in some ways. Every start to the new season Alberts and Deysel are injured
11 Jan 2012, 14:42 pm
@ShaunSwindon-23:
It’s the ‘ Deysel or Alberts bash it up’ gameplan that is the biggest reason for this I think.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.