Sharks to face Leopards, Pumas
3 Jan 2013
The Sharks will use two pre-season friendlies against Vodacom Cup opposition to prepare for Super Rugby.
Keegan Daniel’s side will play the Leopards at the Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on 8 February, before facing the Pumas at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit a week later.
The Sharks start their Super Rugby campaign against the Stormers at Kings Park on 2 March.
Sharks Super Rugby squad:
Fullbacks: Louis Ludik, Gouws Prinsloo, Riaan Viljoen
Wings: Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Sibusiso Sithole
Centres: Meyer Bosman, Paul Jordaan, Wandile Mjekevu, Frans Steyn, Tim Whitehead, Heimar Williams
Flyhalves: Pat Lambie, Butch James
Scrumhalves: Cobus Reinach, Charl McLeod, Conrad Hoffmann
Loose forwards: Willem Alberts, Jacques Botes, Marcell Coetzee, Keegan Daniel (c), Jean Deysel, Ryan Kankowski, Francois Kleinhans, Lubabalo Mtembu
Locks: Anton Bresler, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jaundre Marais, Peet Marais, Franco van der Merwe
Hookers: Craig Burden, Kyle Cooper, Monde Hadebe, Bismarck du Plessis
Props: Dale Chadwick, Jannie du Plessis, Wiehahn Herbst, Tendai Mtawarira, Julian Redelinghuys
464 Comments
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6 Jan 2013, 14:52 pm
1996 to 2008 was a long wait for Sharks supporters.
God, but some people have short memories.
6 Jan 2013, 14:52 pm
@NZINCHINA-350:
Which NZ team do you support China?
6 Jan 2013, 14:53 pm
@David-349:
Finally the slow thinking ‘git’ realises that his smug arrogant tendencies have been ridiculed to the rafters.
6 Jan 2013, 15:05 pm
@NZINCHINA-350:
hahaha
no China, only you kiwis are.
whats the matter, dont you like to eat the sour lemons you bring to the table?
i dont know if we’ll win one but we’ll certainly be there at the end of the season.
6 Jan 2013, 15:11 pm
@nortierd-352:
Blues, was at the garden of Eden during the glory years unfortunately its been a while between drinks
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-354:
11 titles to 3 is pretty sweet not sour my friend, there you go your last sentence was all rugby nothing about cheating a good start
6 Jan 2013, 15:14 pm
@NZINCHINA-355:
Where’s your mate Chch? Haven’t seen him for while. When you two go at each other, it becomes quite entertaining.
6 Jan 2013, 15:14 pm
@NZINCHINA-355:
Was glory years for sure, greatest side of the 90′s.
Looking forward to seeing if JK and Henry can spark a revival this year.
6 Jan 2013, 15:20 pm
@I am a stormer-356:
Lol his love for Deans is just beautiful
@nortierd-357:
Eden park sold out and games against SAFFA sides who we hadn’t seen in a long time made for superb viewing, not so sure about JK’s coaching credentials but Ted will make a big difference just look what he did for the Argies this year.
6 Jan 2013, 15:29 pm
@NZINCHINA-355:
given your nz teams history, dont hold your breath.
for them its all about cheating.
dont know how you can feel good about that.
@nortierd-357:
i expect they’ll be competitive but i dont think Henry’s as good without Smith, and now he has to compete against him too.
also the blues lose out on 10 easy points this season so expect them to break into midtable.
6 Jan 2013, 15:31 pm
@NZINCHINA-358:
Auckland is in his blood.
He will definitely give them more than the Argies.
The Blues players owe it to their supporters to make up for last year, they have to step up big time.
Interesting observation regarding selling out the stadium, I could never understand how our supporters never had the same mindset.
The Free State is a big culprit there, hardly ever selling out a stadium, and in the 90′s they had the opportunity of seeing Fitzpatrick, the Brooke brothers, JK, Inga , Michael Jones etc.
That was a fantastic side you had.
6 Jan 2013, 15:33 pm
hold on to your hats folks, this one’s a doozy
*** Kiwis urged to come out:
Wellington – *** rights advocates in New Zealand have called for a homosexual All Black player to openly declare his sexuality and act as a role model in the fight against bigotry.
Broadcaster Steve Gray told the Sunday Star-Times that he was aware there had been several *** All Blacks and that it was time for one to stand up and be counted.
The openly-*** TV presenter even said he had slept with one player, although none from the team have ever come out in the country where rugby is a national passion.
“Everyone always asks what his name was, but I can’t remember. I don’t know who the All Blacks are. But at the time I checked with a friend and it was totally true,” he said.
His comments follow the appearance of English football star Matt Jarvis on the cover of British *** magazine Attitude.
Jarvis, who is married and straight, said it was time *** footballers felt comfortable enough to step forward and that they would receive support from within the football community.
Tony Simpson, chairperson of the *** rights group Rainbow Wellington, said he believed that if a homosexual All Black came out he was sure the majority of New Zealanders would back him.
“If an All Black was to come out I think most people would just say ‘well, what does that have to do with the way he plays rugby?’.
“Some people will be hostile – some have never reconciled themselves to decriminalisation of homosexuality and try to debate it every time it comes up – but by and large most people have gotten over it,” he said.
Former All Black centre Craig Innes joined the call for a *** All Black to step forward, saying it would be good for the young *** community to have a rugby role model to look up to.
“I’d admire someone who had the guts to do something like that,” he said.
“It would obviously take a very brave person to do it, but if you look at Ian Roberts, who is probably the toughest, meanest rugby league player to ever play the game, he came out a few years ago and people hardly batted an eyelid.”
Roberts, an Australian rugby league international, came out in 1995.
***-All-Black-urged-to-come-out-20130106" rel="nofollow">http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/***-All-Black-urged-to-come-out-20130106
6 Jan 2013, 15:38 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-359:
It’s all about winning and that’s what we do best, a Ted assisted Argie side came with seconds of beating the Bokke you’d be very foolish to underestimate the Henry factor
@nortierd-360:
Very true despite being born and bred in CHCH, I think that AKL side had up to 13 Abs at one stage, they played beautiful rugby led by Zinny and co
6 Jan 2013, 15:40 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-359:
C’mon Bakkies.
We have had this discussion, not every NZ player is a cheat, just like not all our players are inarticulate louts who turn into thugs when they run onto the pitch.
I still maintain that they are great players, and I would rather tune into their matches if just to enjoy the spectacle and skill level.
As stated, my second choice team after the Stormers are still the Crusaders ( no offence NZINCHINA) , and like the Bulls who all turn Shark supporters lest the Stormers go through, I’ll support the NZ teams against the Bulls or Sharks.
At least I am consequent in that I support one SA team and one only.
6 Jan 2013, 15:43 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-361:
“Everyone always asks what his name was, but I can’t remember. I don’t know who the All Blacks are. But at the time I checked with a friend and it was totally true,” he said.
Bull. That one line says it all. I doubt any person in NZ don’t know who the All Blacks are.
6 Jan 2013, 15:47 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-361:
*** people are in all walks of life Houston this isn’t 1963 nobody cares
6 Jan 2013, 15:53 pm
@nortierd-363:
He’s pulling your chain, old Bakkies dreams of world rugby domination
6 Jan 2013, 16:03 pm
@nortierd-363:
hehehe
we’ve had a discussion but i dont think there’s been any consensus or agreement on the subject.
as far as i am concerned nz teams are coached to cheat, some more that others, and this makes them all de facto cheats. it would be different if i said all nz players are filthy in a dangerous play sort of way, which i dont believe is the case.
but in terms of running blocking/obstructive lines,
offsides play,
not properly retreating back onside when balls are fielded behind and kicked ahead,
flopping onto the wrong side of the rucks,
lazily moving out the way once they do so,
hands in the ruck,
taking out players around the fringes of rucks,
taking out players nowhere near even the fringes of rucks (classic example was one of the chiefs tries in the final when a chiefs players ran ahead of play, basically an offside position, and took out Keegan Daniel and another sharks player thus preventing them from making a tackle – result try),
targetting of players for illegal hits,
and so forth, the kiwis have no equal in rugby. its the only game they can play especially when the oppostion puts them under pressure and they struggle.
its usually how they approach the game, there will be an intitial attempt to see if they can play themselves into a winning postion without the effort but the moment they realise this isn’t possible they resort to the dirty stuff.
i could go on, but i wont.
of course i have not covered the topic of dangerous play here.
6 Jan 2013, 16:06 pm
@nortierd-364:
ok but the guy making the claim is an ozzie tv presenter who’s openly g a y..?..
@NZINCHINA-365:
hehehe of course i dont really care and am totally in support of the g a y peoples rights and all that.
just a nice funny dig.
6 Jan 2013, 16:11 pm
someone please explain to me how on earth safa could be broke after receiving a billion rands from fifa in 2010 for the FWC..?..
S’Busiso Mseleku – City Press
Johannesburg – The SA Football Association (SAFA) continues to bleed more cash despite measures put in place to try to stop this.
Just four months into the current financial year, SAFA had already recorded a R10m loss, City Press has been reliably informed.
This comes after the country’s soccer controlling body reported a R56m loss at the end of the last financial year, which ended in June.
The loss prompted SAFA to appoint a task team, which recommended several steps to stop the losses.
for the rest:
http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/SAFA-R10m-in-debt-report-20130106
6 Jan 2013, 16:26 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-367:
You just summed up that they are coached to win.
Looking at results, I would venture to guess that the coaching method works.
I think we will forever agree to disagree on this topic.
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-368:
Very obscure reporting.
Maybe he was facing the other way and never got to see the player?
Would be more believable.
6 Jan 2013, 16:30 pm
@nortierd-370:
hahaha @ facing the other way
6 Jan 2013, 16:37 pm
@nortierd-370:
classic
6 Jan 2013, 16:40 pm
@nortierd-370:
then i guess we agree to disagree about cheating, the rules of the game and the spirit or rugby.
they’ve left that behind a long time ago.
6 Jan 2013, 16:41 pm
I always had my doubts about Brodie Retallick.
6 Jan 2013, 16:44 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-373:
I don’t consider playing to what a specific referee will or won’t allow cheating.
Any player worth his salt will and should test the boundaries of what he will get away with or not.
Your points may be very valid, but perhaps it’s misdirected and should rather be aimed at the officials?
6 Jan 2013, 16:47 pm
@nortierd-370:
Bakkies argument falls flat every time he tells us Bakkies Botha was a clean rugby player.
6 Jan 2013, 16:49 pm
@nortierd-375:
Lol all officials are corrupt as well in old Bakkies world, even your own Saffa refs when they officiate an AB game
6 Jan 2013, 16:50 pm
@nortierd-375:
what so ‘blame the prison wardens cos i’m a criminal’..?..
that’s a cheap copout. the blame should go both way at worst/best.
another thing you should also realise Nortie is the fact that saffa teams are not permitted to get away with this type of behaviour anyway so there goes your theory of we should learn to do the same.
2010 was a larf for example.
6 Jan 2013, 16:52 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-378:
You mean like when Grayling got two weeks for trying to decapitate McCaw
6 Jan 2013, 16:52 pm
@NZINCHINA-376:
bakkies played it hard but fair most of his career and only on a few occasions was guilty of overstepping the mark into dirty play.
of course he was generously punished for these and other ‘non existent’ discretions time and again.
6 Jan 2013, 16:57 pm
@NZINCHINA-379:
he was carded in the match which led us to lose the game.
then he was sanctioned by sanzar and banned for a number of games.
and then he was publically castigated by the springbok coach and dropped right out of the bok squad with immediate effect.
he was also then publically castigated by the captain of the bok team.
not to mention being fined financially too and will probably never put on a bok jersey ever again or not in a long while.
you have no clue, China.
6 Jan 2013, 16:58 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-380:
Bakkies will go down as one of the dirtiest players of all time whether you like it or not but these types of things happen in contact sports, he was asked to do it by team management/coaches so he wasn’t totally responsible for his actions
6 Jan 2013, 17:01 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-381:
Should have been 6 months I couldn’t care less what Meyer said publicly, he was shite and would have been dropped anyway
6 Jan 2013, 17:04 pm
I’m out goodnight from China.
6 Jan 2013, 17:06 pm
@NZINCHINA-382:
no he wont.
@NZINCHINA-383:
how much should Hore have gotten?
6 Jan 2013, 17:06 pm
cheers China
6 Jan 2013, 17:07 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-385:
10 to 12 weeks cheers
6 Jan 2013, 17:09 pm
@NZINCHINA-384:
Cheers
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-381:
He should never even have been picked in the first place
Bakkies was unfortunately the victim of his own press.
This ” enforcer” nonsense is stupid.
Do they think ref’s don’t read the papers?
I’m scared Etsebeth is going down that route, and you can blame the scribes for that.
6 Jan 2013, 17:26 pm
@NZINCHINA-387:
good, i agree.
@nortierd-388:
agreed but i’m more concerned AC and Meyer will play the boy into ground or long term injury between them.
6 Jan 2013, 19:44 pm
Really can’t express how excited I am for the Super Rugby season to kick off. Exciting times ahead of us and let’s hope that another South African franchise will make to to the Final again this year. Who are you guys backing to go the furthest this in the tournament?
6 Jan 2013, 20:23 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-319:
Good Morning Houston…
‘getting an early start on the trash talk are we..?..’
Really, I thought I was being selective with my words… You know I encouraged you in the past to forget your protest re: Super Rugby………
Of all the Sa teams, the Bulls are my least favored…. perhaps like you with certain Nz teams I begrudge their past success and style of play?
We spoke of the Tmo amendments before and I have changed tact re: there introduction….cause it may prove to you once and for all that there are reasons other than cheating that Nz teams have won their titles
All the best for your team,,,,,,
@nortierd-304:
Yep….looking forward to the season….at the end of the day just want to see the Blues play some consistently good Rugby and for the Kings to take down the Bulls…
6 Jan 2013, 20:56 pm
@Te Rangatira-391:
The Bulls have no chance this year.
Everybody knows it….
it will be either the Stormers, Sharks, Chiefs, Crusaders or Reds
As clear as daylight.
6 Jan 2013, 21:13 pm
@Robzim-392:
Hi Robzim….Houston seems to think that the Bulls will be there or thereabouts…and I’ld like to think the Blues can recapture past glories….but I think those teams you mention will be right in the hunt ….I have this sneaky suspicion that either the Sharks or Stormers will take their game to another level and book a final spot,from there if either team has a home final could be the second Sa side to take the trophy.
6 Jan 2013, 21:33 pm
@Te Rangatira-393:
Yeah, the Blues, one never knows with them..Not sure whether JK will produce the magic as many is expecting. It will be great for the competition to have them back at their best.
The Highlanders can also not be ignored—not sure whether they have the staff to recover the glorious days of Kronfeldt, Wilson, Brown and Randell.
As far as the SA teams are concerned i believe the Stormers will be the best – Last year they did extremely well despite numerous injuries- on paper they are much stronger this year and in Jantjes they will have for the first time in many years have a proper flyhalf.
Maybe I am biased, but I back them to be the only SA team with a real chance to win the tourney (Sharks are notorious chokers)
6 Jan 2013, 21:53 pm
@Robzim-394:
Yep either the Canes or Highlanders maybe the surprise packets…the Blues can be turned around but don’t think they can win it. The other two Nz sides know what it takes to win it, so are contenders but the loss of key players SBW,Taumalolo,Carter and McCaw..takes the gloss off those sides.
You are biased..hehe..but true in saying Stormers did well last year despite the injuries, of course Janjties is a key but other than the Currie Cup 2011 can’t remember him winning any big games, behind a very good forward pack week in week out we may see him grow in confidence and become that big match winner.
As for the Sharks I like their style and if they can be more consistent and put away the lower sides..(.the game against the Cheetahs last year where they lost is a prime example)….then I’m picking them to go well too.
6 Jan 2013, 22:01 pm
@Te Rangatira-395:
Bottom line is we don’t know who is going to win and it’s going to be a great competition as aways with quite a number of teams having a chance to take it.
Thats why I love Superrugby- international rugby is too predictive- Al Blacks are too far ahead of the rest to make it a real contest.
6 Jan 2013, 22:11 pm
@Robzim-396:
Yeah….a number of teams have a chance, some more than others and you are right about why you and I love Super Rugby, especially at the start of the season, so unpredictable….just hoping the Blues aren’t out of the hunt after a half a dozen games however…Best of luck to the Stormers, Robzim
6 Jan 2013, 22:14 pm
RobbieZ
ABs too far ahead? are you crazy, we’ll take them next year if meyer picks right, we better then them. and the stormers are best team in the comp, if injuries are better and kolisi and schalk fit, they should win too, pity about joe pietersen and louw – but they got too much talent.
i fancy this year we could see the rise of the slumbering Bokke giant, unless meyer picks conservative.
6 Jan 2013, 22:17 pm
A good way to close another dull South African day is with a huge dose of reality and honesty both of which are forever lacking.
So here goes:
CONFESS? ARMSTRONG MAY NOT HAVE MUCH TO GAIN
Jan 6 2013
Lance Armstrong may be considering a change in course, dropping his years of denials and admitting that he used performance-enhancing drugs — though whether such a move would help him is uncertain.
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported late Friday that Armstrong has told associates he is thinking about the move.
However, Armstrong attorney Tim Herman says that the cyclist hasn’t reached out to USADA chief executive Travis Tygart and David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
A USADA spokeswoman declined comment on Saturday, while Howman was quoted by the Sunday Star-Times in New Zealand, where he is vacationing, saying Armstrong has not approached his group.
USADA stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles last year and issued a report portraying the cyclist as the LEADER of a SOPHISTICATED DOPING operation on his winning TEAMS.
Public confessions and apologies have been the route of redemption for several athletes who have gotten in trouble.
For example, Tiger Woods said he was sorry for cheating on his wife in televised speech, and baseball slugger Mark McGwire eventually admitted to steroid use. Yet Armstrong faces serious legal entanglements those megastars didn’t, and a confession to doping could end up complicating matters for Armstrong — not making them easier.
The U.S. Department of Justice is considering whether to join a federal whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis alleging fraud against the U.S. Postal Service during the years the agency sponsored Armstrong’s teams.
A Dallas-based promotions company has also said it wants to recover several million dollars paid to Armstrong in bonuses for winning the Tour de France. And the British newspaper The Sunday Times is suing to recover about $500,000 paid to Armstrong to settle a libel lawsuit.
Armstrong has testified under OATH that he never used performance-enhancing drugs, which could theoretically lead to charges if he confessed. Former U.S. track star Marion Jones spent several months in federal prison for lying to investigators about her drug use.
And after so many years of vehement denials and sworn statements that he never doped, at this point, what would Armstrong gain from a confession? There would be no guarantee that his personal sponsors would return or that the public would accept it.
Is the public even interested in an Amrstrong confession?
Gene Grabowski, executive vice president of Levick, a Washington, D.C.-based crisis and issues management firm, said “it may be too little, too late because he’s been denying it for so long.”
A confession would only work to salvage Armstrong’s reputation if he accepted full responsibility and blamed no one else, Grabowski said. And it would have to include some public act of atonement.
“If he does all three, he has a shot,” Grabowski said. “You have to show people you are willing to pay a price.”
The New York Times reported the 41-year-old Armstrong may be considering a confession in an attempt to reduce his lifetime ban from cycling and Olympic sport so he can return to competing in triathlons and elite running events.
Armstrong lost most of his personal sponsorship worth tens of millions of dollars after USADA issued its report and he left the board of the Livestrong cancer-fighting charity he founded in 1997. He is still worth about a reported $100 million.
Livestrong might be one reason to issue an apology. The charity supports cancer patients and still faces an image problem because of its association with its famous founder.
And if Armstrong did confess, the corporate sponsors who abandoned him might support him again, Grabowski said.
“They’ll do what the public does,” Grabowski said.
Betsy Andreu, the wife of former Armstrong teammate Frankie Andreu, was one of the first to publicly accuse Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs.
She dismissed a potential confession from Armstrong as self-serving and too late.
“Sorry, your chance is over. You’re banned for life. It’s not with an asterisk, that because you are Lance Armstrong you get to come back,” Andreu said. “He does not belong in sport.”
6 Jan 2013, 22:19 pm
ET,
is that you ballas?
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