[2015 Super Rugby] Sharks vs. Cheetahs (Round 1) 14/02/2015

[TRF_heineken]

Kings Park, Durban

17:05 CAT, (SA, GMT+2)​

Teams

Sharks: 15. SP Marais, 14. S'bura Sithole, 13. Waylon Murray, 12. Heimar Williams, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Tera Mtembu, 7. Renaldo Bothma, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4. Mouritz Botha, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1. Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Dale Chadwick, 18. Matt Stevens, 19. Marco Wentzel,20. Jean Deysel, 21. Conrad Hoffmann, 22. Fred Zeilinga, 23. Odwa Ndungane

Cheetahs: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Clayton Blommetjies, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Joe Petersen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Jean Cook, 5 Francois Uys (captain), 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Danie Minnie.

Substitutes: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 BG Uys, 18 Maks van Dyk, 19 Carl Wegner, 20 Boom Prinsloo, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Willie du Plessis, 23 Cornal Hendricks

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I want to say an easy 5 log points for the Sharks but the Cheetahs are their boogey side and in the early rounds...

Long term though the Cheetahs will be wooden spooners and the Sharks will be pushing for top spot in the SA conference.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I want to say an easy 5 log points for the Sharks but the Cheetahs are their boogey side and in the early rounds...

Long term though the Cheetahs will be wooden spooners and the Sharks will be pushing for top spot in the SA conference.

Yup, and based on their pre-season form the Cheetahs aren't looking like a solid team. What is interesting to note is that Steven Sykes has joined up at the Cheetahs and has been training with them this week. I wonder if he'll make their final squad...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sykes? Interesting. He should make the squad I'd wager seeing as beyond Uys and De Jager the cupboard looks bare in the locks dept.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Sykes? Interesting. He should make the squad I'd wager seeing as beyond Uys and De Jager the cupboard looks bare in the locks dept.

Yeah, according to this article: http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Super15/Sykes-training-with-Cheetahs-20150210 he'll be replacing Hilton Lobberts who has a knee injury and looks like he'll be out of the tournament.

 

[Gena_ZA]

If Sykes is the best available they have some problems, seeing along season for the Cheetahs this year

 

[TRF_heineken]

Sykes not in the matchday 23.

Stormer, You'll be glad to see Boom on the bench. And the Cheetahs have a truly strong back row.

I want you guys to watch Danie Minnie in action this weekend and tell me what you think of this guy.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'll keep an eye out for Mienie; he's been flying under my radar.

Not as poor a Cheetahs team as I was imagining but still can't see them pull through. Good to see Boom in line for some game time and also I think Van der Spuy will add bring some much needed solidity to that Cheetahs backline and I am glad he found a home even if I'm sad he has moved on from the Stormers but between 4 Springbokke DdA, JdV, JdJ, Taute and promising rookies Jones and Howard there is just too much competition in the centers for us.

 

[TRF_heineken]

New Sharks centre-pairing, but look at that forwards pack... DAMN!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

New Sharks centre-pairing, but look at that forwards pack... DAMN!!!

My thoughts exactly. The Saarks will be missing Steyn and Jordaan and some creativity at the back but TBH with that pack all the backline needs to do is keep shape in defense. And it doesn't get any less scary looking at the forwards bench and the fact Alberts is still set for a return as well! To be fair though that backrow is more than brute force and even Du Toit is quite mobile for a lock.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

 

[Amobokoboko]

Poor Cheetahs team, will end at the bottom of the table this year. I really hope they can upset some teams and grab some wins with their entertaining style of playing

 

[Draggs]

My thoughts exactly. The Saarks will be missing Steyn and Jordaan and some creativity at the back but TBH with that pack all the backline needs to do is keep shape in defense. And it doesn't get any less scary looking at the forwards bench and the fact Alberts is still set for a return as well! To be fair though that backrow is more than brute force and even Du Toit is quite mobile for a lock.

Heimar isn't a bad centre at all. Offers something different than Steyn/Esterhuizen. I hope Venter does his 2013CC rotation. We have some solid depth in a few positions and need to keep it fresh all season. With Jordaan out, Sithole will more than likely be seen as an outside centre, but I would keep him there anyways and let him and Jordaan compete. Not sure about Murray, but I won't pass judgment until I've seen him a few times. Hoffmann is a confusing selection, I didn't see much that made him a better selection over Wright.

Will be glad when we have Lewies and Oosthuizen back. I think they'll try a PSdT-Lewies pairing, but they are rather similar players, at least when factoring Oosthuizen in as well. Wonder how Mtyanda will fit in.

 

[Amobokoboko]

So happy with this result. Go Cheetahs

 

[Draggs]

Was working, glad I missed it. What do you expect when our players and coaches are coming back bit by bit and had a half arsed preseason. Kay year we started great and ended up being dire, so maybe we are trying the opposite. Anyways, well done Cheetahs, BP win away from home is great for their conference position.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Cheetahs played very well and deserved the win.
Sharks didn't seem to be interested at the breakdown and the center combination is sub standard, why not play Esterhuizen, he is a star in the making?
and why do they take on all these British has beens, Matt Stevens looks like a fat pig and played like one as well

 

[Draggs]

Cheetahs played very well and deserved the win.
Sharks didn't seem to be interested at the breakdown and the center combination is sub standard, why not play Esterhuizen, he is a star in the making?
and why do they take on all these British has beens, Matt Stevens looks like a fat pig and played like one as well

Gena4Coach

Seriously, you are saying more sensible things than our last few. Williams is a decent player, but he is CC or bench. Murray I am not convinced should be in the team. Sithole looked good at centre but now we force him to the wing.

We are stuck with Fatt Stevens because Adriaanse has been a bit of a poor signing (yet we let Herbst, Redelinghuys, Dell, van Dyk all go!).

My team with what we have right now (Japan/Europe/Injured players excluded that is)

15 Marais (holding hope for him)
14 Mvovo
13 Sithole
12 Esterhuizen
11 Chavanga
10 Lambie
09 Reinach/Hoffmann (wasn't awful I hear)

01 Mtawarira (Disregard, I hear he is out. Hopefully Du Toit is fit)
02 Du Plessis
03 Du Plessis (sorry Jan, no rest)
04 Du Toit
05 Oosthuizen (I think he might be fit?)
06 Coetzee
07 Bothma
08 Mtembu

16 Cooper
17 Chadwick
18 Stevens
19 Wentzel/Botha
20 Deysel
21 Hoffmann/Wright
22 Zeilinga
23 Williams

 

[TRF_heineken]

Cheetahs played very well and deserved the win.
Sharks didn't seem to be interested at the breakdown and the center combination is sub standard, why not play Esterhuizen, he is a star in the making?
and why do they take on all these British has beens, Matt Stevens looks like a fat pig and played like one as well

And the guy who Matt Stevens replaced, Danie Minnie, absolutely demolished them at scrum time!! What did I tell you about this lad!

 

[Gena_ZA]

Danie Minnie is a new face to me, never heard of him before but he was streets better
@ Draggs, agree with your staring team as you put it, would make one change, Bothma at 8 and Deyzel at 7, bring Temba on later

 

[TRF_heineken]

Danie Minnie is a new face to me, never heard of him before but he was streets better

He's a Limpopo boy. He was in Tzaneen at school, and got in at the Sharks academy. Then John Plumtree picked Dale Chadwick ahead of him, and since then he was just being ignored by the Sharks (probably because he wasn't from KZN). Then last season he came home to visit his family, and he met one of his old school friends who is with the Cheetahs U/21 team, and he said he should ask to be trialed at the Cheetahs, if he doesn't get picked at the Sharks, and about a month later they offered him a Super 15 contract.