Sharks v Lions

[noikz]

British & Irish Lions (vs Sharks)

15. Lee Byrne (Ospreys/Wales)
14. Shane Williams (Ospreys/Wales)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster/Ireland)
12. Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
11. Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster/Ireland)
10. Ronan O’Gara (Munster/Ireland)
9. Mike Phillips (Ospreys/Wales)

8. Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland)
7. David Wallace (Munster/Ireland)
6. Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers/England)
5. Paul O’Connell (Munster/Ireland) captain
4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
3. Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
2. Lee Mears (Bath/England)
1. Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues/Wales)

Replacements

16. Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales)
17. Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England)
18. Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England)
19. Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England)
20. Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland)
21. Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England)
22. Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues/Wales)

Not what I was expecting, I thought they'd name a weak side for Wednesday followed by a potential test line up next Saturday. Looks like Shane gets a bonus lifeline.

 

[Bumbadum]

Looks like someone wants Williams to play outside the probable test backline in order to once and for all confirm or disprove the theory that he is cack.

Suprised Flutey doesn't get the nod at 12 as he's presumeably fully fit. Obviously he'll play a part though.

 

[Jer1cho]

Thats a near-test lineup. The Sharks are severely weakened though, thanks to their missing 10 Springboks. Should be a good game. Good to see they are sticking with that back row. Looks like they don't want another scare. This looks like a pretty solid team, and i expect a side like this to win comfortably. i will put up my piece on Durban soon.

 

[Steve-o]

Ja the Sharks are missing some vital players due to Springbok call ups but we still got some real classy players like Terblanche, Kockott, Deysel, Jannie Du Plessis and Johan Muller. Our pack looks OK but our backline looks a bit thin now with all the Bok players out. Carstens will play eventhough he got a Bok call up

 

[An Tarbh]

some interesting combinations there, looking forward to see how well O'Gara and Phillips do as well as AWJ and POC. Hopefully BOD and Roberts will back up their performance against the Lions as well.

 

[MunsterMan]

Not the team I would have picked, it seems the dirt trackers play weekends and the test (or closest to it) play mid week?

I wanted Ferris to play, last time he met Terblanche here

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jun 8 2009, 12:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Not the team I would have picked, it seems the dirt trackers play weekends and the test (or closest to it) play mid week?

I wanted Ferris to play, last time he met Terblanche here [/b]

I'm happy with either of them playing and anyway Ferris was probably too tired seeing as he was the entire backrow last weekend.

But Williams starting 3/4 matches when he's put in the worst performaces of all the wings so far is very annoying. It seems that they either want to write him off as an option nor find a reason to justify an Ospreys back-three.

 

[MunsterMan]

I would have picked

1. Jenkins
2. Rees
3. Jones
4. O'Callaghan
5. Wyn Jones
6. Croft
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip
9. Phillips
10. O'Gara
11. Fitzgerald
12. Flutey
13. D'arcy/Earls
14. Halfpenny
15. Kearney


And then for the WP

1. Sheridan
2. Mears
3. Vickery
4. Croft
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. Williams
8. Heaslip
9. Phillips
10. Jones
11. Monye
12. Roberts
13. O'Driscoll
14. Bowe
15. Byrne

 

[Will]

Looks like the decision has already been made about Blair.....

 

[shazbooger]

Looks close to the test team for me.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Mmm yes. Just trade Bowe for Williams (why has he been given ANOTHER chance? Where are the other options? :huh: ), Jones for Murray and ROG for Jones and we're all set for South Africa. Unless all form goes to ****.

 

[MunsterMan]

Don't forget drastic changes to the bench. Worsley and Shaw are not good enough. There because of what comes directly after their name in the original post.

 

[Sir Speedy]

I

Wasps bashing.

 

[MunsterMan]

Can any South African poster tell me if Trevor Halstead has the slightest chance of making the 22? I know he came out of retirement to play Vodacom cup and was playing well, and it sounded to me like the Sharks were using the game against the Lions as motivation to get him to come out of retirement.

 

[MunsterMan]

Sharks team to face British and Irish Lions

15. Stefan Terblanche
14. Chris Jordaan
13. Andries Strauss
12. Riaan Swanepoel
11. Luzuko Vulindlu
10. Monty Dumond
9. Rory Kockott

8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel
6. Jacques Botes
5. Johann Muller (captain)
4. Steven Sykes
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Skipper Badenhorst
1. Deon Carstens

Replacements:
16. Craig Burden
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Albert van den Berg
19. Michael Rhodes
20. Charl McLeod
21. Guy Cronje
22. Lwazi Mvovo

guess that is a no then

 

[shazbooger]

Never heard of any of them. Lions to win by 4

 

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jun 8 2009, 03:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Sharks team to face British and Irish Lions

15. Stefan Terblanche
14. Chris Jordaan
13. Andries Strauss
12. Riaan Swanepoel
11. Luzuko Vulindlu
10. Monty Dumond
9. Rory Kockott

8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel
6. Jacques Botes
5. Johann Muller (captain)
4. Steven Sykes
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Skipper Badenhorst
1. Deon Carstens

Replacements:
16. Craig Burden
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Albert van den Berg
19. Michael Rhodes
20. Charl McLeod
21. Guy Cronje
22. Lwazi Mvovo[/b]

Good pack there. That backrow will give the Lions lots of trouble at the breakdown, good balance of power and finesse.

The backline, not so good there. Monty Dumond = crap. Dead wood and we should rather give Olivier a run. I rate Swanepoel, Jordaan and Vulindlu though. All are young and got minimal S14 time bar Swanepoel. Both Rory Kockott and Terblanche were unlucky not to be in the Boks so atleast some quality in the backs.

Players to watch are, Jean Deysel who is probably the strongest blindside flanker in SA, Jannie du Plessis IS the best tighthead in SA and should give Jenkins a good battle and Rory Kockott will keep the Lions busy with his attitude.

 

[feicarsinn]

Yeah I've heard good things about Kockett, don't know that many of them tbh. Is it just me or do South Africa seem to produce a ridiculous amount of quality scrum halves

 

[Steve-o]

It does seem to be a strength of SA rugby. When Joost stepped down Du Preez stepped up, fair trade I'd say!

 

[nam97]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jun 9 2009, 01:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Sharks team to face British and Irish Lions

15. Stefan Terblanche
14. Chris Jordaan
13. Andries Strauss
12. Riaan Swanepoel
11. Luzuko Vulindlu
10. Monty Dumond
9. Rory Kockott

8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel
6. Jacques Botes
5. Johann Muller (captain)
4. Steven Sykes
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. Skipper Badenhorst
1. Deon Carstens

Replacements:
16. Craig Burden
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Albert van den Berg
19. Michael Rhodes
20. Charl McLeod
21. Guy Cronje
22. Lwazi Mvovo

guess that is a no then [/b]

Great team. Brilliant backrow, the Lions will definitely be in for a surprise I think. I've always liked Jacques Botes and always thought of him as a player who's more than capable of playing for the Boks. Wouldn't have a clue who the 10, 12 and 13 are, but other than that a very solid team indeed.