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Christo Buchner
Johannesburg - One look at the team sheets is enough to make one believe that the Sharks have to be favourites to beat the Blue Bulls in their first ABSA Currie Cup match of the season in Durban on Saturday.
The Sharks not only have home ground advantage, but their backline boasts the experience of more than 100 combined Test matches.
There could be problems for the Pretoria-based side if their forwards don't come to the party. They also have a new coach in Pine Pienaar, and in his first match things could take a while for the team to click.
On the other side of things, the Sharks have an experienced coach in John Plumtree - who will be coaching a provincial side for the third time in a World Cup year.
However, Bulls captain Gary Botha does have much more experience as a leader than his Sharks counterpart, Keegan Daniel.
Botha, together with flankers Dewald Potgieter and Derrick Kuün, will have to be the driving forces if the Bulls are to stage an upset.
All eyes will be on the Sharks' new centre combination. Meyer Bosman had a relatively weak Super Rugby campaign, but with Marius Joubert alongside him and Frederic Michalak on his inside, he could live up to his true potential.
Stefan Terblanche will bring stability at fullback for the home side. The Bulls' No 15, Jurgen Visser, should brace himself for a tough afternoon on debut.
These two teams normally bring out the best in each other and there could be no better way for them to start their Currie Cup campaigns with a mouth-watering clash like this.
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Mark Richards, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Eugene van Staden
Substitutes: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Jan Andre Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Jacobus Reinach, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Sibusiso Sithole
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corné Fourie
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Okkie Kruger, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter
Johannesburg - One look at the team sheets is enough to make one believe that the Sharks have to be favourites to beat the Blue Bulls in their first ABSA Currie Cup match of the season in Durban on Saturday.
The Sharks not only have home ground advantage, but their backline boasts the experience of more than 100 combined Test matches.
There could be problems for the Pretoria-based side if their forwards don't come to the party. They also have a new coach in Pine Pienaar, and in his first match things could take a while for the team to click.
On the other side of things, the Sharks have an experienced coach in John Plumtree - who will be coaching a provincial side for the third time in a World Cup year.
However, Bulls captain Gary Botha does have much more experience as a leader than his Sharks counterpart, Keegan Daniel.
Botha, together with flankers Dewald Potgieter and Derrick Kuün, will have to be the driving forces if the Bulls are to stage an upset.
All eyes will be on the Sharks' new centre combination. Meyer Bosman had a relatively weak Super Rugby campaign, but with Marius Joubert alongside him and Frederic Michalak on his inside, he could live up to his true potential.
Stefan Terblanche will bring stability at fullback for the home side. The Bulls' No 15, Jurgen Visser, should brace himself for a tough afternoon on debut.
These two teams normally bring out the best in each other and there could be no better way for them to start their Currie Cup campaigns with a mouth-watering clash like this.
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Mark Richards, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Eugene van Staden
Substitutes: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Jan Andre Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Jacobus Reinach, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Sibusiso Sithole
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corné Fourie
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Okkie Kruger, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter
