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JJ Harmse
Durban – There is enough experience in this rugby team to win the Currie Cup again on Saturday, and anyone in the team who feels uncertain need only look to the player next to him for inspiration.
That is the view of Stefan Terblanche, who will play his fourth final but first as captain for the Sharks on Saturday.
“We may have youngsters like Pat Lambie and Lwazi Mvovo, but there is enough experience on their inside and outside if they need help (against Western Province),” Terblanche said of the team announced on Thursday.
Sharks coach John Plumtree stuck with the players that got the Sharks to the top of the log.
Only Odwa Ndungane did not start the semifinal against the Blue Bulls. He replaces JP Pietersen on the wing – something he had to do after 20 minutes in the semifinal after the latter tore a hamstring.
The rest of the team ran out for the Sharks for the biggest part of the season, with Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis having played together regularly in the early part of the season. Mtawarira will be playing his ninth game for the Sharks this year and Du Plessis his eighth.
The only Springbok not to have played regularly for the Sharks is tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis, who will be playing his fourth game in the series.
Not that it will bother the doctor too much. He played in finals in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and should not have any problems in the pressure-cooker atmosphere.
In fact, he’s the most successful player on the field as far as finals are concerned and already has four winner’s medals.
The only real rookie in the Sharks team is substitute lock Anton Bresler.
The 22-year-old has featured as a substitute three times this year and with neither Ross Skeate nor Gerhard Mostert considered, Plumtree will be hoping that nothing happens to Steven Sykes or Alistair Hargreaves.
Sykes said this week that it was a case of all or nothing for the team.
“We’re playing for each other and for the team. The Sharks became one big family this year and that makes it so much easier for a player to be able to give everything.”
NOTE: If, at the end of the normal 80 minutes, the scores are tied extra-time of 20 minutes will be played, divided into two halves of 10 minutes each with a break of a minute between them. If, at the end of extra-time, the scores are still tied, the winner will be determined by log position during the league section of the Currie Cup, i.e. before the semifinals. That means if the scores are tied after extra-time on Saturday, the Sharks will win because they topped the log. Topping the log is a good investment - home semifinal, home final and victory in the event of a draw.
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche (captain), 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jacques Botes, 20. Rory Kockott, 21. Andre Pretorius, 22. Riaan Swanepoel
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean De Villiers, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Willem De Waal, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger (captain), 5. Anton van Zyl, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie, 1. JD Moller
Replacements: 16. Hanyani Shimange, 17. JC Kritzinger, 18. De Kock Steenkamp, 19. Pieter Louw, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Paul Bosch
Durban – There is enough experience in this rugby team to win the Currie Cup again on Saturday, and anyone in the team who feels uncertain need only look to the player next to him for inspiration.
That is the view of Stefan Terblanche, who will play his fourth final but first as captain for the Sharks on Saturday.
“We may have youngsters like Pat Lambie and Lwazi Mvovo, but there is enough experience on their inside and outside if they need help (against Western Province),” Terblanche said of the team announced on Thursday.
Sharks coach John Plumtree stuck with the players that got the Sharks to the top of the log.
Only Odwa Ndungane did not start the semifinal against the Blue Bulls. He replaces JP Pietersen on the wing – something he had to do after 20 minutes in the semifinal after the latter tore a hamstring.
The rest of the team ran out for the Sharks for the biggest part of the season, with Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis having played together regularly in the early part of the season. Mtawarira will be playing his ninth game for the Sharks this year and Du Plessis his eighth.
The only Springbok not to have played regularly for the Sharks is tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis, who will be playing his fourth game in the series.
Not that it will bother the doctor too much. He played in finals in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and should not have any problems in the pressure-cooker atmosphere.
In fact, he’s the most successful player on the field as far as finals are concerned and already has four winner’s medals.
The only real rookie in the Sharks team is substitute lock Anton Bresler.
The 22-year-old has featured as a substitute three times this year and with neither Ross Skeate nor Gerhard Mostert considered, Plumtree will be hoping that nothing happens to Steven Sykes or Alistair Hargreaves.
Sykes said this week that it was a case of all or nothing for the team.
“We’re playing for each other and for the team. The Sharks became one big family this year and that makes it so much easier for a player to be able to give everything.”
NOTE: If, at the end of the normal 80 minutes, the scores are tied extra-time of 20 minutes will be played, divided into two halves of 10 minutes each with a break of a minute between them. If, at the end of extra-time, the scores are still tied, the winner will be determined by log position during the league section of the Currie Cup, i.e. before the semifinals. That means if the scores are tied after extra-time on Saturday, the Sharks will win because they topped the log. Topping the log is a good investment - home semifinal, home final and victory in the event of a draw.
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche (captain), 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jacques Botes, 20. Rory Kockott, 21. Andre Pretorius, 22. Riaan Swanepoel
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean De Villiers, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Willem De Waal, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger (captain), 5. Anton van Zyl, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie, 1. JD Moller
Replacements: 16. Hanyani Shimange, 17. JC Kritzinger, 18. De Kock Steenkamp, 19. Pieter Louw, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Paul Bosch
