Only one injury-forced change for Sharks
Sharks coach John Plumtree has stuck with the team who performed with distinction against the Stormers last weekend making just one, injury-enforced, change to the side for Friday night’s Vodacom Super 14 match against the Western Force.
The injury to Willem Alberts sees Jacques Botes back in the starting line-up, the opening created on the bench provides an opportunity for scrumhalf Charl McLeod to come on later in the game.
Should The Sharks win on Friday night, it will have been a remarkable turn about for the team who lost their first five games. Four of those losses were exceptionally close, some unlucky not to have been close wins, but to have then come back from the dead to score five victories on the trot, and then last week’s decisive win over the high-riding Stormers was a clear indication of the commitment and passion in the side.
The rumours of discord were laid to rest in the most emphatic fashion, rubbishing the claims that all was not well in the camp. A win on Friday will mean a lot to the players, coaching staff and fans.
After two big games, The Sharks acknowledge that just as the Stormers weren’t in the right mental place last week, so they have to make sure they are switched on.
“It’s about making sure we arrive for the occasion; it is about us pitching,” admits coach John Plumtree. “Coming off the two big derbies against the Bulls and Stormers, there was a lot of expectation on us. The challenge is making sure we get up again. There are some internal reasons why we want to win and the players need to take on the responsibility. Fronting up is key.”
Sharks
Team vs Western Force
14 May 10
19:10
ABSA Stadium
Durban, South Africa
1 Tendai Mtawarira
2 John Smit
3 Jannie Du Plessis
4 Steven Sykes
5 Alistair Hargreaves
6 Jacques Botes
7 Jean Deysel
8 Ryan Kankowski
9 Rory Kockott
10 Ruan Pienaar
11 Lwazi Mvovo
12 Riaan Swanepoel
13 Stefan Terblanche
14 Odwa Ndungane
15 Patrick Lambie
16 Craig Burden
17 Patrick Cilliers
18 Wilhelm Steenkamp
19 Keegan Daniel
20 Charl Mcleod
21 Andy Goode
22 Andries Strauss
* Captain – John Smit
* Botes comes in for Alberts who is out injured
* Mtawarira and Kockott to play 50th games for Sharks
[Info from SARugby.com]
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