JPP has selected some of his best players on the bench (e.g. Ox, Vincent Tshituka, Grant Williams, Siya Kolisi). Phepsi has been selected at 6 whereas IMO he is our best 8. Jaco Williams gets another opportunity at 11 with Yaw Penxe / PK Sobahle bracketed for the other wing.
(more…)Coach JPP has selected a team with some of his first choice players (Ox, Bongi, Jenkins, Fassi, Jordan, etc) while resting big guns like Siya Kolisi, Vincent Tshituka, Grant Williams, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker and Edwill van der Merwe.
The selections do make sense as the Sharks have little chance of qualifying for the round of 16 in the Champions Cup. They are still very likely to qualify for the Challenge Cup round of 16 by virtue of finishing 5th in their pool (unless Clermont can score 4 tries, keep the Sharks to fewer than 4 and beat the Sharks by more than 22 points). Clermont will very likely send a development team in any case and rest their key players for the Top 14.
(more…)I assume that JPP is saving his first choice players for the home game against Clermont next week. He has selected a B-team for the game against Sales Sharks. The Sharks franchise is taking this match so seriously that there is on early Friday evening still no team announcement on the official site. All that can be said is that the Sharks will do well to keep the score within 15.
(more…)Ox Nche is back to strengthen the Sharks scrum after surviving a hammering by the Bulls scrum two weeks ago. Likewise Aphelele Fassi makes a welcome return to the 15 jersey (Hakeem Kunene had a very good game against the Bulls). Phepsi drops to the bench with Manu Tshituka coming back into the team.
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