Category: Currie Cup

The Sharks Currie Cup team will on Sunday face a settled WP team that saw off a Bulls team packed with URC players. This time around Corne Rahl will partner Reniel Hugo in the locks while Thembelani Bholi moves back to 7.

The back line has fewer changes this time with Fred Zeilinga again starting at 10 partnered with Bradley Davids and Phikolomzi Sobahle making his CC debut.

Fred Zeilinga will start a Currie Cup game for the Sharks after an absence of at least 4 years. Reniel Hugo and Hyron Andrews are back at locks (would have liked to see more of Ockie Barnard). Likewise Hanro Jacobs will start at tight head in place of Carlu Sadie. A strong loose trio including the two Venters and Dylan Richardson completes the pack.

Joey Mongalo has selected a pretty strong starting front row which includes Carlu Sadie. Likewise the bench includes the likes of Dian Bleuler and Khutha Mchunu.

Thembelani Bholi and Celimpilo Gumede offers experience at lock and eight man with a number of youngsters making up the rest of the pack.

The Sharks have loaded the Currie Cup team with URC players to see if a last chance saloon win against WP can get the team into the Currie Cup semi-finals. Even a bonus point win against WP will only be enough should Pumas and Griquas draw the next game, or Griquas beat the Pumas, or the Pumas trounce the Griquas while denying them a bonus point and the Sharks winning score against WP combined with the Pumas winning score exceeds 61 points, or Pumas beat the Griquas by one point with no bonus point and the Sharks winning score exceeds 67 points.

Even though the big Sharks game on Saturday is the URC quarter-final at 13:45, there will also be a Currie Cup game at Kings Park at 17:00. The Sharks will face a strong Lions team (free to use all of their URC players) with 5 uncapped players in the squad (including the two hookers).

With only 2 log points ahead of the Pumas the Sharks need to win this game (or hope the Cheetahs beat the Pumas by more than 7 and prevent them from scoring 4 tries).

Etienne Fynn has made wholesale changes to last week’s pack and one change in the back line. Khwezi Mona, Fez Mbatha and Lourens Adriaanse will start this week, Emile van Heerden replaces Ruben van Heerden and Dylan Richardson, Thembelani Bholi and Mpilo Gumede start in the back row. Murray Koster is back at inside centre.

Junior Bok Blaine Golden will most likely get a first CC cap later in the game along with Nick Hatton.

New signing Nevaldo Fleurs who just over a week ago featured for Maties in the Varsity Cup final will start at fullback against the Pumas on Friday night.

It is good to see URC bench players like Kerron van Vuuren, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and especially Boeta Chaimberlain get some game time before the business end of the competition. Zee Mkhabela may make a Currie Cup debut at nine later in the game.

In other news the signing of centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg has been confirmed.

Etienne Fynn has selected a pretty strong pack to play in Kimberley on Wednesday. Ruben van Heerden makes a welcome return for the Sharks after a number of weeks out of action. The Sharks have selected two ball hunters in the loose trio with two more traditional blind side flanks on the bench.

Etienne Fynn kept the same pack from last week against the Bulls but has rejigged the backline. Ethan Fisher will replace the injured Murray Koster, Tito Bonilla starts at 10, Jordan Chait replaces Inny Radebe at 15 and Jeremy Ward and Yaw Penxe will swap the URC team bench for starting positions in the Currie Cup team. Dylan Richardson is back on the bench and Lloyd Koster may make his debut for the Currie Cup team later in the game.