[2017 Super Rugby] Round 5: Cheetahs vs. Sharks

[TRF_stormer2010]

...

 

[unrated]

This is going to be a very difficult game to win for the sharks but it should be a tight affair. At this point in time I know the Cheetahs are the better attacking team. They have a lineup close to the one that made them unbeaten in the Currie cup with their Springbok captain Francois Venter back in the side. The Sharks are one of the best if not the best defensive sides in the African conference but we are going to try and attack at them with the new philosophy at the Sharks this year. The sharks might need to be a bit more structured in this game than their previous matches as a broken game will play into the cheetahs hands.

This might be too tough to call but I'd say Cheetahs have to be favourites in Bloemfontein at altitude. This is a big test to see if The Sharks are champion contenders this year.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I am backing the Sharks with a small margin.

Cheetahs line-up looking a lot more solid than the one that went to get a hiding in Argentina though;

Cheetahs

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 Nico Lee, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Elandre Huggett, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Carl Wegner, 20 Niell Jordaan, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Niel Marais, 23 Rayno Benjamin/Clinton Swart

 

[FNS]

Go Cheethas! Just because it helps jags xD

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Heart says cheetahs but mind favours the sharks.

 

[saulan]

They should keep Bosch at flyhalf until Lambie is back from injury. That's the second (in my view) man of the match performance that he has put in to win his team the game.

 

[Durbanite]

They should keep Bosch at flyhalf until Lambie is back from injury. That's the second (in my view) man of the match performance that he has put in to win his team the game.

I think sharks have to blood another flyhalf in preparation for Bosch leaving for the Junior boks camp soon. Although he's the best choice for the spot, it's a dangerous gamble to rely on him when you have other options in the context of Super Rugby. They should use Bosch as backup rather than leaving him on and hoping for cohesion with whoever ends up at 10. That being said I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Benhard Janse van Rensburg at flyhalf in the next few matches, let's hope he can rise to the occasion, last thing we need is a jittery player in such an important roll. Maybe if we're doing well against the Lions' he'll be subbed in, I sure wouldn't throw him to the wolves and give him a start just yet. Not with Curwin's form earning massive praise and his "shocker" against the kings

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They should keep Bosch at flyhalf until Lambie is back from injury. That's the second (in my view) man of the match performance that he has put in to win his team the game.

I think sharks have to blood another flyhalf in preparation for Bosch leaving for the Junior boks camp soon. Although he's the best choice for the spot, it's a dangerous gamble to rely on him when you have other options in the context of Super Rugby. They should use Bosch as backup rather than leaving him on and hoping for cohesion with whoever ends up at 10. That being said I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Benhard Janse van Rensburg at flyhalf in the next few matches, let's hope he can rise to the occasion, last thing we need is a jittery player in such an important roll. Maybe if we're doing well against the Lions' he'll be subbed in, I sure wouldn't throw him to the wolves and give him a start just yet. Not with Curwin's form earning massive praise and his "shocker" against the kings

 

[SomeOke]

Benhard Janse van Rensburg's also selected for the Junior Boks. How does it work anyway, do the Sharks have to let the player go if they are selected?

 

[Durbanite]

Well I guess all the more reason to blood somebody else then, if we loose them both it could be a headache but the sharks have a nice pool of players to choose from but if that's the case then I hope they start using a replacement soon. I'm pretty sure we can't hold onto them if they're selected but maybe they'll let us keep Bernhard after the camp?

 

[saulan]

Well I guess all the more reason to blood somebody else then, if we loose them both it could be a headache but the sharks have a nice pool of players to choose from but if that's the case then I hope they start using a replacement soon. I'm pretty sure we can't hold onto them if they're selected but maybe they'll let us keep Bernhard after the camp?

What about April?

 

[Durbanite]

I thought about it for a while and assumed they'd slot him in as fullback rather (If Bernhard stayed). Either way, they'll be tempted to play Bosch at 10 against the Lions. Garth has had quite a few games at 10 but hasn't really been given enough time lately to be as sharp as the Sharks need him to be at the moment IMO. I reckon if Bernhard is also going to be unavailable, April has to be played off the bench in the next match or two. Don't get me wrong, April is a great talent and an exciting runner and more than capable of handling the berth but if they throw him into 10 without easing him in he will have a bad day. Worth mentioning that Sharks 9s and 10s as of late have been bench warmers for the boks for a long time under Meyer and they always made a plan, it's great that this time it's younger players. Who to you reckon could take 10 if not April anyways? As far I can see he's the only option unless the Sharks dip into their lower structures I guess.

 

[saulan]

Who to you reckon could take 10 if not April anyways? As far I can see he's the only option unless the Sharks dip into their lower structures I guess.

Oh, my view is that right from the start it should Bosch and then April. I don't know why Bernhard is really, but I don't know why or how he jumped ahead of April. I know that April wasn't amazing last season, but he did have a few match winning games. It just feels a bit as if he has been tossed aside by the Sharks. You will have to fill me in on how Bernhard plays, but at this stage all I have seen of him is a really shoddy game against the Kings. Why throw him in the deep end like that anyway? If anything, April should have started that game with Bernhard on the bench. But again, I am a Stormers supporter and have limited knowledge of the structure/youth at the Sharks.