PREVIEW: Sharks v Force

[KenyaQuin]

Be warned, taken from SA Rugby.com..

http://www.sarugby.com/news/News/article/sid=8461.html

PREVIEW: Sharks v Force

Thursday, February 14

The Sharks are the pick of the South African sides this season, so they’ll want to get their campaign off to a winning start against the Western Force on Friday night.

In their two trial matches, the Sharks drew the Cheetahs 24-24 and tore apart the Lions with an impressive 33-5 win. However, flyhalf Frederic Michalak suffered a calf muscle injury which might prolong the Frenchman’s Super Rugby debut for another week.

If that’s the case, multi-talented Frans Steyn will move to flyhalf and Stefan Terblanche will slot in at fullback. Promising lock Jean Deysel is also in doubt and if unavailable, he will be replaced on the bench by Albert van den Berg.

The Western Force’s two trail matches saw them suffer a 12-7 defeat to the Crusaders and a 39-15 win over the Reds. Unfortunately the franchise’s off-field shenanigans have continued.

The latest incident, a fight between Matt Henjak and Haig Sare, has left Sare with a broken jaw and has no doubt seriously disrupted the team’s preparation. The Force is a promising side, but if their management doesn’t start taking control, this match could be the start of a long season for them.

Prediction: With the latest debacle in the Force camp and the exciting talent and depth of the Sharks, I can’t see this one slip away from the Durbanites. Sharks by 8.

[Darren]

Sharks by 8? As cocky as they make out to be, they really aren't too confident are they...

[Skiza]

If i was them, i would be steering clear of Henjak

[AndyS]

Reckon the Sharks are stirring it up?

--------------------------------------

(whole bunch of blah blah about Henjak), then:

The right wing spot of Sare, who will miss at least six weeks after a plate was inserted in his broken jaw, was taken by Port Macquarie-born winger Nick Cummins who will make a Super 14 debut.

Three more rookies were named on the Force bench, Henjak's potential replacement scrumhalf James Stannard, lock Sitaleki Timani and 21-year-old league convert Josh Tatupu, who took Sare's place on the plane.

Mitchell said he had opted for starting experience with five World Cup Wallabies in Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Scott Staniforth and Cameron Shepherd in the first XV.

"I don't know how you'd define a full strength team but we've certainly opted for players with more experience in this competition," Mitchell said.

"We're delighted with the way some of the younger squad members are pushing through.

"We've got three young guys on the reserves bench who will get their first opportunity to experience rugby at this level and a couple of others in the squad who will get an opportunity in the starting team during this tour."

New Sharks captain Johann Muller will lead his side out in his 50th Super rugby outing, but there is a huge injury doubt over imported French playmaker Frederic Michalak.

Should his calf muscle niggle not recover, Francois Steyn would take his place at flyhalf, and Stefan Terblanche would move into fullback.

Muller said, despite the problems off field, he thought the Force would be united on it.

"They are by far the best Australian outfit, a very balanced side and we will have to play very well to beat them," Muller said.
"Last year they gave us a bit of a hiding up front, and their forwards were outstanding in the whole Super 14. When we played them, we came off second best."

[Jehna]

The Aussie perspective


Preview: Sharks v Western Force

15/02/2008 11:57:35 AM
Sportal


VENUE & TIME: Absa Stadium, Durban , Saturday February 16, 4.10am AEDT (19.10 local).

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 2, Sharks 1, Western Force 1.
Last met: 30 March 2007, EWF 22 def Sharks 12, Subiaco Oval, Perth.

LAST TIME: March 30 , 2007 (Subiaco Oval, Perth) – Western Force 22-12 Sharks.

WALKING WOUNDED & TEAM CHANGES: The lure of the Euro has seen the Sharks sapped of two of the best-ever all-time leaders in 'Boks skipper John Smit and evergreen points-scoring machine Percy Montgomery. But the players coming through are just as effective so don't expect the Sharks to be weakened at all. New Sharks recruit, French ace Frederic Michalak, has been cleared to play in the season opener after recovering from a slight calf strain but other than a slight query over his fitness, the Sharks are at full strength.

The Force have been in the media for the wrong reasons this week and the loss of winger Haig Sare to a broken jaw can be solely placed on the stupidity of himself and scrumhalf Matt Henjak. Henjak will play this weekend but may well be booted from the team for his fists of fury, so he'd want to play a super game this weekend. The Force have also lost a stack of players from last season including big lock Rudi Vedelago

FORM: Pre-season form is no real indication of where these teams will finish this season. What is of more importance is the fact that the Sharks had a fantastic season last year in both the Super 14 and Currie Cup. The Force, however, was the only team to beat both of last year's finalists, the Sharks and the Bulls and have never lost a game in South Africa.

WHO'S HOT:
Young fullback Francois Steyn showed his amazing talents during last year's campaign and at the Rugby World Cup. He was moved around the backline last year but now he has the Number 15 virtually tattooed on his back so you can expect him to become one of the game's stars. The same can be said for scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar – he is a formidable player with great vision, an astute kicking game and is deceptively fast around the ruck. He should continue to grow into a leader. The loss of Smit would hurt any team but Bismarck du Plessis would have benefited enormously from his experience at the RWC. He's not Smit yet but he is a more than capable replacement.

There is no doubt Giteau oozes talent and the extra responsibility afforded him at number 10 will suit him down to the ground. It is just matter of the other players around him keeping up with his lightning fast decision making. In that area he has the perfect foil in centres Scott Stanifoth and Ryan Cross. Staniforth has been playing his best rugby in the past couple of seasons while Cross had an impressive first year after switching from rugby league – he will be more confident this season so expect big things of him. Fullback Cameron Shepherd also had a stellar season in 2007 culminating in a call-up to the Wallabies. His is a confidence player and his must be through the roof right now.

WE THINK: The Sharks may have lost a few personnel but the emergence of their younger players and the confidence they will have from last year's sterling effort should be too much for a Force team that has some major off-field distractions. Sharks by 10.

TEAMS:
Sharks
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. BJ Botha
4. Johan Ackermann
5. Johann Muller ( Capt )
6. Jacques Botes
7. AJ Venter
8. Ryan Kankowski

9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Frederic Michalak
11. Henno Mentz
12. Bradley Barritt
13. Waylon Murray
14. JP Pietersen
15. Francois Steyn

16. Craig Burden
17. Kees Lensing
18. Jannie du Plessis
19. Albert van den Berg
20. Jean Deysel
21. Rory Kockott
22. Adrian Jacobs

Western Force
1. Gareth Hardy
2. Tai McIsaac
3. AJ Whalley
4. David Pusey
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Scott Fava
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown

9. Matt Henjak
10. Matt Giteau (vc)
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Scott Staniforth
13. Ryan Cross
14. Nick Cummins
15. Cameron Shepherd.

16. Luke Holmes
17. Troy Takiari
18. Sitaleki Timani
19. Matt Hodgson
20. James Stannard
21. Scott Daruda
22. Josh Tatupu

[laura]

The Aussie perspective


The Force have been in the media for the wrong reasons this week and the loss of winger Haig Sare to a broken jaw can be solely placed on the stupidity of himself and scrumhalf Matt Henjak. Henjak will play this weekend but may well be booted from the team for his fists of fury, so he'd want to play a super game this weekend.

How is this relevant to us, its slanderous! What journo wrote this?

[Jehna]

Yeah well i never said the aussie media were fair...plus they have us losing by more than the south african media are predicting.

[inactive]

COunting down the hours!!

[Skiza]

Excited much, MG?...don't think you'll need any coffee or energy drinks to keep you up!!

Go

[inactive]

Nope love my rugby!! But also because i love the line up and what Position everyone is playing!