Jacques Botes comes from nowhere to slot into the starting XV for the Cell C Sharks as they take on the Blues in North Harbour on Friday.
Tera Mtembu – so impressive at open side flank last week – shifts across to the blind to replace the suspended Jean Deysel, with Botes coming into the vacant number 6 jersey.
Despite boasting 114 career caps for the Sharks in Super Rugby, this will be the first appearance of the season for the 33-year-old, who is understood to be planning retirement at the end of the season.
Jake White has kept his 23 unchanged otherwise, with Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski both still on the bench.
The Cell C Sharks
15. SP Marais (Marshall Security Crusaders)
14. JP Pietersen (Thanda Zululand Rhinos)
13. S’bura Sithole (UKZN Impi)
12. Paul Jordaan (Varsity College RFC)
11. Lwazi Mvovo (Ricoh PMB Collegians)
10. Frans Steyn (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
9. Cobus Reinach (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
8. Willem Alberts (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
7. Tera Mtembu (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
6. Jacques Botes (Varsity College RFC)
5. Stephan Lewies (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
4. Etienne Oosthuizen (UKZN Impi)
3. Jannie du Plessis (Marshall Security Crusaders)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Captain) (Marshall Security Crusaders)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Jonsson College Rovers)
Replacements
16. Kyle Cooper (Jonsson College Rovers)
17. Dale Chadwick (Ricoh PMB Collegians)
18. Lourens Adriaanse (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
19. Ryan Kankowski (Amanzimtoti Rugby Club)
20. Keegan Daniel (Jonsson College Rovers)
21. Charl McLeod (Varsity College RFC)
22. Tim Swiel (UKZN Impi)
23. Heimar Williams (SA Home Loans Durban Collegians)
Tweet
Very, very strange indeed
Wow botes.. from nowhere to starting? JW must either have a LOT of faith in him, or he has something up his sleeve. Or both! Either way, glad for the ever dependable Jason Statham!
That’s a very hard working loose-trio. Sharks are probably expecting a lot of running from the Blues. Very happy to see SP in the starting side again.
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I rate Botes, but is he even match fit? Kanko and Daniel have now really fallen out of favour.
Does it not make sense to swap Tera and Alberts then?
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@Bokhoring (Comment 4) : Seems like they have fallen out of favour, not sure why?
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But I am glad Oosthuyzen starts at lock again – not a fan of Alberts at lock.
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This is quite a strange selection,from not even bering selected in the touring party to straight into the starting line up ahead of two very seniorloose forwards..
Jaques hardly needs to justify his selection,but somebody needs to justify his initial ommision from the touring team.
He wasn’t injured or overplayed,so why was he left out,neither Kanko or Daniel are injured or they wouldn’t be on the bench.
”Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
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@The hound (Comment 7) : The loose forward in most need of a break on the bench would be Alberts. Kanko and Daniel must be as fresh as daisies.
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Very glad for Botes he deserves it and I’m sure he will produce! !!!
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@Bokhoring (Comment 8) :
Yeah I supose that Big Willem is there to counteract the physicality of Keino,and also to bolster the two good but relatively green locks,but then maybe the success of the two locks means Kanko’s line out skills are not needed,and Terra hardly put a foot wrong last week.
The contention is why Botes ahead of Daniel.
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I am sure there is a plan there somewhere hope it works.
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@Poisy (Comment 11) :
The most amazing thing is that after that brutal epic on Saturday there was not one injury.
Salute to the conditioning coach.
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@Bokhoring (Comment 4) : @The hound (Comment 7) : @stevovo (Comment 5) : nothing strange about it indeed.
Not all the loose forwards in ths group can go on tour so someone will be forced to stay behind.
When the tour started Deysel, Alberts, Tera and Marcell was selected to do the bashing and Kanko and Keegan to do the running. Now Marcell and Deysel can’t play.
Botes playing style is closer to Deysel than Keegan and Kanko. He playes more to the ball (more grunt less flashy).
Botes rarely plays a bad game and is also a leader like Deysel.
JW wanted to select a team as close as possible to the team that beat the Saders.
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@vanmartin (Comment 3) :
Exactly. I don’t see why some are sniffing around for ominous portents – I think this is about horses for courses.
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I RECKON A VERY GOOD TEAM! People stop looking for sinister reasoning as to why Kanko and Daniel are not starting, it does seems clear that JW is going for a simular game plan to last week, why must there always be negative for why a certain player is not starting?
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I really don’t understand the logic in playing a blindside flanker at 8, while you play a number 8 on the blindside flanker!!!
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I RECKON A VERY GOOD TEAM! People stop looking for sinister reasoning as to why Kanko and Daniel are not starting, it does seem clear thwat JW is going for a simular game plan a to last week, why must there always be negative for why a certain player is not starting?
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@Big Fish (Comment 14) : @sharks_lover (Comment 15) : I really can’t understand that. It’s not as if JW can pick 30 players for the game, some players will sit on the bench and others might not get picked, no conspiracy or hidden agenda.
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@sharks_lover (Comment 15) :
O.K then explain why Jaques was left at home initially,and with out playing a game this year in Super rugby ,is picked ahead of Keegan who is fit enough to play off the bench.
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Simple really, JB was injured.
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@JD (Comment 13) :
Your comment Botes is a leader like Deysel,some how doesn’t make sense when you are refering to Keegan who captained the team to a Currie Cup victory 6 months ago.
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@Ludz (Comment 16) : how many games has Tera played at 8 for us? Is his control at the back of the scrum up to scratch to seamlessly slot in on short notice?
People seem to forget that Albert made his name as a blockbusting 8 with the Lions. If you want to play tight, some telling runs from the back of the scrum could be game defining.
White has shown far more Trust in the youngsters than they had under the previous coaches.
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JW Too the fit players that had been playing, again JW could not take a squad of 40 players, I think JD explaind it well in comment 13.
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@Ludz (Comment 16) : Speed. Playing at 7 Tera can get to breakdowns and opposition backline quicker. Alberts can then put in his bone crunching tackles as part of the second line of defence. Also Alberts only started playing 7 regularly at the Sharks at the Lions he was the regular 8.
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Eish , how dare JW select a team that is not the same as some bloggers in visage
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Jake please change your team
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@vanmartin (Comment 3) : Yeah I’m also really happy with SP starting again.
Looking forward to seeing Botes on the pitch again!
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I wonder if the Blues are currently looking at this team and bickering on the reasoning for Botes joining the starting line up?
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@gregkaos (Comment 28) : nope – they’re too busy shiteing in their keks
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@gregkaos (Comment 28) : at least they’re off JPP and Steyn at 10.
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@gregkaos (Comment 28) : @robdylan (Comment 29) : wonder what their comments will be if they Sharks won Super rugby? WTF would they find to bitch about?
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@JD (Comment 31) : Careful now! Not all of us are conspiratorial but most of us are inadvertently superstitious. Don’t make mention of a certain team winning a certain cup just yet
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@vanmartin (Comment 32) : sorry boet I totally forgot about that thing that happend that unmentionable year :’(
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@JD (Comment 33) : I have no idea what you’re talking about. That thing never happened!
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@JD (Comment 33) : Well, we learned a valuable lesson that year….how to get that oh-so oddly shaped champagne cork back on the bottle.
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@FireTheLooser (Comment 35) :
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@FireTheLooser (Comment 35) : LMAO very funny boet!!!! Bottle recorked and still in cupboard as good as new…………. well sort off.
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Willem playing as 8th man will give us the strongest, most ballanced scrum. I see him taking up the blindside flanker outside of that role or moving to lock either at 4 or 5 if we have an injury. Kanko is on the bench to cover the lineout if willem moves to lock and daniels can replace either terra or boetes. Makes sense to me.
What I find more exciting and what nobody has passed comment on is that we have the same 9-10-12-13 combo for probably the first time this season
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@vanmartin (Comment 36) : @JD (Comment 37) : I was on the receiving end of a lot of those jokes….
…we also held the design for the best brazier ever invented – all the support but no cup.
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Ask yourself 2 questions… What is up Jakes sleave? And… When was the last time Jake announced his tesm on a wednesday? Its almost always a thursday thing? Mmmmmmm?
@Shark Overide (Comment 40) : the answer to that second question is – the last time the game was played on a Friday
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@Shark Overide (Comment 40) : hopefully his arm and it’s a Friday game so it’s still only two days before the game.
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@robdylan (Comment 41) :
Surely not! There must be some conspiracy behind this.
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@Big Fish (Comment 43) : but is his the team that will be running on to face the Blues??????? Daze and confuse!!!!!! Must be it can’t be any other reason
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1. JB WAS INJURED
2. JB did captain the Sharks for extended periods of time at 1 stage even if it was way back. He has good leadership qualities.
3. JB is excellent at scoring tries from driving mauls following line-outs.
Maybe this is the plan. Score tries from set piece as often as possible. JB is the man for this job!
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Team announced on Wed cos the match is early (09:35 ) on Friday.
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Firstly JW is the coach and he obviously has some reasons (obviously very valid as he has the credentials) for his selections. We as fans do like to voice our opinions (mostly wrong anyway but still) on fan sites, or is this site restricted to praise singing of the coach and players. I don’t like personal attacks on players though.
However surely it is clear that Kanko went from starting 8 to bench warming (and not a minute against the Crusaders) – meaning that he is no longer first choice 8. So it is only fair to believe he has not met Jake’s expectations as a starting 8 – otherwise he would start.
Likewise Botes is an interesting selection given that he has not even made the bench all season. BTW I still believe that Botes is the most savvy open side to play for the Sharks, and have yet to see any Sharks player that can run his support lines.
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Botes have played the Blues several times and have been victorious ever so often over them in NZ. He is so at ease playing them it makes great sense. I am very pleased with his inclusion.
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Aaah crap. Forgot its a friday game. Hahaha! And crap again coz I’m gonna miss it. I think I might come down with flu about quarter paat 1 tomorow…
@Bokhoring (Comment 47) : don’t think it’s about being first choice but more about horses for courses. Playing an open running game is what the Blues would like so play structured bashing rugby will do nicely for the Sharks and that’s the reason Keegan and Kanko is not starting. If the game is under control and Sharks push for a bonus point both Keegan and Kanko will for sure future later in the second half.
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@Shark Overide (Comment 49) : must say you look and sound a bit sick
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@Bokhoring (Comment 47) :
Keep your jockeys on.
Its a matter of degree. Balanced criticism is one thing, constant sniping is another.
You probably know where you fall between those broad lines.
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Is there any truth to the rumour that we are sniffing for James Hook’s signature?
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@Big Fish (Comment 52) : Plan to replace all my jockeys with only the Sharks brand tomorrow
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@Bokhoring (Comment 54) :
I can’t figure out if that is meant as a compliment our as an insult.
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@Big Fish (Comment 55) : Rather see the positive side in that
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It’s about bloody time IMO.
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@KILLER SHARK (Comment 48) : That’s being superstitious.
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Its horses for courses…come now chaps we all know that JW has a plan to win each and every game in a specific way. Yes that way must not always work and it may not be pretty but there is most def always a plan and that includes player combos. Throwing my 3cents into the ring i would guess that Botes is there to secure our ball away from Luke Braid’s grubby paws and Kanko/Daniel are seen as a high tempo replacement combo to win the game late on.
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funny how last week this time I was the only one on this blog who thought we would win.
I know I posted it here in silence.No one can cause me of being a fair weather supporter
Any ways I still don’t see the logic in choosing Botes, who even by his own high standards would admit that his career is on the decline,over Keegan Daniel who has many years of good rugby in him.
I have seen this movie many times at the Sharks with excellent players like Shaun Sowerby,Rory Kockert,Brad Barrit,overlooked for no logical reason.All these guys are players who play the best style of Sharks rugby ,the style that has kept me coming back to Kings park for almost 40 years.
In my mind nobody in the modern team embodies that style more than Keegan.
So shoot me down if you will,but don’t insult my intelligence by claiming it anything to do with his game that is keeping him on the bench.
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@The hound (Comment 60) :
You do know that Keegan is leaving at the end of the SR season, right? So all the year’s still in the tank are neither here nor there.
Sheldon sums it up well:
@SheldonK (Comment 59) :
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@The hound (Comment 60) : A week at / with Sharksworld can be a long time. A week without Sharksworld is an even longer time.
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@The hound (Comment 60) : some how I don’t think Sowerby and Barrit left because of something at the Sharks they left because of Bok coach not interested in picking them to play for SA. Yes some players leave because they don’t get enough game time but in a top union like the Sharks you need depth in every position so to get game time you must fight for a place in the team, competition for places also makes the team stronger and push the players to play better. If you don’t like competing for a starting place it’s your right to go play somewhere else.
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