We didn’t dwell on it much, given the timing of the announcement, but I, for one, am really pleased that the Sharks have brought in a player like Jack Wilson to fill what was looming as a very uncomfortable gap in the Super Rugby line-up.
Not having seen much of the player specifically, I’m going to have to defer to the likes of Gary Gold and Brendan Venter, whose wisdom eclipses mine own in most rugby areas. He’s a winger of pedigree, though and at 25 is young enough to add value for a number of years (hopefully injury free) but also old enough to have paid his “school fees” and got over some of the more irritating follies of youth. In other words, he’s at that sort of age where he can hopefully just slot straight in without needing any further development.
The problem that the Sharks have at wing is simply that there have been – over the past few seasons – just too many top quality players who have shown loyalty to the franchise. The very thought that we would need additional depth in this area, with the likes of JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo and Odwa Ndungane on our books seemed ludicrous a few years back, but with Mvovo the only one of those three still in the “young-ish” category and an extra old campaigner in Tonderai Chavangha added to the mix, there is a dearth of up-and-coming options. S’bura Sithole, perhaps the logical successor, looks to be developing into more of a centre, another position in which depth is a thorny issue. Outside of the promising, but raw, Sizo Maseko, the only other wing options are the likes of Tyler Fisher (a centre), Jaco van Tonder (a fullback) and Alcino Izaacs (also a fullback and completely untried at senior level).
With options at fullback as thin as they are at 13, the chances of any potential fullback being retreated as a wing also look slim at this stage. Add to that the uncertainty around exactly when Pietersen will return – and what sort of shape he’ll be in when he does – and the cupboard out wide certainly would look a little bare without Wilson there.
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Having played for the NZ 7s side in 2012 and coming from Saracens I’m quite excited to see Wilson in action.
Hopefully this will also cement Sbura at centre where he has every chance of becoming a Springbok.
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Rob, judging by your article, this can only be good news!
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So is no one concerned about the fact that Wilson practically couldn’t buy a starting berth at Saracens over the course of the two to three seasons he spent there? Just asking, is all
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Compliments of the season to you all. Did you guys see the Sharks squad on Rugby 365′ twitter page? They have Sbura as a wing which makes it 5 wings in total. The squad also only contains 5 loose forwards. To me that is too much cover at wing and not enough cover at loose forward. What happened to the Keegan rumour?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 4) : I think you start with the basic (incorrect) assumption that R365 knows more about the Sharks than we do.
I looked at that squad. They are missing so many players I don’t even know where to start with it.
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@GreatSharksays (Comment 4) : Keegan rumour is still in play. Remember that if he does come back, it will (obviously) only be once the Japanese season has ended.
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not chatty today?
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Rob, I believe that Lwazi is a tad older than JP?
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@Culling Song (Comment 3) : I suspect that if you aren’t of South African or English descent, Saracens may not be the club for you
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@Big Fish (Comment 8) : Lwazi is a month and change younger than JPP.
EDIT: They’re both 28
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@vanmartin (Comment 10) : Actually Lwazi is 39 days older than JPP. Lwazi born June 3, 1986 and JPP born July 12, 1986
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@Dancing Bear (Comment 11) : You’re right, got the two’s birth dates mixed up!
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ok, sorry…. JP isn’t that old then. He just plays like he’s already retired.
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@vanmartin (Comment 9) :
Except of course for Marcelo Bosch (Argentinian), Kelly Brown (Scottish), Jacques Burger (Namibian), Juan Figallo (French), Jim Hamilton (Scottish), Rhys Gill (Welsh), James Johnson (Samoa), Eion Sheriff (Irish) or Chris Wyles (US) of course.
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@robdylan (Comment 7) :
No just already been discussed and dissected.
Universally panned as a shit idea. Well, by Saffex anyway. And me.
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@Culling Song (Comment 3) :
He was shit mate.
He has 19 Sarries caps – 5 in the anglo-welsh cup and 5 in the LV cup, both second tier competitions.
He played 5 full games for Sarries and was cut before the play-offs.
Played no Heineken Cup games either and had no play in the current premiership season before being snapped up by the Sharks.
When he was in NZ he played for Bay of Plenty, earning 9 caps in the ITM CUp.
Not exactly a great pedigree for a 25 yearold.
Compared to someone like JPP, who is three years older, but holds 59 caps for SA and 61 Currie Cup / Japan and 112 Super Rugby caps.
To put further into perspective – Cheslin Kolbe has about the same level of experience to Wilson and is only 21…
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@robdylan (Comment 5) : Good news, was a bit taken aback with the exclusion of JC Astle, then again, SR is no learning ground. I’d like us to keep him in the system.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : When is this squad being released?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 18) : when have the Sharks ever released a squad?
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@robdylan (Comment 13) : or maybe it’s because he was around since the age of 19 so JPP already played 9 odd years for the Sharks.
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 16) : some players deemed to “shit” to play for the Sharks left and became Boks at their new teams, so let’s judge the player on how he performs at the Sharks.
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 14) : Tongue was firmly in cheek with that comment bud
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I agree that we needed the cover in the position…let’s see how the boy does…
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@JD (Comment 21) : Thats very true. I agree, give the guy a chance to prove himself. Sometimes a player just needs the right environment to take him to the next level.
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@Uli Boelie (Comment 24) : a coaches attitude towards a player can also make or break a player.
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@JD (Comment 21) : @pastorshark (Comment 23) : @Uli Boelie (Comment 24) :
Yeah man, agreed, I’m still of playing age, why not give me a go too?
I was a centre and a fullback, but could slot in on the wing, given the lack of need for any credentials.
While we’re at it, lets get rid of the scoreboard, then everybody can be a winner.
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 26) :
We’re the Sharks – not the SABC.
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 26) : will speak to John about giving you a shot, just hope I can get an appointment.
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 26) : @VinChainSaw (Comment 16) : the Sharks have no money mate so they can’t afford you and hence another cleanout of the past its sell by date cupboard at bsement discount,eish
@robdylan (Comment 13) : could not agree more,his glory days have long past,he doesn’t desreve a look in and the Sharks need to move along
@VinChainSaw (Comment 26) : Sharks have enough egos in the squad as it is.
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@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 31) : hahahaha funny!!!!!!
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Seems to me we should have been trying to buy guys like Kolbe and Rhule. Not sure how loyal Perez will be but his personal issues aside he is also a promising player. Any views on Ruhan Nel?
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I’m excited to see what he can offer, I think he’s got the ball skills and sense of space that you need for a right winger, maybe we have our own Ben Smith bubbling under there, its good to dream, but in the long run he can make the jersey his own. JPP will leave at the end of this season, I think, and Oddie will hopefully be a coach of sorts – so that position is wide open… Good to have a specialist.
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@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 31) :
Lol. Very good!
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@DarkDestroyer (Comment 34) :
What do you base this on, given he’s played so little professional rugby?
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 36) : blind optimism. A Sharks fan’s stock in trade
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@VinChainSaw (Comment 36) : what Rob said! Haha! Like I said it’s good to dream. I’m excited to see what he can offer, as I haven’t seen much of him. Time will tell. It’s early in the season, I’m always overtly positive.
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@DarkDestroyer (Comment 38) :
Haha, I’m also excited to see what he has to offer – and I’m a Sarries fan! lol
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