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Major upheaval at the under-performing Sharks
It’s been a year of upheaval for the Sharks, who are not only saying goodbye to numerous players ahead of the 2020 Super Rugby season but who are also set to revamp their coaching and administrative staff.
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The franchise announced on Wednesday that current chief operating officer Eduard Coetzee would be replacing Gary Teichmann as the chief executive officer at the Durban-based side and the incoming CEO has licence to make significant changes.
Coetzee is set to take on the role in September, but changes are already afoot at a franchise that has struggled in recent seasons, although they were able to make the quarter-finals of the Super Rugby playoffs this year where they lost 38-13 to the Brumbies.
One of Coetzee’s first tasks will be finding a new head coach, as the franchise has also parted ways with current head coach Robert du Preez.
After five seasons with the Sharks, initially as an assistant coach and thereafter as head coach, du Preez is now stepping aside, a decision the club claim is mutual.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0A0hp-Hb4A/
Du Preez stated: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Sharks and I’m proud of what we have achieved. I would have loved to put more silverware in the cabinet, but sometimes injuries to key players, the bounce of the ball or decisions going against your team prevents that.
“I look forward to the next phase of my coaching career and wish the team well for the future. They can always count on my support.”
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Outgoing CEO Teichmann said: “The Sharks thank Robert for his contribution over the past few years and what he managed to achieve by moulding a young group of players. He leaves The Sharks with our good wishes for the next chapter in his coaching career.”
? Robert du Preez is leaving @TheSharksZA.
? 23 Wins
? 21 Losses
? 3 Draws
? 49% Win percentage pic.twitter.com/0wDcsuADMF
— PEAK (@ThePeakSA) July 17, 2019
After Worcester Warriors confirmed that their head coach Rory Duncan was given permission to talk to other clubs on Monday, the former Cheetahs man will be heavily linked with a role in Durban, as well as the vacant position at the Southern Kings where he is on a four-man shortlist for the job.
As for du Preez, he is not the only member of his family to be leaving the Sharks this year, with son and fly-half Robert having agreed a permanent move to Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership.
The younger du Preez will be joined by his two brothers, Dan and Jean-Luc du Preez, who are taking up short-term deals in the north-west of England before returning to Durban in early 2020.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments