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Mixed results for Sharks in opening pre-season fixtures against a university team and an international side
The Sharks have hammered Russia 64-14 in a pre-season friendly in Durban on Friday.
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It was a much better result for head coach Sean Everitt after the Sharks lost their first warm-up of the day 26-31 to North-West University-Pukke.
However, the team that faced the university side was much weaker than the one that faced Russia.
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Newcomers Ox Nche, Le Roux Roets, James Venter, Henco Venter, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Jordan Chait and Madosh Tambwe all made their first appearance in Sharks colours in the Russia match.
The Sharks were well in control at half-time against the Russians with a 26-7 half-time lead before reaching their final tally of 64-14.
Full time of the second warm up match again Russia ?#OurSharksForever
?: @HowardCleland3 pic.twitter.com/BXdUgTWDQv— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) January 10, 2020
In the match against Pukke, the Sharks looker comfortable with a 19-5 lead at half-time. However, Pukke fought back valiantly to secure a tight win.
The Sharks face Russia again next Friday (January 17) before facing the Stormers in Johannesburg on SuperHero Sunday (January 19).
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They then open their regular season with a South African derby clash against the Bulls at Kings Park in Durban on January 31.
Super Rugby pre-season action continues this weekend, as the Stormers will face Maties, the Ikey Tigers, the Cape Peninsula University of Techology and a Western Province XV in four 20-minute periods at Florida Park in Ravensmead on Saturday.
All 15 Super Rugby sides will play a raft of pre-season matches over the coming fortnight before the regular season kick-off with the Blues hosting the Chiefs at Eden Park in Auckland on January 31.
Super Rugby pre-season fixtures and results:
Friday, January 10
Sharks 26-31 NWU-Pukke at Kings Park, Durban
Sharks 64-14 Russia at Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, January 11
Stormers vs Maties, UCT, CPUT and a DHL WP XV at Florida Park, Ravensmead
Friday, January 17
Chiefs vs Blues at Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, Waihi
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Reds v Rebels at Marley Brown Oval, Gladstone
Waratahs vs Highlanders at Leichardt Oval, Sydney
Sharks vs Russia at Kings Park, Durban
Bulls vs Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Jaguares vs Georgia XV at Estadio Jose Maria Minella, Mar del Plata
Saturday, January 18
Hurricanes vs Crusaders at Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
Sunday, January 19
Stormers vs Sharks at FNB Stadium, Soweto
Lions vs Bulls at FNB Stadium, Soweto
Thursday, January 23
Rebels vs Brumbies at Greenfield Park, Albury (3:45pm kick-off)
Rebels vs Brumbies at Greenfield Park, Albury (6:15pm kick-off)
Friday, January 24
Blues vs Hurricanes at Onewa Domain, Auckland
Highlanders vs Crusaders at Wanaka A&P Showgrounds, Wanaka
Reds vs Waratahs at Dalby Leagues Club, Dalby
Jaguares vs Georgia XV at San Isidro Club, Buenos Aires
Saturday, January 25
Sunwolves vs Challenge Barbarians at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu
– With Rugby365
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
What a dagg in more ways than one
5 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
5 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
4 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
38 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to comments