Centurion Terblanche At Centre
Sharks coach John Plumtree has stuck as close as possible to the team that beat the Hurricanes last week in their match against the Reds on Saturday at The Absa Stadium Durban.
There is one enforced change which results in a further positional switch, otherwise, the team that did so well to beat the Hurricanes has been retained for this Vodacom Super 14 clash.
Odwa Ndungane is back in the starting lineup while the experience and guile of Stefan Terblanche sees him moved from wing to outside centre following the tournament-ending shoulder injury to Adrian Jacobs. The rest of the backline remains unchanged with Andy Goode over a hamstring scare to enjoy what is becoming a flourishing partnership with Ruan Pienaar, the pair given more game time to solidify their alliance.
The loose forward trio remains unchanged as does the lock pairing of Alistair Hargreaves and Steven Sykes. To finalise the continuity, the front row remains the same for the third week in a row.
The replacements include Andries Strauss after his captaincy stint with The Sharks XV and a welcome return to the senior side for the promising Lwazi Mvovo.
The Reds have proved to be a competitive outfit this season and there is no underestimating them. Coach John Plumtree has singled out the pair of Will Genia and Quade Cooper for special praise. “We will have to watch them really closely,” he explains.
“The Reds are a genuine threat in this competition pushing for a top four place. They will come here a lot more confident than they have in the past.
“We have a few injuries and it’s going to be a real challenge for the boys. We have to make sure we put the same amount of pressure on the Reds as they put on us. Our tackle count was around 170 against the Hurricanes and that is quite a few, so add that to the long trip back to Durban and it is a challenge in itself because we know teams expend more energy on defence than on attack, so when we get the ball on attack, we need to make sure we use it successfully.”
With thanks to SA Rugby.co.za
Pretorius Out of Super 14
Andre Pretorius is out of The Super 14 after an injury.
It’s been hard luck for Emirates Western Force fly-half Andre Pretorius as he will miss the Super 14 competition after sustaining a season ending hamstring injury at training this week.
Pretorius, who joined the Emirates Force this season as the club marquee player, felt pain in the back of his left leg during Wednesday’s session and was treated by club medical staff.
A consultation with a specialist revealed the severity of the injury and showed the World Cup winning Springbok had torn his left hamstring from the bone.
The injury will require surgical reattachment and about three months of recovery, so he will not take part in the Emirates Western Force 2010 season.
“They’ve gone to work with the boys for so long now and it has been my best pre-season in many years. I’m really disappointed that I won’t be able to have the opportunity to represent the Western Force and play rugby with the new mates that I have made here,” Pretorius said.
“My body was in the best condition it has been in a long time and after watching the video footage of the training session and seeing when the injury occurred it didn’t look like much at all. The physios at the club said it was a just a freakish type of injury,” he said.
“I still want to remain involved and offer any assistance I can to help make this a successful season for the Force,” Pretorius added.
Pretorius made the move to Western Australia after 69 Super Rugby caps with the Lions in South Africa and had been rejuvenated by the switch to the Emirates Western Force.
The 31 year old completed a solid pre-season build-up and played in the clubs trial match win against the Sharks in Cape Town a week ago.
The Emirates Western Force will assess their options in relation to a replacement player and are in discussions with the Australian Rugby Union to derive a suitable outcome. ARU rules allow a club to recruit only one marquee player per season.
Pretorius, who signed a one year contract with the Emirates Western Force, the maximum allowed under the ARU marquee system, has recently concluded a multi-year contract to play in Japan following the 2010 Super 14 season.
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