Sharks name squad for Super Rugby quarter-final clash against Crusaders - Super Rugby News
The Sharks have named their squad for the upcoming play-off quarter-finla against the Crusaders.
The Sharks are taking on the Crusaders in the second quarter-final of the current Super Rugby championship, on June 25, in Nelson Auckland. The South African derby, who ended up on sixth position at the point tables after the conclusion of the round matches,
made just one change for the crucial match. Ryan Kankowski, who participated in their previous match against the Bulls, has been discarded from the Sharks team.
Ryan Kankowski has been playing for the Sharks since the last five Super Rugby seasons but his performance in the current championship remained quite ordinary. Kankowski has participated in 40 Super Rugby games for his team and contributed 50 points. The
Sharks coach, John Plumtree, made the line-up announcement today, June 24, and said that Williams Alberts will replace Kankowski at No 8.
The coach further said that their skipper John Smit will join the team in the later part of the match because of his fitness problems. John Plumtree added that, “John has covered for us at hooker and loosehead prop this year and unfortunately he's picked
up two calf muscle strain which put him out for two-three weeks both times. It's been quite hard for him to get continuity in his game.”
Talking about their previous meeting with the Crusaders in the ongoing season, Plumtree claimed that his squad will not repeat the same errors again. He argued, “A big part of what we got wrong at Twickenham was not stopping Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams
and Robbie Fruean, with their ability to shift ball into space either by hand or by kicking, which is key to their game.”
The Sharks will go on the field against the Crusaders with the following players:
Patrick Lambie, JP Pietersen, Stefan Terblanche (captain), Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Frederic Michalak, Charl McLeod, Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel, Alistair Hargreaves, Gerhard Mostert, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.
Reserves: John Smit, Eugene van Staden, Ross Skeate, Ryan Kankowski, Jacques Botes, Adrian Jacobs, Louis Ludik.
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