Muir picks a Beastly pack
Dick Muir has named a team with a beastly look, as he heads into the opening Super 14 match – against the Western Force in Durban on Friday.
Dick Muir has named a team with a beastly look, as he heads into the opening Super 14 match – against the Western Force in Durban on Friday.
Looking to get the season off to a good start with his beaten finallists from last year, Muir named a very experienced and powerful pack, with five Springboks – including veterans AJ Venter and Johan Ackermann.
The front row of BJ Botha, Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira will terrorise opposing scrums in the Super 14 this year.
Behind them is the all-Springbok second row of Johann Muller (as captain) and Johan Ackermann – the latter on a brief (till the end of February) comeback.
The loose forwards consists of new Springbok Ryan Kankowski (capped on the year-end tour to Wales), veteran AJ Venter and Jacques Botes.
Botes and Mtawarira, simply known as Beast, are the only non-Boks in the pack.
Unfortunately for Muir the injury cloud hanging over French import Frédéric Michalak has not improved and he has been bracketed in with World Cup star Francois Steyn at flyhalf. Should Michalak's calf muscle niggle not recover, Steyn will take his place in the No.10 jersey and Stefan Terblanche will then play at fullback. Otherwise Steyn will start in the No.15 jersey.
On the bench, one of Jean Deysel or Albert van den Berg will wear the No.19 jersey as a utility forward – depending on the former's recovery – also a minor niggle.
Muir has named a full front row as replacements on the bench, with Craig Burden (converted from centre) covering at hooker ahead of Namibian international Skipper Badenhorst. The props on the bench are Namibian captain Kees Lensing and World Cup Springbok Jannie du Plessis (signed from the Cheetahs).
Sharks: 15 Francois Steyn/Stefan Terblanche, 14 Henno Mentz, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Bradley Barritt, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Frederic Michalak/Francois Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 AJ Venter, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller (captain), 4 Johan Ackermann, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Kees Lensing, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Jean Deysel/Albert van den Berg, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Adrian Jacobs, 22 Stefan Terblanche/AN Other.
Date: Friday, 15 February
Venue: Absa Stadium, Durban
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
Television match official: Michael Cupido (South Africa)
Assessor: Arrie Schoonwinkel (South Africa)