Super 15 2011 Preview – Sharks

This is my 13th 2011 Super Rugby preview, the new season is almost upon us but can the team I will be previewing in this article, in the Natal Sharks do the business this season…

This Season
The Sharks finished 2010 in a mediocre 9th place, claiming 33 points from there thirteen games. In 2011 though the Sharks should do much better, the South African conference could well be a two horse race between the Bulls and the Stormers, but it’s the Sharks who in my view are the only team in South Africa, who have any chance of upsetting the Bulls or the Stormers. With four winnable games in their first four fixtures, the Sharks will be hoping for an amazing start. In Round one they host fellow South African side the Cheetahs, while a tough opponent in the Blues will be waiting in Round 2, if the Sharks get through those two fixtures unscathed, then they should also defeat the Force and the newcomers the Rebels in Round 3 and 4.

The Fans wouldn’t have hoped for anything better in the early stages, and neither would coach John Plumtree, who takes charge of the side for a fourth year running. The Sharks are not a bad side and if they get off to a good start, they could be right on the Bulls and the Stormers tails by the end of the conference stage.

Key Players
The Sharks can count their front three as one of the strongest forces in Super Rugby, the trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie Du Plessis and John Smit too choose from at prop could cause Plumtree a few headaches, while World Class hooker Bismarck Du Plessis will no doubt start at 2. Bismarck is one of the most composed and most accurate line out throwers in World Rugby, he is also very mobile around the field. In the loose forwards the Sharks have a number of South African talents in the set-up. The trio of Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski and Willem Alberts, could well surprise a few fans this season, as all of them will be fighting for a place in the South Africa 2011 World Cup squad. Alberts and Kankowski both have incredible attacking and defensive skills, which could well be a vital part of the Sharks supposed success.

Moving onto the backs and the Sharks have one of the best talents in Rugby at the moment, in the name of Patrick Lambie. The 20 year old set Super 14 alight last season with some very good performances, one of the best utility backs in the game Lambie can play at fly-half, centre and full-back the youngster is a brilliant kicker and can also run teams ragged. Lastly on the wing the Sharks are also a major threat, Odwa Ndungane and JP Pietersen are very good talents, with Pietersen’s finishing skills and sensational pace the side from Durban could upset some of the big guns this season.

Overall Thoughts
The Sharks are a very decent outfit, and they should do better than they did in 2010 when they finished 9th. They have a whole host of dangerous names, and good young emerging talent. If the pack show good signs, and Alberts, Daniel, Kankowski, Lambie and Pietersen perform well on a regular basis expect the Sharks to be napping at the Bulls and the Stormers heels this season.