Muller back for full-strength Sharks
by Gavin Rich | 15 October 2009 (13:15)
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| Johann Muller © Gallo Images |
As anticipated, key lock Johann Muller has been returned to the Sharks team for Saturday’s Absa Currrie Cup semifinal against the Free State Cheetahs in Durban.
Muller, the regular captain at the start of the season, has been out for much of the Sharks’ domestic campaign with recurring problems associated with the break he suffered to his arm in the opening match against Western Province.
Although Stefan Terblanche still continues as captain and has yet to be beaten as skipper of the Sharks team, Muller’s presence will mean a lot to the Sharks in terms of the grunt he will bring to the pack as well as his immense experience and leadership skills. He is after all a former Bok captain, having led the national side on a couple of occasions during Jake White’s tenure as coach.
Another man with extensive experience of leadership at the highest level is John Smit, who will join Muller in a Springbok tight five brimful with Springboks. Jannie du Plessis would have been a close call against Smit at tighthead, particularly as Smit struggled against the Cheetahs last time, but in the end coach John Plumtree went for the national captain.
Smit is joined in the front-row by two fellow first-choice Springboks who started this week under an injury cloud but who have subsequently made good recoveries from injuries picked up last week against Griquas -- hooker Bismarck du Plessis and loosehead prop Tendai Mtawarira.
With all the players fit, and Plumtree able to pick from a full squad perhaps for the first time this season, there were no other major contentious issues with the rest of the selection, with players choosing themselves in most positions.
JP Pietersen is the other current first-choice Bok outside of the three front-row forwards, but the Sharks have a pleasing return rate of players who helped win last year’s final, with 12 of the players who started last October back again for the first playoff match.
Sharks team: Stefan Terblanche (captain), Odwa Ndungane, Adrian Jacobs, Riaan Swanepoel, JP Pietersen, Juan Hernandez, Ruan Pienaar, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Jacques Botes, Johann Muller, Steven Sykes, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.
Reserves: Craig Burden, Jannie du Plessis, Albert van den Berg, Keegan Daniel, Rory Kockott, Monty Dumond, Andries Strauss.
Read more on the Currie Cup page.
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