Steve Haag Gallo Images
Sharks big men Willem Alberts, left, and Jean Deysel will miss the early stages of the Super Rugby season due to injury concerns. They are to be carefully managed to ensure that when they return they will be at their peak and good to go the distance. pictureS: Steve Haag
The Sharks’ heavy artillery will remain silenced for the early rounds of Super Rugby, but when Willem Alberts and Jean Deysel are eventually introduced to the action, they will be at their blockbusting best and good to go until the competition winds up in September.
The beefy bulldozers are crucial to the Sharks’ game plan, but in 2011 once again ended a year injured and are in rehab at the start of a new season, and this time their management team is opting for a policy of extreme caution to limit the chances of them breaking down again.
While injuries are no doubt part of the job description for human wrecking balls, these two have had more than their fair share. Alberts suffered a shoulder injury last March but played through the pain to get himself to the World Cup, while Deysel has been struggling with a chronic knee injury for two years.
Tour
Both will miss at least the Sharks’ opening two matches – away to the Bulls and Stormers – although Alberts could play a role off the bench in the ensuing two home games, against the Lions and the Reds. And the expectation is that Deysel will be good to go for the Sharks’ tour, which begins after the Reds game and will take them through rounds five to eight.
They play tour matches against the Waratahs, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Blues.
“Willem and Jean are vital to our long-term plans, so we will not rush them,” coach John Plumtree said yesterday.
“We have got to make sure they are fit and fully recovered. They provide a valuable skill set when it comes to getting us over the advantage line. We have good loose forwards, make no mistake, but those two offer something unique. Willem is already taking light contact and Jean has just started running.”
The Sharks’ likely loose trio against the Bulls is Ryan Kankowski at No 8, captain Keegan Daniel at openside and Marcell Coetzee on the blindside flank.
But before the big February 24 kick-off at Loftus Versfeld, the Sharks have two invaluable warm-up games – this Friday (6pm) against Boland at Kings Park, and the following weekend against the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth.
“We will trim our squad down to 28 for Boland, and will be looking to get closer to where we need to be after a positive trials session last week,” Plumtree said. “We have (World Cup final referee) Craig Joubert on Friday for Boland, and we have asked him to be hard on the areas that the Super Rugby referees will be focusing on.”
Plumtree said he would again be making use of a brains trust of former Natal players – Mark Andrews, John Allan, Jeremy Thompson, Steve Atherton and Dick Muir – to ensure he is as well informed as possible when he trims his squad even further for the Kings match.
“We have also had club coaches giving their input, so hopefully we will have the right combinations in place for the Bulls.”
Plumtree said his charges would naturally pick up the intensity this week against Boland, the champions of the Currie Cup’s first division.
“When you are playing your mates it is not the same as playing a visiting team. Boland will be keen to prove a point and our guys are looking forward to the first real action of the year, so it should be well worth watching.”
Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/bulldozers-on-light-duty-1.1229168
