Good news for the Sharks . . .

Lukhanyo Am has been named Sharks captain for the 2020 Super Rugby season.

I like Am as a player but I have no idea if he has leadership qualities. The reason I say this is great news for the Sharks is because it means that the hopeless Louis Schreuder won't be an automatic starter just because he's captain.

The Sharks squad:

Forwards

Andisa Ntsila, Celimpilo Gumede, Craig Burden, Dylan Richardson, Emile van Heerden, Evan Roos, Fezokuhle Mbatha, Henco Venter, Hyron Andrews, James Venter, JJ van der Mescht, John-Hubert Meyer, Jordan Sesink-Clee, Juan Schoeman, Kerron van Vuuren, Khutha Mchunu, Le Roux Roets, Lubabalo (Tera) Mtembu, Michael Kumbirai, Mzamo Majola, Ox Nche, Phepsi Buthelezi, Ruben van Heerden, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Thomas du Toit, Tyler Paul

Backs

Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Cameron Wright, Curwin Bosch, Grant Williams, Boeta Chamberlain, Jeremy Ward, Jordan Chait, JP Pietersen, Louis Schreuder, Lukhanyo Am (captain), Lwazi Mvovo, Madosh Tambwe, Makazole Mapimpi, Marius Louw, Murray Koster, Sanele Nohamba, S’bu Nkosi, Thaakir Abrahams

Very nice to hear that - they are learning from what Erasmus did iro Kolisi.   

In respect of the Sharks squad they had the potentially strongest team available playing  on Sunday.  I was very impressed by Am, Mapimpi and Nkosi, but much less so by Esterhuizen and Bosch,  

Van der Mescht is a hugely impressive prospect at lock and I am sure he will not take long to make the test side.   Watch out for Jordan Chait - he was a class act in the Maties Varsity Cup team.     

As for captain, well I'm sure I'll be in a very small minority here because most would pick Jaco Kriel from my 15 but I reckon that if I'm going to stick my neck out and gamble on Skuna Notshe then I may as well go whole hog and make him skipper. I think he could be a 100 cap Bok in the making so we may as well see if he can lead. If nothing else, it would certainly shut some of the politicians up

As for my skipper, well, I did say up front that I'd be in a very small minority so I don't really expect anyone to agree with me. Let's see what we're all saying about Skuna Notshe in a year's time. I'm confident I won't be in such a small minority by then.

https://www.ruckersforum.com/fo rum/sport/archives/19610/

I don’t think Schreuder is that bad at all but right now the diminutive Nohamba is the Sharks best 9, so it’s good to see Schreuder not captain for that reason as you say but I like Schreuder 

I'm gatvol of Schreuder's kicking and his poor basic service from the base of the scrum. Don't think Nohamba has to be particularly good to be better than Schreuder.

Schreuder has the physical ability but lacks mental strength. A good athlete but with a brain that is prone to desert him, particularly in fast tempo high-pressure games. 

Disagree I think his service is fine and there is nothing wrong with his mental ability. His problem like most is lack of consistency. Good games littered with poor ones.

Rassie must rate him as he brought him on board 

I think he is pretty handy - I’d stick him as a middle tier 9 - behind the likes of Faf, Reinach, Jantjies and Papier 

He's be on my bottom tier . . . and I mean bottom, like underneath Ross Cronje and Nic Groom.

No, no, no Rooi it’s not possible for anyone to be below Ross Cronje!

Well ... it is fashionable to select a black captain these days ... so why not the useless Am.

Of the 4 Super Rugby franchises, 3 have been given to the black man.

All you need now is for the Bulls to give Gelant the captaincy.

What really cracks me up is that neither Kolisi nor Am, Jantjies or Gelant are actual test match prospects.

The rot in South African rugby is well established.

Long may it continue.

Nothing new from CC - the Springbok win of the WC  must still hurt hum badly.