Ex Supersport
The Sharks were waiting on final fitness clearances on backs Patrick Lambie and Louis Ludik before naming their team on Thursday, but the interest of the national selectors should be focused on whether or not Willem Alberts finally makes it back into the 22 for the trip to Bloemfontein.
Alberts was dropped from the Sharks match day squad after the loss to the Chiefs the week before the Sharks’ bye, and he hasn’t featured in the 22 since then . The Sharks retained the same squad that beat the Highlanders for last week’s match against the Western Force, and after the rout of the Perth team, they are likely to stick to the continuity approach for the Cheetahs clash provided Ludik and Lambie are pronounced fit.
The form of Alberts, who has been fighting an ongoing battle against a niggly shoulder injury, has been a concern to the Sharks management for a while. Coach John Plumtree made it known he had finally had enough when he dropped Alberts from the match day squad and at the same time listed skipper Keegan Daniel and impressive newcomer Marcel Coetzee as the only loose-forwards who were playing well.
Alberts was in a Durban North gym on the morning of the Highlanders game, and it is unclear what rugby he will play in the forseeable future that might enable him to impress Plumtree enough to call him back into the squad.
That could be a problem for Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, as Alberts is one of the few blindside flanks currently playing and not out injured who boasts international experience. The No 7 flank position has been a bigger casualty than most when it comes to injuries for prospective Springboks, with Juan Smith ruled out for the season and Schalk Burger not due to play again until July.
That means Meyer will be without two of the most experienced Springbok loose-forwards for his first series against England. And then to cap that, Duane Vermeulen, who could conceivably have been an option, was also ruled out until July by injury, as was the best new No 7 on the block, Jacques Potgieter of the Bulls. (Quite extraordinary really)
Alberts has played in the shadow of Coetzee at the Sharks all season, and the Sharks youngster must now be the favourite to wear the Bok No 7 against England in the first test in Durban on 9 June. (No we need Elsatdt - Spies and Brussouw need an enforcer loosie to help them out and the 118 kg Elstadt ii the man) But he has different allround attributes to the other top blindside flanks he would be replacing, and at the very least the Boks could do with the momentum shifting impact role that Alberts, who has few peers when it comes to forcing play across the gainline, played for the Boks on the end of year tour in 2010 and then into the World Cup year.
Of course Jean Deysel, who has kept Alberts out of the Sharks squad for the past few games, is also a forceful flank in the ball-hugging, driving mould, but he is still making his way back from a long injury lay-off (Deysel i salso as slow as a donkey!!!!!). If Alberts is absent again in Bloemfontein, Deysel’s contribution as he regains his confidence should be worth monitoring by Meyer and the two selectors, Pieter Jooster and Ian McIntosh.
Gavin Rich is overlooking the very obvious choice - ELSTADT!!! Maybe Coetzzee on bench.
