‘Experimental’ Sharks side

MARCELL Coetzee will captain a Sharks side that has a distinctly experimental look about it in the friendly against Toulouse tomorrow night.

Flanker Coetzee and fullback Willie le Roux did not travel with the squad last week to Toulon because they were on conditioning programmes following their return from club rugby in Japan, and they are just about the only two certainties in this second-string line-up for the Super Rugby opener against the Kings on February 27.

Coach Gary Gold fielded close to his strongest team against Toulon and obviously now wants to look at his depth, which is the point of a pre-season tour.

Injury has also forced his hand, and then there are also some Springboks who are not available for selection because of the South African Rugby Union’s limitations on the game time of contracted Boks.

There will be a lot of focus on flyhalf Garth April, who takes over from crocked captain Patrick Lambie. April is partnered by veteran scrumhalf Michael Claassens.

The second row, an area in which the Sharks have their injuries, sees opportunities for Hyron Andrews and David McDuling. Most of the players who started against Toulon are on the bench.

The players unavailable due to injury or Saru decree are Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Francois Kleinhans, Giant Mtyanda, Lwazi Mvovo, Lambie and Ruan Botha.

The match will be televised from 9.40pm.

“This match will give us another opportunity to test new combinations and work on areas where we were not as accurate as we would have liked to have been last Friday,” Gold said. “Toulouse will provide the ideal test.” BATTING, bowling and fielding: these are the three disciplines that the Dolphins are struggling to master on a consistent basis, according to allrounder Ryan McLaren.

“We’ve wanted to take the basics and apply those as consistently as possible, but we haven’t been able to do that,” he said.

“We showed good signs in the last game, against the Lions, where we fought well in the field, but then, at costly times, we dropped catches, and from a batting point of view, we’ve got to put more partnerships together.”

It’s not the most robustly optimistic prognosis ever offered before two matches that will determine whether the Dolphins reach the play-off of the Momentum One-Day Cup.

Currently bottom of the log, six points behind the third-placed team, the Dolphins begin their unlikely search for a place in the final with a match against the Warriors at Kingsmead today (2pm start).

The second fixture, unusually scheduled for Saturday at 2pm, features a match-up against the Titans.

Head coach Lance Klusener and the selection panel have named a 14-man squad not dissimilar to the one that suffered a narrow eight-run loss to the Lions late last week, and which includes Mthokozisi Shezi, who will continue his loan deal from the Cape Cobras for the remainder of the competition.

Not surprisingly, allrounder Robbie Frylinck has not been included in the squad, despite being technically available for selection after the lifting of his suspension.

“We’ve got two games, we’ve got to win both and one with a bonus point, so it’s a good time to step up,” said McLaren. “Hopefully we can put in two really good performances that can also make the fans proud to be associated with the Dolphins.”

For the incurable optimists out there, two positive outcomes in Durban and a couple of other results in their favour could theoretically see the Dolphins finish second on the log and earn the right to host the qualifier on Wednesday, February 24.

The Warriors also have their problems. From being in pole position to reach the playoffs at the halfway stage, the Warriors suddenly find themselves fighting to get there after two defeats in three games since the resumption.

Tickets are available at www.ticketpro.co.za or at the stadium’s ticket office. Prices start at R30 for pupils and R40 for adults, and parking tickets are also available.

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