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http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/default...94&des=article
Sharks team shows just one change
Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 10:05
Dick Muir has made minimal changes to last week's side as the Sharks prepare to take on the fifth placed Western Force on Friday in Perth, as the Sharks get their four week overseas tour under way.
Bradley Barritt who limped off the field will start, having suffered the initially debilitating, but not long term knock, commonly known as "dead-leg" in an unchanged backline, with Johann Muller returning to the fray as expected in the only change to the forward pack, and the starting 15 as a whole.
There is only one change on the bench, with Keegan Daniel coming in for Ryan Kankowski.
The Sharks won the corresponding fixture 41-25 last year at The Absa Stadium Durban, and although the Force won just one match in 2006, there is no second-season blues about John Mitchell's team. The former All Black coach has assembled a side that are doing Australian rugby proud, and are that country's top performers this year, having lost just two of their seven matches (with four wins and one draw).
Although it took all of last year, and their third match this year to register an historic first home win (a narrow 18-17 victory over the Hurricanes), it was the third one point margin result they had played to at home, and certainly have shown (including beating the Bulls at Loftus) that they are not a team to be taken lightly.
The Force also boast the best defensive record in the competition, but interestingly enough, the Sharks have the second best record, having conceded four more points. As far as attack goes, the Sharks have scored one try more over all, and the two have conceded the same number of tries (8), at marginally over 1 try per game. Both teams have scored just one bonus point for four tries scored in a match, and have shown to be very similar in many respects - expect a tight, keenly-contested match.
Sharks 22
1. Deon Carstens
2. John Smit (captain)
3. BJ Botha
4. Johan Ackermann
5. Johan Muller
6. Warren Britz
7. AJ Venter
8. Jacques Botes
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Butch James
11. JP Pietersen
12. Bradley Barritt
13. Waylon Murray
14. Odwa Ndungane
15. Francois Steyn
Reserves:
16. Bismarck du Plessis
17. Tendai Mtawarira
18. Albert van den Berg
19. Bobby Skinstad
20. Keegan Daniel
21. Rory Kockott
22. Adrian Jacobs
For the Force, scrumhalf Matt Henjak and centre Matt Giteau return from injury to bolster their side, with flyhalf Scott Staniforth remaining on the injury list, but it is the home side's pack, and in particular dangerman Cameron Shepherd, the tournament's top scorer with 105 points (27 ahead of the next highest - Stephen Donald of the Chiefs), who the Sharks will have to nullify.
Western Force: 1. Gareth Hardy 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Troy Takiari 4. Rudi Vedelago 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Richard Brown 7. Matt Hodgson 8. Scott Fava 9. Matt Henjak 10. James Hilgendorf 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. Matt Giteau 13. Ryan Cross 14. Digby Ioane 15. Drew Mitchell
Reserves: 16. Brendan Cannon 17. Angus Scott 18. Luke Doherty 19. David Pocock 20. Chris O’Young 21. Junior Pelesasa 22. Haig Sare