The Durban-based franchise is set to say goodbye to three Sharks legends on Saturday. Willem Alberts, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis will play their last game in Sharks’ colours when they face the Stormers at Kings Park this weekend.
In what has been a bitterly disappointing Super Rugby campaign, the Sharks have one more chance to, at the very least, bring back some pride a team that has been so successful in previous years. The Sharks have never come close to challenging for a playoff spot this season, and if ever there was a season to forget that painful fact; even for one day, this would be it.
For many, a dead rubber game like this would hardly be worth watching (the Stormers have more than likely blown their chances of hosting a semi-final, meaning, barring a miraculous set of results, they will be seeded third) if it weren’t for the chance to see three huge figure of the game playing for the Sharks one last time. Fans will be hoping to see these three bruisers dominating the Stormers and ending with a win before they depart.
The Du Plessis brothers are set to join Montpellier while Willem Alberts is set to join them in France, though in the colours of Stade Francais. The loss of these key players is a will almost certainly be a huge obstacle to overcome in the next few seasons; but, thinking long term, this also opens a few doors for the youngsters coming through.
The brothers have both accumulated over 100 caps playing for the Sharks and Alberts is not far behind in Sharks appearances after moving to the coastal team from the Lions in 2010. When looking at the team sheet on a weekly basis, these three forwards would always be in the starting lineup barring injury. Not only were they key to a strong Sharks pack in the scrums and the rolling maul but they contributed to other facets of play as well.
Bismarck will always be known as one of the great ‘fetchers’ of the game and the amount of times he won turnovers in crucial situations cannot be forgotten. On defence he has always been reliable; making tackle after tackle. Older brother Jannie is renowned for his power and effectiveness in the scrums, while perhaps his only shortfall is in the try scoring department. He has played 117 games for the Sharks at Super Rugby level and has never scored a try. Perhaps he is leaving it until his final game on Saturday…
Willem Alberts, or the bone collector as he is widely known, brought another side of the game to Sharks rugby. If you ever needed a player to give you quick, front foot ball, Alberts was the man. He has become renowned for his bulldozing runs and massive hits on opponents. Someone who knows all too well about the bone collector is Mark Richards from the Lions. In this year’s super rugby tournament Richards was knocked out cold when he collided with Alberts while going for a loose ball. There was only ever going to be one winner…
Saturday will ultimately prove to be a sad, nostalgic day for Sharks fans and South African rugby fans in general who won’t be able to see these players in action on home soil. These three Sharks great will still be key to the Springboks in their quest for the World Cup, but come Saturday they will be key to defeating the Stormers; allowing them to say goodbye in the best way possible.
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