The Sharks have added insult to the injury of inflicting Western Province’s first Currie Cup loss by signing gifted utility back Conrad Hoffmann.
Stephen Nell, Sport24
Hoffmann’s World Artists agent, Anthony Johnson, confirmed to Sport24 on Wednesday that the player will move to Durban after the Currie Cup.
“Conrad will play for the Sharks for the next two seasons. The reason for his decision is to get more game time in his preferred position of scrumhalf,” said Johnson.
“Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Blue Bulls flyhalf) is also going to the Sharks and they will form a good halfback pairing.”
Hoffmann will do duty on WP’s substitutes bench at Newlands again on Friday evening for the match against Free State.
Dewaldt Duvenage is the regular scrumhalf and the team’s vice-captain, so Hoffmann is on the bench in a utility capacity.
Province are keen to get back on the winning track quickly after losing in Durban.
“The guys are feeling the pain of the defeat and have something to prove. We took last week personally, so are looking forward to an improvement,” said WP lock Adriaan Fondse.
Fondse and lock partner Anton van Zyl succeeded in disrupting Free State’s lineout in WP’s first Currie Cup match and did not concede a single throw.
“We try to dominate the lineouts every week, but both sides have come up with new plans,” said Fondse.
“They have good jumpers, but I will be happy if things can go as well as they did last time.”
Fondse is knocking on the door of the Springbok squad, but untimely injuries have taught him to focus on the immediate goal.
“The Boks will always be the main goal, but I have been injured a lot,” he said.
“I just want to stay fit and play as well as possible. If the Boks become a reality for me then that’s great, but that’s not where my focus is now.”
Fondse is happy that there is an upward curve in his form and that he is making a significant contribution at the lineouts.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Another talent lost.
Fondse is knocking on the door of the Springbok squad
——-
Sure, like Brok Harris and Wicus Blaauw.
August 26th, 2010 at 4:48 am
No doubt to replace RP… hope this is not going to be Plum-for-brains stuffing Rory around…
Can Hoffman play 10 as well?
August 26th, 2010 at 4:49 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 12:50 am:
Fondse does the hard graft… but IMO seems a little slow, one dimensional and a bit ‘dom’ for higher accolades…
August 26th, 2010 at 7:08 am
WP Idiots
August 26th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 4:48 am:
10 and 15…
August 26th, 2010 at 9:59 am
There is still the matter of young McCleod as well – this guy has impressed a lot in the cc so far
August 26th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Going to be a balancing act – McCleod, Kockett and Hofmann
August 26th, 2010 at 10:46 am
I have heard great things from this kid.
Well then again you hear great things from all WP kids.
But many compare him to Pienaar, and I reckon Sharks bought him to be a 15.
August 27th, 2010 at 3:49 am
Any bye is better than ‘over the hill’ Poms… however they did buy Bosman too!
August 27th, 2010 at 9:54 am
This oke is Goooood
I’ve been watching him from U19 level
I called him as a good option then already…
Morne
In truth he is a nine who has a helluva boot on him like Kockott so he can fulfill a Pienaar role
For my cash I believe that this is a poor move from him… the Sharks will lable him a “utility” and fuck his career up left right and centre like they’ve done with every decent backline player they don’;t know what to do with…
Think
Frans Steyn
Ruan Pienaar
Brent Russel
Joe Gillingham
Adi Jacobs
Jack of all trades master of none
Will be the same for Lambie unless he gets contracted to a province that allows him to specialize.
In truth I would have been more relieved if a province like Free State (who need a scrummie and have needed one since Werner Greef and Neill Powell retired) had taken him…
But typical Sharks
They can produce one or two of their ow players who are good enough for provincial rugby, maybe two for Super 14 and maybe ONE Bok but as a rule… they have to wait till other provinces discover and develop players before walking up with their cehque books… and this all in spite of their massive shool, club and development system so vaunted as best in the country….
All PR it seems if one looks at the way the cheque book has been flapping open and closed this past season…
August 27th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Plumtree has been less guilty than Dick Muir at doing this.
They have a plan for Lambie and the important thing is that the player (and his dad) is buying into it – they moved him to 12 at the start of the CC with the eventual aim of being a 10 – due to injuries it has been fast tracked. Will be interesting what they do in the S15 – hopefully Lambie at 10 and JLP at 12
As far as I know Ruan played mainly 9 and 10 for the Sharks – it is for the Boks that he played at 9, 10, wing and 15.