The Sharks have pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat at the eleventh hour with the arrival of Free State flyhalf Conrad Barnard in Durban to do service for the Sharks for the rest of the Absa Currie Cup this season.
With Butch James ruled out for the remainder of the year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, sustained in the Sharks final Super 12 match against the Stormers in May, the search has been conducted far and wide for a replacement to don the number-10 jersey.
Then all seemed resolved when young Steve Meyer did flyhalf duty against the Leopards last Tuesday. Initial reports suggested Meyer had a great first half but to the consternation of coach Kevin Putt, he was scythed down with an injury that has left him sidelined from the training field ever since. Putt has not given up on him, though, and says he will have a fitness test on Tuesday.
Barnard is recognised as a prodigious kicking ace who boasts an 84% success rate with the boot. For the moment he could well be the Sharks’ first-choice flyhalf for the Currie Cup opener against Griqualand West in Durban on Friday night. Barnard has been in the shadow of Kennedy Tsimba at Free State for a couple of seasons but Putt has no concerns about his ability.
The Sharks were reported initially to be very interested in the services of Willem de Waal, who excelled for the Bulls in the latter stages of the Super 12, even displacing ”wunderkind” Derick Hougaard.
However, he was snapped up by Free State, and that left Barnard available for the Sharks and with it a big opportunity to prove himself in the big league. — Sapa