Comments have arisen about the policy of the Sharks and Natal's rugby. Are they poachers? Do they breed their own talent? Natal never won the Currie Cup until 1990, and have managed to win it 5 times since. Presently the Sharks have a dispute with the Lions regarding two players: Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik Besides, they have signed players along SA: Stefan Terblanche (from Boland), Pietersen (from he Jaguars), Odwa Ndungane (from the Bulls). They have also gone to Zimbabwe to get the services of Tendai Mtawarira, and signed world class players like Michalak or Hernández. However, some outstanding players like Ruan Pienaar, John Smit or Ryan Kankowski have grown up within the Natal province.
All in all, the Sharks are a mixed bag of tradition and pragmatism. They can't be compared by any means to teams like Saracens (I have not heard anyone in SA complaining about them) nor they have the same philosophy as Canterbury have.
If you want a team of mercenaries, wait until next year, Melbourne Rebels have still got to build a team
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The Sharks Durban homebase is the last bastion of Anglo dominated anything in Africa, especially with the beaches and exclusivity. Afikaans players like John Smit speak perfect English as do all the Natal Africaans players unlike the Lions, Bulls, and Cheetahs. It's a bit more hoity toity than Capetown because Capetown is more touristy and with Stellenbosh University so near the rugby is more established. But the money in Durban and the crime are more intense than Capetown. Clive Rathbone emigrated and he is from Durban. So I think with the Anglo influence like Dick Muir the Sharks took the mercenary approach bagging both DuPlessis brothers who originally were Cheetahs and The Beast from Zimb. The Saracens are an Afikaans group setup to receive good players who will never make the Boks with the quota system in place and allow them the freedom of movement in Europe if things back home get too bad in the future. But both are merecenary albeit from two perspectives. The Sharks are not one of my favourites for all the aforementioned reasons.
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