Daniel back in the black and white

Keegan Daniels , Sharks during the 2014 Super Rugby Sharks Training at the Kings Parks Stadium in Kwa-Zulu Natal on the 10th of March 2014 ©Sabelo Mngoma/BackpagePix

Keegan Daniels , Sharks during the 2014 Super Rugby Sharks Training at the Kings Parks Stadium in Kwa-Zulu Natal on the 10th of March 2014 ©Sabelo Mngoma/BackpagePix

Published Feb 2, 2016

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Durban - Many a Sharks fan has wondered what became of long-serving captain and flanker Keegan Daniel when he disappeared into the wilderness after captaining the Sharks to a Currie Cup final win in 2013.

They will wonder no more with the news that the 30-year-old is returning to Kings Park after two years in exile at the Kubota Spears in Japan, where he did not play that much because of injury (just 23 times).

Daniel, a loose forward who bristled with flair and attacking intent in well over a 100 games for the Sharks from 2006 to 2013, possibly did not fit into the plans of Jake White when the former Bok coach took over at the Sharks in 2014, and Daniel’s exit from the Sharks at the time left more questions than answers.

It does not matter anymore. White is ensconced at Montpellier in France, as are a number of leading Sharks players from that time. Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis spring to mind and Francois Steyn is also there. An emerging scrumhalf from 2014, Cameron Wright, is also now under White’s tutelage.

Daniel, when captain of the Sharks in Super Rugby in 2013, went through a tumultuous period after an Afrikaans newspapers alleged that an anonymous and senior Sharks player claimed Daniel was “anti-Afrikaans”.”

At the time, this was vehemently disputed by all in the Sharks squad as hearsay.

Whatever the case, Daniel was by all accounts a popular captain and led the side 59 times.

He will add leadership and experience to the Sharks in Super Rugby in 2016 and he is hardly over the hill at 30.

Originally from the Border region (he was schooled at Dale College in King Williams Town), he came to the Sharks as a teenager and went on to be capped on five occasions for the Springboks.

Daniel has played for no franchise other than the Sharks and while Sharks fans might never know if it is a case of a “prodigal son” returning, they can count on the services of a talented loose forward who, for all intents and purposes, led the side with integrity.

The Sharks’ mission statement for 2016 is to play attacking rugby and Daniel can certainly oblige in that department. He is at home at No 8 and openside flank and has an off-loading game that is reminiscent of Bob Skinstad in his heyday.

Speaking of loose forwards, the Sharks suffered a blow on Monday just hours before their departure for their tour of the south of France when former Cheetah Philip van der Walt took a blow to the head in training in a morning session and did not travel with the squad last night because of suspected concussion. His place in the squad to play Toulon on Friday (8.30pm, SA time) and Toulouse on February 11, has been taken by (on loan) Pumas lock Giant Mtyanda.

It is as yet unknown whether SuperSport will televise the games. A Sharks spokesperson on Monday said that the television giants were still negotiating with their French counterparts.

The Mercury

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