The Hollywoodbets Sharks team announced by head coach John Plumtree has been bolstered by the return of some of their Springboks for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship action when they host the Vodacom Bulls in a massive South African derby at Hollywoodbets Kings Park (6pm kick-off).
Big inside centre Andre Esterhuizen provides some insight into where the team is at right now as they prepare for the big game.
“Coming off a tough loss in the EPCR, bouncing back is our main priority,” he explains. “Training has gone well, it’s a local derby, the Bulls are always tough and we’re bracing ourselves for a big challenge.”
With an enviable home record in recent times, Esterhuizen admits that they are keen to keep it that way.
“You want to win all your home games because that makes things so much easier in the competition, especially with all the travel. If you make sure of winning at home, any points away are a bonus.
“Durban is a tough place to come and play, the weather and humidity are big factors and we as a team want to make it tough to come and play here. We want to make it hard, physical and very fast and the more we can do that, put teams under pressure, the better.
“Winning at home means a lot to us and the fans, having more fans in the stadium is what we want and that makes it easier for us when we play.
“Being at home is a massive boost, you have your own fans behind you, we have sold out crowd, which we really appreciate. The fans have been showing up in numbers in the last few games and that’s been great for us. We feel we’re on the right track.
"It’s not going to be easy on Saturday as the Bulls arrive in Durban also off an Investec Champions Cup loss last weekend and as traditional rivals, always offer a huge challenge.
“Historically, playing the Bulls is always tough from a physicality point of view, it’s a north-south derby that’s always been great to play in.
“It’s going to be a physical challenge, we know them well, they know us well.”
Meanwhile, Plumtree has clarified the comments he made after the Sharks' loss to Leicester Tigers.
“Following the match against Leicester Tigers, there was media focus on comments I made regarding player welfare and the challenges of managing a busy calendar. To avoid any doubt, I want to emphasize that this remark was not directed at any specific tournament in which we compete, nor was it intended as a critique of the rights holders.
“The Hollywoodbets Sharks are immensely proud to participate in two international tournaments. As the reigning EPCR Challenge Cup champions, we are honoured to compete in the Investec Champions Cup, regarded as the pinnacle of club rugby globally.
"We recognize that travel constraints are a reality for South African teams in these competitions. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of all stakeholders who continue to collaborate with us in seeking practical solutions for these challenges. We do speak to the EPCR and URC on a regular basis, and we know there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes between the tournaments and Saru to give all teams the best possible platform to compete at this very high level,” he said.
Hollywoodbets Sharks starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi; 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse; 8 Siya Kolisi (capt), 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi; 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins; 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Jurenzo Julius.
Vodacom Bulls starting XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Canan Moodie; 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier; 8 Elrigh Louw (capt), 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Cameron Hanekom; 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak; 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Jan-hendrik Wessels, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Sergeal Petersen, 23 Devon Williams.
The following Sharks players are not available for selection due to injury
Bongi Mbonambi, Braam Reyneke, Eben Etzebeth, Fez Mbatha, Gerbrandt Grobler, Grant Williams, James Venter, Khwezi Mona, Lukhanyo Am, Marnus Potgieter, Vincent Tshituka.
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – Saturday KO 4pm IRE & UK/5pm ITA/6pm SA
Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU, 14th league game)
AR 1: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) AR 2: Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
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