URC players return for Sharks double header against Pumas and Saracens

As anticipated there has been an infusion of Vodacom United Rugby Championship players into the two Hollywoodbets Sharks team chosen for Friday night’s Durban double header featuring matches against the Airlink Pumas and the English club, Saracens.

Springbok flanker Vincent Tshituka will lead a mix and match Sharks XV team that among others also features his brother Manu as his looseforward partner for the final Carling Currie Cup match of the season against the Airlink Pumas, while Tino Mavesere will lead a Sharks Invitational team into battle against Saracens in the Hollywoodbets Kings Park curtain-raiser.

The Currie Cup game kicks off at 7pm and the Saracens game, which is a warm-up for the URC for the hosts and for the Gallagher Premiership for the visitors, will start at 4pm. Fans who get down to the Durban rugby headquarters will get a chance to see most of the players who will feature in the early stages of the URC, which kicks off three weeks from now, in action.

That includes a few Pumas players who are understood to be linking up with the Sharks for the URC campaign from October. The team under Tshituka’s command looks marginally the stronger of the two Sharks sides, with more established URC players in the team. Apart from the two Tshituka’s that includes fullback Yaw Penxe, centre Francois Venter, flyhalf Siya Masuku, the Springbok duo of Phepsi Buthelezi and Jaden Hendrikse, lock Emile van Heerden and hooker Fez Mbatha.

Junior Springbok stars Phatu Ganyane and Batho Hlekani feature in the pack, with the latter playing lock. He is normally a flank. Jean Smith, one of the stars of last week’s Currie Cup win over Boland Kavaliers in Pietermaritzburg, will play this Currie Cup game off the bench but he is starting at No 10 in the curtain-raiser.

The team to play Saracens also features experienced lock Jason Jenkins and a host of players who have done well in the Currie Cup, among them Junior Bok inside centre Albie Bester and flanker Matt Ramao, who is described by his coach JP Pietersen as a silent assassin and who has been identified as a star of the future.

Jaco Williams, another Junior Bok who Pietersen thinks may have a big future, will be on the wing against Saracens and play off the bench in the Currie Cup game.

With another warmup game ahead of the URC scheduled against the DHL Stormers in George next Friday it appears some players who were heavily involved in the Currie Cup have been given a chance to have a brief respite. For instance regular Currie Cup captain Nick Hatton will only play off the bench in this game.

Springbok World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am will be making his return from injury by playing off the bench against Saracens. With Jenkins also in the curtain-raiser team, that makes it two Boks in the unit.

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV v Airlink Pumas: Yaw Penxe, Phikolomzi Sobahle, Diego Appollis, Francois Venter, Paschal Ekeji, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka (captain), Manu Tshituka, Emile van Heerden, Batho Hlekani, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Fez Mbatha, Phatu Ganyane. Replacements: Jacques Marais, Dian Bleuler, Mawande Mdanda, Deon Slabbert, Nick Hatton, Ceano Everson, Jean Smith, Jaco Williams.

Hollywoodbets Sharks Invitational v Saracens: Hakeem Kunene, Aiden de Villiers, Christie Grobbelaar, Albie Bester, Jaco Williams, Jean Smith, Tiaan Fourie, Jannes Potgieter, Matt Romao, Tino Mavesere (captain), Deon Slabbert, Jason Jenkins, Cohen Kiewit, Willem van der Hever, Kayden Kiewit.

 Replacements: Jacques Marais, Dian Bleuler, Dian Heunis, Gideon Koegelenberg, Meno Barnard, Coetzee le Roux, Ceano Everson, Chris Horak, Luhanyo Am.