No Eben or Bongi but several Boks return for Sharks

Eben Etzebeth must be wondering if he is ever going to line up against his old DHL Stormers teammates for his new franchise, the Hollywoodbets Sharks.

The most capped Springbok player has been at the Sharks for a few years now and has yet to play any game against either the Stormers or Western Province, which of course is the union where he learned his rugby and first made his name.

The closest he has come to playing agaiinst the Stormers was when he got withdrawn from the New Year game against the Stormers in Cape Town on the eve of the match because of an injury.

It was anticipated Etzebeth would be missing Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby when he limped off during last week’s test match against Wales in Cardiff.

What was also expected was that Ox Nche, who had to pull out from that game a few days ahead, would also be missing, but the good news for Sharks fans is that Nche will be wearing the No1 jersey against the Stormers.

There is no Bongi Mbonambi, with Scotland international Dylan Richardson coming in at hooker, but Vincent Koch, who played off the Bok bench in Cardiff, will be packing down on the tighthead side of the scrum.

The team will be led by another former Stormers stalwart, Bok double World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi, who will again play No8 after starting there in the good win over Munster five weeks ago.

Other recent Bok tourists in the starting team are centres Andre Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am, who played together in the opening tour game against Scotland in Edinburgh, as well as scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, wing Makazole Mapimpi and fullback Aphelele Fassi.

Two current Boks on the bench are scrumhalf Grant Williams and flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse.

🔥Your Hollywoodbets Sharks team for Saturday🔥

🔗: https://t.co/LrBhhBP2id@Vodacom #URC #SHAvSTO pic.twitter.com/YvSHHgYI4L

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) November 28, 2024

Sharks coach John Plumtree has played Hendriske at flyhalf for most of the URC season thus far but he obviously felt that as Siya Masuku has been training with the Sharks over the last three weeks while the Boks were away it might be better to go with him as the game driver in the clash with the 2022 URC champions.

With Etzebeth not playing it means Jason Jenkins will wear the No4 jersey, with Gerbrandt Grobler, another player who has played for the Stormers, alongside him in the second row.

The decision to continue with Kolisi at No8 and thus play James Venter in his fetching role at openside flank is a smart one as the Stormers have struggled a bit at the breakdowns in the continued absence of Bok World Cup winner Deon Fourie.

With Nama Xaba having left for the Vodacom Bulls, the Stormers don’t have a like-for-like replacement for Fourie unless they fast track the highly promising age-group star Paul de Villiers.

Ethan Hooker continues on the Sharks wing, where he has done well after switching there from centre for the Carling Currie Cup final in September and while the Sharks do lose a little bit without Etzebeth and Mbonambi in the pack they do still have a strong team to call on.

The Stormers will be missing most of their Boks, who are out injured at present.

Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Kolisi (captain), Vincent Tshituka, James Venter, Gerbrandt Grobler, Jason Jenkins, Vincent Koch, Dylan Richardson, Ox Nche.

Replacements: Ethan Bester, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Trevor Nyakane, Corne Rahl, Phepsi Buthelezi, Emmanuel Tshituka, Grant Williams, Jordan Hendrikse.