Bongi Mbonambi is among the returning stars who will feature for the Sharks against the DHL Stormers in the coastal derby at Kings Park on Saturday.
Sharks head coach John Plumtree has the good fortune of welcoming back fit-again Mbonambi, the Springbok double champion, for the round 10 Vodacom URC clash in Durban.
The hooker will feature off the bench alongside fellow Bok Coenie Oosthuizen and Vincent Tshituka, who also returns from a long-term injury. Meanwhile, replacement flyhalf Siya Masuku gets an opportunity to make his debut in the URC.
The only changes to the starting XV from a win for the Durbanites in the Challenge Cup against Dragons three weeks ago is lock Le Roux Roets coming in for Corne Rahl at No 4.
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“Ultimately, we’re looking for some consistency in our performances to find some real confidence and belief in how we can play this game and at times we have shown that,” Plumtree said.
“We haven’t found that real consistency to how we want to perform, although there have been periods where we’ve played some of our best rugby, and when we played the Stormers down in Cape Town, it was a really gutsy performance built around pressure and good defences, and we really stood up in that department.”
The team will be sporting their school or club colours in a unique start to the second half of the URC this weekend, in the first of two special Origin Rounds where the players’ rugby roots will be remembered and celebrated.
Sharks – 15 Aphelele Fassi (Dale College Boys’ High), 14 Werner Kok (Hoërskool Nelspruit), 13 Lukhanyo Am (c, Hoërskool De Vos Malan), 12 Francois Venter (Grey College), 11 Makazole Mapimpi (King William’s Town), 10 Curwin Bosch (Grey High), 9 Jaden Hendrikse (Glenwood High), 8 Phepsi Buthelezi (Durban High), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (Grey College), 6 James Venter (Glenwood High), 5 Gerbrandt Grobler (Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool), 4 Le Roux Roets (Hoërskool Garsfontein), 3 Hanro Jacobs (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 2 Fez Mbatha (Maritzburg College), 1 Ox Nche ( HTS Louis Botha).
Subs: 16 Bongi Mbonambi (St Alban’s College), 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu (Maritzburg College), 18 Coenie Oosthuizen (Grey College), 19 Hyron Andrews (Hoërskool Garsfontein), 20 Vincent Tshituka (Northcliff High), 21 Bradley Davids (Paarl Gimnasium), 22 Siya Masuka (Piet Retief High), 23 Aphiwe Dyantyi (Dale College Boys’ High).
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
