Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell has opted to tweak his starting XV to face Munster in the Champions Cup at Kings Park on Saturday.
Siya Kolisi will still lead the team out, but is joined in the starting loose trio by fellow Springbok Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who trades places on the bench with No 8 Phepsi Buthelezi for the last-16 encounter in Durban.
In the second row, Bok enforcer Eben Etzebeth has been partnered with the experienced Gerbrandt Grobler, with youngster Emile van Heerden named among the replacements.
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Munster, currently fifth on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log, won two of their four pool games in the Champions Cup, going down twice to Toulouse, but earned enough points to finish in sixth place on the Pool B log. The Sharks, with three wins, finished Pool A in third spot to earn a home fixture in the knockouts.
“We weren’t good in our last game, but we’ve worked hard to rectify that,” said Kolisi in the lead up to this weekend’s game. “This is a play-off match, everything in the past no longer matters, but I think we will be much better, we don’t want a loss to define us.
“And Munster’s loss last week also doesn’t define them.”
Sharks – 15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Emile van Heerden, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Ben Tapuai, 23 Thaakir Abrahams.
Picks: @mark_keohane and Zels are both backing the Sharks to beat Munster in the Champions Cup but differ on the margin of victory. pic.twitter.com/dj5L9NXwzz
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) March 30, 2023
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix