The Sharks will be without Springbok prop duo Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit when they host the DHL Stormers in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby on Saturday afternoon.
Springbok resting protocols – to manage the country’s top players in this World Cup year – have necessitated Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell to make a few changes to the lineup that won in Edinburgh last week.
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Two of those changes to the front row as Ntuthuko Mchunu replaces Ox Nche and Carlü Sadie comes in for Thomas du Toit. The rest of the pack remains the same as the one that took on Edinburgh, with Phepsi Buthelezi retaining the captaincy.
There are a further couple of changes in the backline. Cameron Wright gets a start at scrumhalf for the injured Grant Williams, while Rohan Janse van Rensburg is back at inside centre, causing Ben Tapuai to shift to outside centre.
Sharks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Marnus Potgieter, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Henco Venter, 6 James Venter, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Hyron Andrews, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Subs: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Hanru Jacobs, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Lionel Cronje, 23 Yaw Penxe.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images