Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse will return to the Hollywoodbets Sharks No 9 jersey for Saturday evening’s second Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with the Dragons.
Hendrikse joins his brother Jordan in the starting team, with Jordan continuing at fullback, making it two sets of brothers who will line up among the fifteen starters. The other two are captain Vincent Tshituka and his brother Emmanuel. Ironically, both sets of brothers hail initially from the Emirates Lions, although the Hendrikse brothers both went to school in Durban and came out of the KZN schooling system.
Hendrikse in for Bradley Davids is the only change to the run on team, but there are two changes on the bench. Phepsi Buthelezi is back from his injury to provide loose-forward cover while Francois Venter provides experienced midfield backup to the starting duo of Andre Esterhuizen and Jurenzo Julius.
The Sharks were disappointed to lose their opening game against Connacht last week, but there were mitigating factors - among them the two tough Carling Currie Cup playoff games that led into the start of the URC, including a 100-minute semifinal against the Vodacom Bulls, while the Sharks were also vulnerable after their long travel to Ireland via Maputo and the Middle East.
“At least we are here for the whole week and can train without any disruptions because of travel, which is the first time in a while that this is the case,” said Sharks assistant coach Warren Whiteley earlier in the week.
IMPRESSIVE INTENSITY
There was also of course the emotion that inevitably follows the winning of such a tight domestic final, where the Sharks found a way to win when they looked destined for defeat in the closing minutes of a hard-fought game. No matter how much the coaches might impress on the players the need to remain razor sharp, that is always easier said than done when it comes to playing a week after an emotional victory.
That said, the Sharks did start with impressive intensity in their game against Connacht, and it is not often that Connacht trail by 20 points at halftime in Galway. They will have to sustain that closer to 80 minutes this time, although the Dragons, who the Sharks did beat in Newport in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season, are not as tough a team to play as Connacht are.
“We respect every team we play against and aim to be up for every game. We know from past experience that you can’t underestimate any team in this competition,” said Whiteley.
The Sharks finished 14th in the URC last season because of their disastrous start to the competition and coach John Plumtree will be determined to see his charges get onto the winning trail so that the pressure of last season is not repeated. However, there is little comparison between the Sharks now and the Sharks of 12 months ago and the chances are the Durbanites will prove on Saturday that last week’s second half fade was an aberration brought about by the combination of factors - probably the travel and the Currie Cup hangover - that skipper Tshituka alluded to.
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS TEAM: Jordan Hendrikse, Eduan Keyter, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka, James Venter, Gerbrandt Grobler, Jason Jenkins, Ruan Dreyer, Dylan Richardson, Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Trevor Nyakane, Hanro Jacobs, Corne Rahl, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Lionel Cronje, Francois Venter.