Junior Springbok Under-20 World Cup-winning flyhalf Vusi Moyo will be the latest young Hollywoodbets Sharks star to be blooded at Vodacom URC level when the Durbanites host Zebre in their final league game on Saturday.
JP Pietersen has been highly successful at bringing in players who are either still in their teenage years or just out of them since taking over as the Sharks’ head coach and he will be hoping that Moyo, who was part of the team that won the global junior competition last year, will follow in the footsteps of 19-year-old Luan Giliomee and 18-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya by impressing on debut.
Moyo’s start at flyhalf against the Italian team does not mean that Siyaya drops out of the starting team.
Instead he moves back to the fullback position he filled successfully in his previous two Sharks appearances against the Ospreys and Edinburgh respectively.
The team Pietersen has selected for this game is mostly the same one that won 46-7 against Benetton last week, with Jurenzo Julius continuing in the outside centre position from where he scored three tries.
There are, however, two injury enforced changes on the wing, with Edwill van der Merwe and Makazole Mapimpi both out.
Jaco Williams, who was at fullback against Benetton, moves to right wing in place of Mapimpi, who was stretchered off, while Litelihle Bester comes in on the left.
Bester was a try scorer as a replacement last week and is another young player considered to have a bright future.
Get to know our latest debutant, Vusi Moyo 🦈
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) May 14, 2026
Be there on Saturday to watch him in action against Zebre. pic.twitter.com/3snfVN5yKv
Indeed, the Sharks team generally has a youthful look to it, with Bradley Davids at scrumhalf and Moyo and Siyaya in the two game driving positions and Williams on the wing and Julius in the midfield.
Skipper Andre Esterhuizen is the most experienced player at the back while Siya Kolisi, playing his last game for the Sharks before he switches his allegiance back to the DHL Stormers, is rivalled by his fellow Springbok, tighthead prop Vincent Koch, when it comes to experience at forward.
There is nothing on the game for the Sharks, who cannot finish higher than 10th on the final log, but what they will be after is another energetic performance like last week’s to further bolster the confidence of the young players, which also includes another Junior Bok from last year in Matt Ramao on the bench.
Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Zekhethelo Siyaya, Jaco Williams, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen (captain), Litelihle Bester, Vusi Moyo, Bradley Davids, Nick Hatton, Emmanuel Tshituka, Siya Kolisi, Emile van Heerden, Jason Jenkins, Vincent Koch, Eduan Swart, Ox Nche.
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Phatu Ganyane, Hanro Jacobs, Deon Slabbert, Matt Romao, Ross Braude, Jean Smith, Le Roux Malan.