Star centre Andre Esterhuizen has been returned to the Hollywoodbets Sharks starting team for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with Leinster in Durban.
Esterhuizen returned to the playing field off the bench in last week’s win over Zebre but this will be the first time he wears the No 12 jersey since being injured against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town just before New Year.
Esterhuizen partners Jurenzo Julius in the Sharks midfield, with Ethan Hooker moving back to wing after playing centre last week.
Hooker was back on the wing after the substitutions when he scored the winning try against Zebre, with Jordan Hendrikse kicking the angled conversion to clinch a 35-34 win, and he arguably did look more at home there than he did in the midfield position he has played most of his career.
It was hoped that Lukhanyo Am would be back too for this game but he is still listed on an extensive list of injured players that also includes Aphelele Fassi, Eben Etzebeth, Grant Williams, Dylan Richardson and Gerbrandt Grobler.
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Hooker’s switch to the wing sees Yaw Penxe move to fullback, where he replaces Henry Immelman.
The loan player from the Vodacom Bulls went off with a hamstring injury in the second half of last week’s game at Hollywoodbets Kings Park and with Springbok Fassi set to return to the field in the coming weeks it looks like his time at the Sharks is now done.
Sharks coach John Plumtree would have given consideration to moving Hendrikse from flyhalf to fullback, with Siya Masuku back in the selection mix for the No 10 jersey, but instead Masuku will provide back up off the bench.
It is likely we will see Masuku come on at flyhalf with Hendrikse switching to fullback during the second half of the clash with the URC table toppers.
It goes without saying that the Sharks will have to be tighter on attack and much more accurate with their kicking game after last week, where they allowed Zebre to compete with their naive tactics.
The forwards were good last week so it isn’t a huge surprise to see just one change to the starting pack, with James Venter coming back at openside flank for Phepsi Buthelezi, who drops out of the playing squad completely to accommodate Manu Tshituka’s return to the squad on the bench.
The younger Tshituka’s physicality will be useful against Leinster later in the game.
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There is still no sign of Bok legend Eben Etzebeth with it now understood that his return to the playing field for the Sharks will be after the EPCR Challenge Cup games in early April.
However, with Esterhuizen's return the Sharks have players in the starting team who have been capped for their country.
Most significantly, three of those Boks are front-row forwards, which is where the main thrust of the Sharks' victory drive should come against a team that struggled in the scrums against the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend.
Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Yaw Penxe, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Markazole Mapimpi, Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Kolisi (captain), Vincent Tshituka, James Venter, Emile van Heerden, Jason Jenkins, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruan Dreyer, Corne Rahl, Manu Tshituka, Bradley Davids, Siya Masuku, Francois Venter.