The fact that they are playing at home has enabled the Hollywoodbets Sharks to bolster their ranks with returning Springboks for Saturday’s second Vodacom URC clash of the season with Leinster in Durban.
While the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers have elected not to play their Boks this week because they are both overseas and it would be a bit much to ask their international players to travel from Perth to the northern hemisphere, both the Sharks and the Lions are in position to make use of returning Bok personnel.
It means that one week after leading his country against the Wallabies, Andre Esterhuizen will be back at the helm of the Sharks for this important game, although the captain from last week, No 8 Nick Hatton, is still in the starting team as a foot soldier.
In all, there are six current Boks in the Sharks’ matchday 23 - wing Edwill van der Merwe, Esterhuizen and Thomas du Toit are in the starting team, while Ox Nche, Eben Etzebeth and Ethan Hooker are in the reserves. Du Toit will be making his first appearance for the Sharks after a few years away playing for Bath in the English Premiership and perhaps the most interesting thing about his selection is that he will be playing loosehead, with Nche as his back-up on this occasion.
The team is in 📃
— Sharks Rugby Club (@SharksRugby) October 1, 2026
Andre Esterhuizen leads the Hollywoodbets Sharks into battle against reigning champions Leinster, with Esethu Mnebelele set for his first @vodacom #URC start in our colours.
The Tank is ready for a big one. #SharksRugbyClub #BlackWhiteForever… pic.twitter.com/LpSgV1RvRw
Du Toit will pack down alongside double World Cup-winning tighthead Vincent Koch, who is no longer part of the Bok group but is one of the appointed leaders at the Sharks.
The experience packed by Du Toit and Koch will be useful against Leinster as the game marks the first start at URC level for young hooker Esethu Mnebelele, who led the Junior Springboks to the Junior World Championship title a few months ago.
Big things are expected of Mnebelele, as are of fullback Luan Giliomee, who will be playing his last game for the Sharks before becoming available for the Bulls from next week.
The Sharks agreed to release the Junior Bok star Giliomee early - he was contracted to the end of December - in exchange for getting Mnebelele a few months ahead of schedule.
Mnebelele replaces Eduan Swart in the starting team, and it is interesting to note that another promising young hooker, Ethan Bester, who was very highly rated before an injury kept him out for an extended period, is making his way back through a bench role this week. The experienced Bok World Cup-winning hooker Bongi Mbonambi is listed as one of the players unavailable because of injury.
Sharks coach JP Pietersen has made a wise move in introducing some of the Boks in the starting team and some via the bench, as it could be a risk to cohesion if all the players were returned to the run-on team at the same time. That could give the Sharks a bit of an advantage when they face the Stormers in their derby next week, as the Stormers only have Siya Kolisi of their current crop of Boks in action in their game in Edinburgh.
The Sharks/Leinster game is being twinned on Saturday evening with a concert by the Parlotones, which will get underway after the final whistle.
Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Luan Giliomee, Edwill van der Merwe, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen (captain), Lili Bester, Vusi Moyo, Jaden Hendrikse, Nick Hatton, Manu Tshituka, Phepsi Buthelezi, Darrien Landsberg, Jason Jenkins, Vincent Koch, Esethu Mnebelele, Thomas du Toit. Replacements: Ethan Bester, Ox Nche, Hanro Jacobs, Eben Etzebeth, Matt Ramao, Ivan van Zyl, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Ethan Hooker.