Sikhumbuzo Notshe will make his first start for the Cell C Sharks Vodacom United Rugby Championship team when they play the Scarlets at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday night.
* Get DStv to watch all the URC action *
The No8 has played off the bench for the Sharks in recent weeks and has also played in the Carling Currie Cup but the game against the Welsh club will be his first as a member of the URC starting team. Notshe was the star of the Sharks team that topped the Super Rugby log when Covid-19 arrived in March 2020 but was out for nine months after suffering a serious injury and only recently returned to the playing field.
He has been in excellent form since he has been back, so coach Sean Everitt should not have had to think too hard before switching the former Western Province player and capped Springbok with Phepsi Buthelezi, who himself has been in outstanding form during Notshe’s absence from the playing field.
Notshe’s selection into the starting team means he will be renewing his on-field acquaintance with Siya Kolisi, who has captained him both when he played for WP/Stormers and for the national team in 2018.
Kolisi takes the captaincy armband this week from Lukhanyo Am, the South African Vodacom United Rugby Championship player of the month for February, who has signed to play for the Kobe Steelers in Japan for the next two months.
While Kolisi replaces Am as captain for this game and for the other games that await the Sharks before the regular captain returns, Jeremy Ward comes into Am’s place at outside centre. In all there are three changes to the Sharks team that beat Benetton in Treviso last time out, with Reniel Hugo coming into the second row for Ruben van Heerden as the partner for Gerbrandt Grobler.
As the Sharks’ Bok wing Sbu Nkosi pointed out earlier in the week, losing Am will be felt for the Sharks as he is such an influential player in their set-up, but having Kolisi to replace him as the team leader will not mean too much disruption to the team’s continuity.
“It’s a huge boost having Siya as captain, although it doesn’t really change much because he’s been playing a leadership role since he arrived at the Sharks,” explained Nkosi.
“He’s been very positive and very involved and I don’t think it will be a major shift for us because he’s been bringing that same energy all the time. The only thing that changes now is that he has the authority that comes with the title of captain.”
Cell C Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Sbu Nkosi, Jeremy Ward, Marius Louw, Makazole Mapimpi, Curwin Bosch, Jaden Hendrikse, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Henco Venter, Siya Kolisi (captain), Reniel Hugo, Gerbrandt Grobler, Thomas du Toit, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.
Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Nthuthuko Mchunu, Khutha Mchunu, Le Roux Roets, Phepsi Buthelezi, Grant Williams, Tito Bonilla, Werner Kok.
