He hopes for some better days when a flood of Springboks suddenly come back into the system later in the season and make a winning run possible but for now Hollywoodbets Sharks coach John Plumtree is having to juggle his selections to front challenges he is facing on several fronts.
The Sharks play Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park as they return to Vodacom United Rugby Championship action on Saturday night and Plumtree has welcomed back some players to balance those he has lost to injury, but he is far from the team he would like to be fielding in such an important game if it was a perfect world.
Of course, as he is well aware by now, a perfect world doesn’t exist for a coach of a South African team participating in two different international competitions and who has several Springboks in it that are either injured or are due for an extended rest as per the national team rest protocols.
🔥Your Hollywoodbets Sharks team for Saturday🔥
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) January 23, 2025
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The player who falls into the latter category who sits out this week is Siya Kolisi.
Last week’s captain makes way at No8 for the return of Nick Hatton, while Vincent Tshituka returns to the starting team as the captain.
However, instead of slotting into his more regular position of flank, Tshituka is back in the second row as a replacement for the injured Corne Rahl, who was added to Plumtree’s list of concerns during the course of the 66-12 Investec Champions Cup loss to the Bordeaux Begles.
Another player back from injury, albeit after a much shorter absence than Tshituka’s, is Bok flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, who has been slotted in at fullback for the two injury absentees that are Aphele Fassi and Hakeem Kunene.
With Hendrikse, who didn’t fly out with the squad for the Bordeaux game because of injury, taking up position in the last line of defence, it enables Siya Masuku to wear the No10 jersey that he wore last week as well as in the finals of both the EPCR Challenge Cup and the Carling Currie Cup.
EXCITING MIDFIELD COMBINATION
Another Bok back in the team is wing Makazole Mapimpi, with his fellow 2019 World Cup winning hero Lukhanyo Am again playing off the bench after he ended up playing most of the game last week due to Kunene’s 12th-minute injury.
Nthuthuko Mchunu, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane continue as the all-Bok front row that started last week, so there is some continuity there, as well as on the flanks, where Phepsi Buthelezi and Emmanuel Tshituka will be continuing in the No6 and No7 jerseys respectively.
However, Ox Nche is out because of injury, so won’t be able to reprise his bench role from last week.
Counter-balancing Nche’s absence though is the return of Vincent Koch, who is another Bok who didn’t fly out with the Sharks last week.
The Sharks have an exciting young midfield combination for this game in the form of Ethan Hooker and Jurenzo Julius as a reminder that whatever else happens and whatever the result of Saturday’s game might be, the clash will form part of the Sharks’ journey into the future.
For all the Sharks’ problems with injuries they do still have some strength in depth as indicated by the presence of five players with Bok experience on the bench in the form of Koch, Ruan Dreyer, Jaden Hendrikse, Francois Venter and Am.
Hendrikse will be earning his 50th cap in internationally flavoured competitions when he comes onto the field.
TEAM: Jordan Hendrikse, Yaw Penxe, Jurenzo Julius, Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku, Grant Williams, Nick Hatton, Emmanuel Tshituka, Phepsi Buthelezi, Jason Jenkins, Vincent Tshituka (captain), Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: Ethan Bester, Ruan Dreyer, Vincent Koch, Deon Slabbert, Lappies Labuschagne, Jaden Hendrikse, Francois Venter, Lukhanyo Am.