The injuries sustained in the recent draw with Munster have necessitated a clutch of mostly predictable changes to the Cell C Sharks team as they head into their season defining Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Leinster in Dublin.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and regular flyhalf Curwin Bosch did not travel with the Sharks to Ireland for Saturday’s game after sustaining a knee and a rib injury respectively in the final URC league game. Into Kolisi’s place comes James Venter, who will bring an edge to the Sharks’ scavenging for ball on the ground, something that could be key for the visitors if Leinster start with the world class Josh van der Flier.
Venter did not play against Munster but as lock Gerbrandt Grobler reminded us during the week, he was a crucial and important component in the Sharks’ performance when they scored a gutsy away win over Edinburgh earlier in the competition.
Bosch’s place in the No 10 position has been taken by Boeta Chamberlain, who moves from fullback. Aphelele Fassi will bring his attacking flair back into the starting team in the last line of defence. If both Chamberlain, who can be very inconsistent, and Fassi produce their best form, the selection switch at the back won’t be as keenly felt, although Bosch was in excellent form himself and was a key player in the recent Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinal loss to Toulouse.
There are also two changes that haven’t been forced by injury, with Corne Rahl being rewarded for his excellent form for the Sharks in the Currie Cup by being called up to be Grobler’s second row partner in place of Jeandre Labuschagne, who drops to the bench. Of course the Sharks’ first choice in that position, Springbok Eben Etzebeth, is out injured for the rest of the season.
Rahl is only 20 years old and is considered a star of the future and this will be a big opportunity for him. His previous appearance in the Sharks URC side was when the Durban sent an under-strength team to play Connacht in Galway.
The other unforced change sees the return of Marnus Potgieter on the wing, with Werner Kok dropping out of the match-day squad.
One minor surprise is the retention of Ben Tapuai as the starting centre ahead of Rohan Janse van Rensburg, who always seems to make impact with his taking the ball up to the gainline when he does play. Some of the Sharks’ best rugby this season has come when Janse van Rensburg has been wearing the No 12.
A strand of continuity is starting to become noticeable in the Sharks’ selections, with Sikhumbuzo Notshe now appearing a fixture at No 8 whereas earlier in the season he was being rotated with Phepsi Buthelezi. The latter is in the match day squad as a replacement and will still have a key role to play but it is the reverse of the previous routine of Buthelezi starting and Notshe coming off the bench.
Notshe has been in excellent form since being given his starting opportunity so it is a form selection.
The Sharks’ most obvious team strengths going into this game are their all-Springbok front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Thomas du Toit and the X-factor offered by scrumhalf Grant Williams, centre Lukhanyo Am, wing Makazole Mapimpi and Fassi at the back.
The previous time the Sharks played Leinster was last October when they lost by 20 points but were competitive for much of the way and they will be hoping that experience will hold them in good stead against the strong competition favourites and HCC finalists.
CELL C SHARKS TEAM: Aphelele Fassi, Marnus Potgieter, Lukhanyo Am, Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi, Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Vincent Tshituka, James Venter, Gerbrandt Grobler, Corne Rahl, Thomas du Toit, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Jeandre Labuschagne, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Nevaldo Fleurs, Rohan Janse van Rensburg.