The Hollywoodbets Sharks have experienced a double boost ahead of their crucial first home Vodacom United Rugby Championship match of the season as two key players return from injury in one case and international duty in the other.
Curwin Bosch is back at flyhalf after missing last week’s defeat to Zebre in Parma, while 2019 Rugby World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am is back in the midfield after returning from his Springbok duties at RWC 2023 in France, where he traveled but didn’t play.
The Sharks desperately need to win this fifth round fixture after returning from the four match overseas tour that started their campaign with four defeats and just one solitary bonus point, and having their main game driver Bosch back in the No 10 and Am’s experience, defensive organisation and attacking abilities in the midfield will make a big difference to them.
It does look like the strongest Sharks team selected so far, with more cavalry due back of course in the coming weeks, so the Sharks will be hopeful that they can use the game against the 2022/23 beaten semifinalists as a turning point in their season.
According to defence coach Joey Mongalo, Am is well settled back into the Sharks systems after training with the squad in the pre-season before he got his call up to go to France as an emergency replacement following injury.
“Lukhanyo has been with us longer than the other Boks so he has trained with us a good couple of times and is well connected with what we are trying to do, both on defence and attack,” said Mongalo.
“It is all about how quickly he can connect with the other backs and carry on from where he left off before he was injured. One thing I do know is that because he hasn’t played for quite a while he is very hungry to get back onto the playing field and contribute.”
The Springbok centre returns to a Hollywoodbets Sharks backline with pace to burn ⚡️
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 17, 2023
9. Cameron Wright
10. Curwin Bosch
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi
12. Francois Venter
13. Lukhanyo Am
14. Werner Kok
15. Aphelele Fassi#UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/XWLbHH86Pc
Mongalo also reckons having Bosch back to call the shots will make a difference.
“Curwin is a son of the soil here now, he arrived in Durban straight from school and has played all his senior rugby here, so he understands the stadium really well,” said the defence coach.
“His combination with Cameron Wright at halfback has been good in the four of the five games so far that they’ve been together. Curwin is an experienced player now, a grown man, and is no longer the young star from Port Elizabeth everyone was crazy about when he left school. He’s taking responsibility and he is very much now the strong man in the No 10 jersey that is needed to make decisions.”
Boeta Chamberlain, who wasn’t good when selected in Bosch’s place last week, is playing as cover on the bench in this match, with Rohan Janse van Rensburg the other outside back reserve as Sharks head coach John Plumtree goes with the traditional five/three split between forwards and backs rather than the 6/2 split pioneered by the Boks at the 2019 World Cup.
The Sharks have already played two Irish teams this season in the form of Munster and Leinster but Mongalo reckons that Connacht bring something a little different to their countrymen.
“The Irish sides always have some degree of connectedness as main governing body gives them an idea how to play, but Connacht are slightly different in that they are incredibly physical and confrontational. They’ve got the ability to play around you but before that they try to play through you. They don’t shy away from the confrontational stuff.”
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS TEAM: Aphele Fassi, Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am, Francois Venter (captain), Aphiwe Dyantyi, Curwin Bosch, Cameron Wright, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Phepsi Buthelezi, James Venter, Emile van Heerden, Corne Rahl, Coenie Oosthuizen, Dylan Richardson, Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: Daniel Jooste, Dian Bleuler, Hanro Jacobs, Jeandre Labuschagne, Tinotenda Mavesere, Zee Mkhabela, Boeta Chamberlain, Rohan Janse van Rensburg.