Ken Borland

Neil Powell was the public-facing spokesman for the Sharks for the first time on Thursday as he announced a starting line-up densely populated with Springboks for their United Rugby Championship clash with Ulster in Durban on Saturday.

Powell is the new director of rugby at Kings Park and took over team announcement duties from head coach Sean Everitt for the first time on Thursday. The former Springbok Sevens coach said that would now be the norm, and while he has the final say in selection, Everitt and the other coaches are extensively consulted.

And so the Sharks will run out on Saturday with eight Springboks, including the entire front row, two other forwards and three backs, to take on the powerful Ulster outfit. It is a mirror image of last weekend’s game against Glasgow Warriors, when there were five Springboks on the bench and they produced a spectacular finish to turn a one-point lead after 50 minutes into a 40-12 win.

“I talk a lot with Sean about selection, especially when it came to how to introduce the Springboks. They were on the bench last weekend, but now we’re bringing them into the starting line-up,” Powell said.

“It’s always great to have them and the URC is always a squad effort. We are fortunate to have the Boks for the last two weeks because they go back to the national set-up after this game.

“They’ll come back just before our game against Harlequins in the European Cup [December 10], so we had to make sure they integrated well now, because that competition will be a massive challenge.

“And it’s also given us the opportunity to rest some of the guys who have played the last four/five matches in a row. We have to make sure we manage the whole squad well,” Powell said.

While Powell said his focus is on upskilling and improving aspects of the URC team’s play, he is also concentrating on making the academy the sort of place to which rugby legends would be happy to send their son.

“My job is about building the brand and the team, and that can only happen if we have success on the field, so that’s my focus,” Powell said.

“But I’ll also look after the academy and make sure we get juniors coming through from the U20 competition to the Currie Cup and through to the URC.

“We don’t want to have to buy players from outside our system, so we need to change things up there. I’ll also be looking at the coaching structure at senior level.

“But it’s not a one-man show, it’s going to be a combined effort,” Powell said.

Sharks team: Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Marnus Potgieter, Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi, Boeta Chamberlain, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi, Hyron Andrews, Eben Etzebeth, Thomas du Toit, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Bench – Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, James Venter, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Cameron Wright, Anthony Volmink.

The Sharks have turned down the option to play a more ‘upmarket’ team and include their returning Springboks in their United Rugby Championship visit to Newport to take on the Dragons on Saturday, instead deciding to leave them in Durban until after their tour is over.

While the Bulls and Stormers are fielding some of the Springboks who were involved in the Rugby Championship, Sharks coach Sean Everitt has made just two injury-enforced changes to the team that opened their campaign with a narrow (in the end) win over Zebre in Parma.

Lock Gerbrandt Grobler injured his bicep in training this week and will be replaced by new signing Justin Basson, with Hyron Andrews moving on to the bench.

And replacement flyhalf Fred Zeilinga has also returned home injured, with Anthony Volmink replacing him amongst the substitutes.

“The Springboks have been given a week off and will integrate themselves back into training next week in Durban,” Everitt said on Thursday. “If we need to call in some of them due to injuries for next week against Leinster, then we will.

“But I would prefer them to get up to date with what we were doing in pre-season and what we have implemented since then. It’s a bit different for us because of the number of Springboks we have.

“Fortunately they are all guys who prepare well. But they did miss part of pre-season and they need to get up to speed. They’re all quality players and we will need to introduce them for a couple of games in October.

“But for now we are leaving them in Durban to prepare for the clash with Glasgow back at home on October 15,” Everitt explained.

Having upset Munster in Newport last weekend, the Dragons are shopping for their second successive home win, having begun the season with a fearful 44-6 hammering away to Edinburgh.

What the Sharks want is a repeat of their first 40 minutes against Zebre last weekend, when they were impressively efficient in garnering a 28-3 lead. They lost focus in the second half though, and had to hang on desperately for a 42-37 triumph.

“The first half was the best rugby we’ve played for a long time and I was very happy with that,” Everitt said. “But in the second half we allowed them to get momentum.

“Zebre and the Dragons are both dangerous out wide and we struggled with our width in defence and allowed them quick ball at the breakdowns.

“Plus we never stuck to our kicking plan. So really we put ourselves under the pump. Having conceded only three penalties in the first half, not many at all, we then gave away seven in the second half when we were feeling the pressure. But those things are all fixable,” Everitt said.

Sharks team: Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ben Tapuai, Thaakir Abrahams, Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams, Phepsi Buthelezi, Dylan Richardson, James Venter, Reniel Hugo, Justin Basson, Thomas du Toit (c), Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu. Bench – Dan Jooste, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Hyron Andrews, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Cameron Wright, Marnus Potgieter, Anthony Volmink.

There was deserved delight for the Pumas at Kings Park at the weekend, but dismay for the Sharks as their dismal showing saw them go down 20-10 to the Mpumalanga side in their Currie Cup match in Durban.

Dejected Sharks coach Etienne Fynn had no qualms about the Pumas being worthy winners, but clearly he was more focused on the work his team have to do to ensure they do not drop out of semi-final contention. The Pumas are now just five points behind the Sharks, with a game in hand, while the KwaZulu-Natalians also have to keep an eye on Griquas, who trail them by just three points in fourth place.

“First of all, the Pumas totally deserved their win. We were poor and we need to work on all aspects of our game,” Fynn admitted. “It’s about sticking to the plan.

“More importantly, when you get opportunities to score, you have to take advantage, and when they get into our half, we have to close them down.

“I did expect some rustiness after our long break, but not that much rustiness. We were really not sharp enough.

“It’s pretty simple to come up with a plan that works, but then you have to ask why we did not execute it and what were the reasons for that?” Fynn said.

With the Sharks still to play three games (Free State away, Lions at home and WP away) and the Pumas having four matches left, as well as the three Griquas’ fixtures to consider, the totalizator is still full of different bets as to who will join the Free State Cheetahs and Bulls in the last four.

But Fynn knows his team have to pick themselves up and bounce back fast.

“As a team, we’ve got to own this loss and move forward positively. We play Free State in Bloem on Saturday and we all know how good a side we are up against. But our season is far from over,” Fynn said.

Although there is, as ever in Durban these days it seems, the chance of rain on Saturday evening, the Sharks anticipate that Leinster will be probing their defences with multiple phases of ball-in-hand attack in their United Rugby Championship match at Kings Park.

And with the humidity, even towards the end of April, predicted to be 78% on Saturday, hanging on to the ball for long periods of time has proven very difficult at Kings Park, opening up the possibility of handling errors, turnovers and counter-attacking opportunities.

Which is why Sharks coach Sean Everitt is delighted to have Aphelele Fassi back from injury at fullback.

“I don’t think Leinster will change the way they play, they have a very good academy system bringing players through and a particular style of play,” Everitt said on Friday.

“They enjoy playing ball-in-hand, using multiple phases, but they are really good at managing the game as well. The weather forecast is pretty grim, but you never know what it will be like at kickoff time.

“Any team will struggle if you defend well and then there are always turnover opportunities. Aphelele has been very good in training and we’re very happy to have him back.

“He’s a Springbok and his x-factor on counter-attack is most important to us, but he is also good under the high ball and his left-boot has improved a lot,” Everitt said.

The Sharks’ pack, criticised for its lack of maturity in the past, has been an impressive force recently, but how they cope against the table-topping Leinster forwards will show whether their presence is still at a neonatal stage or they are now ready to be counted amongst the big men.

“Our forwards are a massive part of our plan and they have put in some huge performances lately, so credit to them,” Everitt said. “They have stuck to their task and got dominance up front.

“They know they are going to have to be on top of their game and Leinster have chosen a front row to try and nullify us. We know it’s going to take eight-man efforts in the scrums and mauls.

“Defence also starts at the set-piece and if we get that right then the next job becomes a lot easier. But we are really confident at the moment.

“Being on the front foot also makes it easier to get the attack, which has also improved greatly over the last few weeks, going as well and Jaden Hendrikse and Curwin Bosch have been kicking really well,” Everitt added.

Sharks team: Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Ben Tapuai, Marius Louw, Makazole Mapimpi, Curwin Bosch, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi, Henco Venter, Siya Kolisi, Gerbrandt Grobler, Le Roux Roets, Thomas du Toit (CAPT), Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Replacements – Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Khutha Mchunu, Reniel Hugo, Jeandre Labuschagne, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Grant Williams, Boeta Chamberlain.