Ken Borland

Bongi Mbonambi has been a key figure in the rampant Springbok pack that has spearheaded their hold on the No.1 ranking in world rugby, and Sharks coach Sean Everitt says the hooker is raring to go for his new team, his presence rubbing off on the rest of the squad.

Mbonambi will play his first game for the Sharks since leaving the Stormers in the rousing United Rugby Championship clash with the Bulls on Friday night at Kings Park and the veteran of 48 Tests has been roaring out encouragement to his team-mates all week .

“Bongi has a lot of experience and he sets a really good example,” Everitt said on Thursday. “He was fully prepared when he came to training and hit the ground running.

“As an all-round hooker, he’s one of the best in the world and certainly brings a competitive edge to our team. He really motivates and encourages the youngsters.

“Our scrums and lineouts have gone well this week and Bongi brings a lot of confidence which rubs off on the others, so he adds a lot of value,” Everitt said.

Although the frustration of having so little control over the rugby calendar is very real for Everitt, he has been a happy man this week with his Springboks back and a small crowd allowed to support the KwaZulu-Natal team at Kings Park on Friday night.

“A lot of preparation goes into games, so it has been frustrating to have all those cancellations, but we control what we can control and we are just happy to be playing.

“What is even more exciting is that spectators are going to be able to watch, it’s the first crowd we will have at Kings Park in a very long time.

“I was very confident that our Springboks would play this week too, especially after last week’s match was postponed, and we are very happy to have them. We’ve picked a formidable team, even though not all of our strongest side are available,” Everitt said.

Amongst the other key performers on Friday night will be Siya Kolisi, who Everitt described as “probably the form loose forward in world rugby at the moment”, and Lukhanyo Am.

Am has exuded immense composure and skill at outside centre for the Springboks this year, but he will be playing at inside centre against the Bulls. Everitt believes the captain will display some of his other many qualities.

“Lukhanyo is playing at 12 because we believe Jeremy Ward plays his best rugby at 13. Lukhanyo did a really good job for us in the 2017 Currie Cup at inside centre, he excelled in terms of his playmaking ability and he can still lead the defence from 12. He will also be alongside a young flyhalf in Boeta Chamberlain,” Everitt said.

The Bulls are raring to go and eager to rip into Benetton Treviso, their Italian opposition, in the Rainbow Cup final on Saturday, captain Marcell Coetzee said on Wednesday.

But as pumped up as the Bulls are to deliver a typically rip-roaring display of ferocity against Benetton, they know that there will be much to adapt to in the strange surrounds of the Stadio Monigo and they have to ensure they do not get frustrated.

Refereeing interpretations in Europe can also be very different to what the players are used to in South Africa, which is another potential area of frustration the Bulls will need to adapt to.

“There’s a great deal of excitement and it’s awesome to be overseas and to be playing against a European team. We have a bunch of guys who are very hungry for success and this is an opportunity to win a trophy, that’s the main thing. But we have to be ready to adapt, the final is not going to be about individuals but about the team effort and pulling together.

“And you want all your personnel on the field, particularly in finals, so we have to adapt to things like the referees being very much more cautious about the height of tackles – your body height and where you make contact have to be squeaky clean over here – and the breakdowns are blown differently too. There’s not a lot of time for us to put too much emphasis on it, but champion sides have to adapt,” Coetzee said.

Just making the final has been quite the miraculous resurgence by Benetton Treviso, after they suffered the horror of losing 15 of their 16 games in the 2020/21 Pro14 season and drawing the other one.

“Benetton have changed a lot since I played against them a few years ago for Ulster and they are currently playing some incredible rugby and they have personnel doing great things for them. They play at a high tempo, their ball-carries are strong and they like to play a distribution game, off a very good set-piece platform. And they have a couple of former Bulls players so they’ll know what we bring.

“There’s a great energy in our squad, everyone was just so keen to hop on a plane for some long travel, but we’re not here on holiday but for business. If we can play with synergy then the result will come and it will be fantastic for the guys and for people back in South Africa for us to show we have the talent, the experience and the will to win over here,” Coetzee said.