Ken Borland

Prop Thomas du Toit is refusing to get bogged down in thoughts of how unfortunate he is to miss out on the World Cup but is rather focusing on ending what he called a “good year” on a high note by helping the Sharks to defend their Currie Cup title.

Du Toit must have been close to making the 31-man squad for Japan because he can play either side of the scrum – a “swing prop” which is so valuable in squads for long competitions like the World Cup. Instead, the 24-year-old will be heading to Bloemfontein this weekend for the Sharks’ semi-final against the Free State Cheetahs.

“It has been a bit disappointing realising that I’m not going to play in the World Cup, sport is not always a fairytale. But you still have to be on standby, I’m aware that there might be injuries – hopefully not – and then obviously I’ll be back in the mix. So I just want to play as much as I can and it was nice to be at loosehead again last weekend.

“Loosehead is something I’m starting to get back into because it’s not quite as familiar any more. Super Rugby was good and it gave me the opportunity to play on both sides, I learnt a lot and it was what I really wanted. I was very happy to have more time at tighthead, that was the plan from the start. And then I had an awesome time with the Springboks as well,” Du Toit said on Tuesday.

Up front is probably going to be where Saturday’s semi-final is won and lost and Du Toit reckons the Cheetahs are going to be quick to pull the tricks they are famous for.

“Maybe they’ll use that substitution tactic again, but we just have to adapt to whoever starts and not look too far ahead. They have a very good front row and Ox Nche is a brilliant scrummager. The Cheetahs love a very quick game though and they enjoy playing from anywhere. They have so many attacking threats, so it’s going to be a big challenge, but we’re excited for it,” Du Toit said.

The Cape Town-born, Paarl Boys High-educated Du Toit was an integral part of the Sharks team till he was called up to the Springbok squad, with the Sharks having a mixed start to their Currie Cup defence. But now that he has returned in the midst of a three-game winning streak that began with a last-minute win over Free State in Durban, he senses a very happy vibe in the squad.

“The mood is very positive, everyone’s very excited and there’s a good buzz, the boys are all keen to play and ready to go. There’s a very good vibe and everything is very professional. The guys are training and working hard, doing their reviews on the other teams, because that’s the Sharks culture – we work hard and we work for each other,” Du Toit said.

https://citizen.co.za/sport/south-african-sport/sa-rugby-sport/currie-cup/2172161/philosophical-thomas-shrugs-sport-is-not-a-fairy-tale/

Judging by some of the brilliant young talent at their disposal, the Sharks will now-now be a major force again in South African rugby; for now, their hopes of defending their Currie Cup title remain alive as their 48-40 victory over the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night secured them a place in the semifinals.

They have been mightily impressive over the last 3 weekends in beating Free State, the Golden Lions and the Blue Bulls, but they paid for a scratchy start as wins for both the Cheetahs and the Lions earlier on Saturday means the Sharks have finished fourth on the log and will have to travel to Bloemfontein for their semi-final.

The departure of coach Robert du Preez, his three sons and other SuperRugby regulars was always going to create some uncertainty, but given some of the performances by the youngsters new mentor Sean Everitt has blooded in the Currie Cup, the future is bright for the Sharks.

Locks Hyron Andrews and Ruben van Heerden look ready to do well at SuperRugby level, Sanele Nohamba is a very exciting young scrumhalf and Aphelele Fassi is a fullback who should come into the Springbok picture in the next World Cup cycle.

And then there’s Boeta Chamberlain, a 20-year-old flyhalf who looks to have the sort of all-round game that the Sharks can build a powerful SuperRugby side on in the next couple of years.

All of these players were outstanding at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night, but Everitt was the first to admit the Sharks were given a major helping hand by the Blue Bulls having to play the last 45 minutes with 14 men after a red card to outside centre Johnny Kotze for a late, high shoulder-charge to the neck of Kobus van Wyk.

It had been a thrilling, ding-dong battle up till then, with the Sharks having pulled back to 20-21 down as the first half entered its last five minutes. There was much at stake, with the KwaZulu-Natalians needing a win to make the semifinals and the Bulls needing a bonus point to ensure they did not finish last on the log and therefore have to face a promotion/relegation match against the Griffons from the Northern Free State.

The Blue Bulls, who decided scoring four tries was the easiest route to that bonus point, were a team released, playing with a tremendous sense of freedom as they made the early running.

Inside centre Dylan Sage launched a superb counter-attack after a poor clearance by the Sharks, Kotze then blazing through on a great run for the first try in the 11th minute; and there were further tries by prop Lizo Gqoboka and flyhalf Manie Libbok, running hard and flat at the line and knifing through, just like Handre Pollard.

The Blue Bulls were 21-13 up after 33 minutes, but then Fassi took over in a top-class display of attacking fullback play.

He was the provider for flank Jacques Vermeulen’s try as he gathered a clearance kick inside his own half, but immediately spotted the opportunities a cluster of tight forwards on the one side of the defensive line provided for a man of his pace; Fassi burst through the weak spot he had targeted and sent Vermeulen charging over.

He was again prominent early in the second half, keeping the Sharks on attack after a Nohamba penalty attempt had bounced off the post, replacement JP Pietersen cleverly taking advantage of the Bulls’ back three being one man short with a grubber through that was easily converted into a try by centre Jeremy Ward.

The Sharks struck the killer blow in the 47th minute as wing Van Wyk counter-attacked off a kick and passed inside to 21-year-old Fassi, who burst through brilliantly before producing a sublime offload to Nohamba, who sent Van Wyk over for the try. Nohamba converted and the Sharks were 41-21 ahead.

The Blue Bulls managed to eke out that crucial bonus point in the 51st minute as wing Cornal Hendricks sliced through for their fourth try and the final quarter saw replacement flank Ruan Steenkamp and eighthman Tim Agaba both scoring as the home side earned respect for their character in hanging on in the contest despite being a man short.

While Fassi was a deserved man of the match, Chamberlain also caught the eye with a polished display. He has an astute boot and superb handling skills.

Soon after Kotze’s red card, it was Chamberlain who produced a moment of magic to ensure the Sharks took a 27-21 lead into halftime. Andrews stole a Bulls lineout after the hooter and Chamberlain then committed two defenders before a brilliant offload to Esterhuizen saw the Springbok cruise over for the try.

Then, with the Blue Bulls having closed the gap to 33-41, Chamberlain chipped ahead into a gap, regathered and quickly whipped the ball away to replacement Rhyno Smith, who raced over for the try.

While the Sharks look like a team on the up, with a pool of talent that is delivering, the Bulls are a side with surely just as much talent, but seemingly without the wherewithal or consistency to be a title-winning force.

Tendai Mtawarira is no doubt today savouring the fact that he became South Africa’s most-capped SuperRugby player last night at Ellis Park, and his mind will probably wander back to the past, starting with when he was summoned to then Sharks head coach Dick Muir’s office back in 2006.

The Beast had arrived at Kings Park the year before, a talented Zimbabwe U19 star given an opportunity at the Sharks Academy. While playing for the provincial U21 side, Mtawarira had already impressed with his work ethic and drive. Having arrived in Durban with basically a suitcase, he initially used to walk to training until he had saved up enough money to buy a bicycle.

But he was a loose forward, occasionally even playing at lock. But Muir, in consultation with Swys de Bruin, now head coach of the Lions team against whom Mtawarira played his record 157^th SuperRugby game last night, and Grant Bashford, his U21 coaches, made a tough call made even harder by how popular Beast was.

Muir felt that Mtawarira was not quick enough to really make it as a loose forward and not tall enough at 1.83 metres to excel at lock. But he recognised the immense power and raw strength of the young man.

“It’s quite funny to think about it now, but it wasn’t very pleasant at the time. I was called into his office in the U21 season in 2006 and I’d been enjoying my rugby in the loose trio. But then Dick presented his case and said he saw me as only becoming a provincial player as a loose forward, if I wanted to become a Springbok then I had to change to prop.

“It was really hard to accept and I was quite upset. I couldn’t believe that so early in my career, my dream to be a professional rugby player was going to end. I was really shook. But some of my mentors said I must go for it, they said I must not be negative about it because it means the head coach is looking at you and has a plan for you,” Mtawarira recalled when talking to Saturday Citizen this week about how his long journey to the top all began.

But as we now know, Mtawarira always meets his challenges head-on and in 2007 he was already proficient enough at loosehead prop to play SuperRugby for the Sharks.

“I was under Balie Swart’s wing and he taught me everything about scrummaging, I decided to take it all on board and make it work. Balie is right at the top in terms of mentors for me, as well as John Plumtree. And then there were fellow Sharks players like Deon Carstens, BJ Botha, Bismarck du Plessis and John Smit who had big input in my career, they guided me into this world of scrummaging.

“There were some tough lessons at the beginning and sometimes I couldn’t feel my neck for a few days! But it changed my life and the Sharks have been a great organisation since I came here as a young boy with a dream and got my first contract. I was underprivileged and came to Durban with nothing, but now I am something, Durban has become who I am, it is home,” Mtawarira said.

Loyalty is another characteristic of Mtawarira that stands out, both to the Sharks and his family. Not many players stay at one union these days, especially when they are amongst the world’s best in their position, but all 157 of those SuperRugby games have been for the Sharks.

“For me it’s about playing the game and focusing on the next job, it’s never been about counting games, just about using every opportunity. I try to stay humble and hungry, take on good criticism and I’ve had good mentors and team-mates at the Sharks. I’m very privileged to be part of this set-up, which I think of as home.

“Durban is a beautiful city, with the beach, and the people are very warm and welcoming. Although my roots are in Zimbabwe, this is home for us – my family, my wife [Kuziva] and kids [daughter Talumba and son Wangu], they go to school here,” Mtawarira said.

Even once he became a Springbok in 2008, putting one of the biggest dents in a legendary prop’s career when he dismantled veteran Phil Vickery at Kings Park in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions in 2009, there were still hard times ahead.

In 2010, he missed the June Tests due to a controversy over his citizenship, and in 2012 he was admitted to hospital with heart palpitations on the eve of a Test in Ireland, which required surgery.

“I’ve had a lot of challenges, the heart scare back in the day and the citizenship issue, but the prayers of my family and my faith have got me through. I’m very outspoken about my faith, it’s my foundation and I give praise to God and try and use rugby as a platform to honour him. Angels are looking after me, but I’m not perfect,” Mtawarira said.

We might not see Beast on a rugby field again after this year and, apart from winning the World Cup with the Springboks, he also has some unfinished business with the Sharks.

“I’d like to pursue the SuperRugby title, I’m disappointed to have not won one yet, I’ve been in three finals but zero titles. That’s been my motivation to stay here and I will give everything to win SuperRugby because this season might be my last one,” Mtawarira said.

The country’s wing stocks look very exciting at the moment what with Aphiwe Dyantyi’s heroics in Green and Gold and the likes of Makazole Mapimpi and Sbu Nkosi just waiting to recover from their injuries before exploding on to the international stage once again. But there is another hugely talented winger coming through in Aphelele Fassi, who just happens to be a team-mate of Nkosi and Mapimpi at the Sharks.

The 20-year-old Fassi has burst on to the scene in this year’s Currie Cup and he says the key to his breakthrough has been learning from more experienced players like Nkosi, Lwazi Mvovo and Mapimpi, all of whom are Springboks.

“It’s been a great year for me and the one thing I keep telling myself is that I need to learn more. The likes of Sbu have been there at the highest level and playing with guys like him, Lwazi and Makazole, they have guided me as seniors. It’s all about learning and I’m here now because of that.

“So I plan to learn even more and the coaching staff have given me all the support I need, they back me and I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. As a player you intend to improve every time you run on the field and the Currie Cup is no different to the SuperSport Rugby Challenge in terms of speed and physicality, so I’ve set my game there, I’ve reached those levels,” Fassi said.

Perhaps the key to the great industry Fassi has shown out on the wing is that he actually prefers playing at fullback and he also excelled at flyhalf for his school, Dale College in King William’s Town.

“I prefer fullback more, but it’s about where the coach needs you. And obviously coming out of high school rugby, it’s not the same speed and physicality. So I’m working on my tackles, taking the high balls and my long clearance kicks,” Fassi, who also captained Dale at cricket and was a good enough all-rounder to earn junior provincial colours for Border, said.

Saturday’s game against the Golden Lions at Kings Park will provide another good measure of just how exciting a future Fassi has in rugby though, as he comes up against a stellar backline featuring the experienced Courtnall Skosan, Howard Mnisi, Lionel Mapoe and Andries Coetzee.

https://citizen.co.za/sport/south-african-sport/sa-rugby-sport/2011792/exciting-future-ahead-for-sharks-fassi/