The Cell C Sharks side will be bolstered this weekend by the inclusion of two Springbok front rankers for our Currie Cup clash with the Xerox Golden Lions at JONSSON KINGS PARK this Saturday.
The return to action of Thomas du Toit and Coenie Oosthuizen (the latter off the bench) should play some part in calming an exciting and excitable young side and their inclusion couldn’t come at a better side as the Cell C Sharks look to finish off the pool stages of the competition in winning style.
“Patience and accuracy on attack – that’s a big thing for us and a lack thereof has been something we’ve discussed a lot,” explains flyhalf Robert du Preez of his team’s intent.
“We are a young group and we really want to play which isn’t a bad thing at all, but we’ve been rushing things and our execution has suffered as a result and that’s not good. Impatience has been our downfall and it’s meant that we’ve ended up conceding a lot of turnovers
“It’s the one thing holding us back from clicking but I do believe that once we do click as a team then we’re going to be dangerous, considering all the talent we have. So, despite not clicking, we have maximum points [15 from three matches with bonus point wins against Free State, the Bulls and the Pumas] so as far as the log goes, we couldn’t ask for more.
“But we do need to click sooner rather than later.”
The Cell C Sharks have three games left – this week’s match against the Lions, followed by Western Province then Griquas – before the knock-out rounds. “It’s about peaking at the right time,” said du Preez.
“You want to be playing your best rugby at the business end of the competition, not in the first few weeks. We are a young team and want to play an exciting brand of rugby, but that comes with consequences. If we can show more patience, we’ll be fine.”
Casting his mind to his opponents on Saturday, he adds that, “The Lions will come hard at us after a heavy [65-38] defeat to Western Province last weekend, although we know they would come hard regardless of the result; you know what you get with the Lions.”
The match, kicking off at 5.15pm on Saturday, sees just two changes to the team that defeated the Pumas in our last match. In the front row, Thomas du Toit comes in for John-Hubert Meyer at tighthead prop while Curwin Bosch returns to the fullback position, rotating once more with Aphelele Fassi who made his run-on debut against the Pumas.
Coenie Oosthuizen makes his much-awaited return in the number 17 jersey after a long-term injury while Ruben van Heerden , the newly-signed 20 year old Vodacom Bulls and SA Under 20 lock who has joined the Cell C Sharks on a three-year contract will look to earn his debut off the bench.
The Cell C Sharks
- Juan Schoeman
- Chiliboy Ralepelle (C)
- Thomas du Toit
- Gideon Koegelenberg
- Hyron Andrews
- Luke Stringer
- Tyler Paul
- Daniel du Preez
- Louis Schreuder
- Robert du Preez
- Lwazi Mvovo
- Marius Louw
- Jeremy Ward
- Kobus van Wyk
- Curwin Bosch
Replacements
- Akker van der Merwe
- Coenie Oosthuizen
- Ruben van Heerden
- Jacques Vermeulen
- Cameron Wright
- Sbu Nkosi
- Aphelele Fassi
The post Sharks Welcome Back Stars appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
Ruben van Heerden Joins the Cell C Sharks:
Ruben van Heerden, the 20-year old Vodacom Bulls lock has joined the Cell C Sharks on a three-year contract.
Last year was a breakthrough year for this young lock who not only represented the SA U/20, but he also made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut.
Confirming his signing, The Sharks Head Coach Robert du Preez said: “Ruben is a talented young lock and a great acquisition for the Cell C Sharks. He is a natural athlete and has all the attributes needed to be a great lock.
“We welcome him to our Sharks family.”
The post Ruben van Heerden Joins the Cell C Sharks appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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