Radebe leading Sharks ‘laaities’ down a new road
DURBAN: Remove elder statesmen Odwa Ndungane and Lwazi Mvovo from the Sharks’ backline equation and you have an average age of 21.
So, one can understand why Sharks CEO Gary Teichmann addressed an 18 000-strong Kings Park crowd last Saturday and promised that patience with this young team will pay dividends in time.
The Sharks are trying to lay the foundations for something special. Against the Blue Bulls last week, 20-year-old fullback Curwin Bosch, centres Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen (both 22) and scrumhalves Stefan Ungerer (22) and Hanco Venter (23) were marshalled by 21-year-old flyhalf Inny-Christian Radebe.
All of them have played either Craven Week, SA Schools or SA Under-20, or in some cases all three. The potential is rich, and if they can be kept together, the Sharks’ future could be bright.
Radebe completed his apprenticeship at the Sharks Academy before his elevation to the Currie Cup. He says Sharks coach Robert du Preez has given the “laaities” freedom to express themselves.
“The coach wants to take the team down the road of running rugby and he has given us licence to attack,” the self-assured Radebe said.
“He has told us that mistakes will happen as we embrace this style of rugby, but he has backed us to give it a full go, while trying to become more efficient each week.”
Radebe has been with the Sharks since he matriculated from St Stithians College in Johannesburg. He previously played two years of Craven Week rugby for the Golden Lions.
“I had hoped to crack it at Super Rugby level this year but I suffered a knee cartilage injury early in the season,” he said. “But it has worked out well for me.
“I’m pleased that I worked my way through the various age-groups at the Sharks before getting this chance at Currie Cup level. It enabled me to mature at a good pace, and I now feel confident at Currie Cup level.”
Radebe reckons that his brother influenced him to take up an interest in rugby.
“He is 10 years older than me and thrust a rugby ball in my hands just about as soon as I was capable of holding onto it,” he recalled.
“I was running around with the ball from the age of three or so. I played my first game (of mini-rugby) at the age of six.”
Radebe reveals that Springbok pivto and Sharks captain Pat Lambie has had the biggest influence on his career at the Shark Tank.
“I watched Pat play when I was at high school and thought he was exceptional, and next thing I was rubbing shoulders with him,” he said. “He has been awesome with the advice he so readily gives.”
The Sharks are unbeaten in the Currie Cup after four rounds, and they travel to Newlands this week to face Western Province on Saturday.
“Province have not had the best start to the Currie Cup, but they are winning again and they will come really hard at us,” Radebe said. “I think it was vital for us that we held out the Bulls last week.
“They could have taken the game in the last quarter but we held firm, and that has given us a big boost of confidence. We’ll need that in Cape Town.”