Akker finally cracks a starting spot

Ken Borland

The Sharks will use former Lions favourite Akker van der Merwe as their starting hooker for the first time when they play the Free State Cheetahs in Durban tomorrow, it was announced yesterday.

Van der Merwe has been used off the bench since arriving at Kings Park for the Currie Cup, but the Sharks have promoted the bustling 26-year-old to the starting line-up as they look to hit an under-strength Free State team hard from the outset.

The defending Currie Cup champions have sent their firstchoice players off to Ireland to play in the Pro14 and the Sharks will now want to use tomorrow’s match as an ideal opportunity to claim top spot from the Cheetahs.

“We’re almost top. Hopefully we’ll sort that out this weekend, I don’t want to talk about revenge, but we certainly owe Free State one after they beat us in the first week of Currie Cup while we were still busy with Super Rugby.”

The Sharks will, in fact, employ the services of a whole new front row tomorrow, with John-Hubert Meyer and Thomas du Toit the starting props in place of Ross Geldenhuys and Juan Schoeman.

The absence of Kobus van Wyk provides a debut for Tythan Adams at right wing, while the experience of Keegan Daniel will obviously be important for the Sharks as he returns from injury at openside flank.