Versatile Bosch in at 10
COACH: HE’S RELAXED ANYWHERE
Work ethic and commitment excites Du Preez.
The exciting possibilities of Curwin Bosch at flyhalf will again be on show when the Sharks host the Rebels in Durban tomorrow, with the SA Under-20 star once again shifting from fullback to the pivot position for a Super Rugby game the home side must be targeting for a bonus point.
The latest instalment of the Bosch 10-15 yo-yo sees Rhyno Smith now called up to play fullback, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg back on the bench as flyhalf cover.
To be fair to coach Robert du Preez, apart from Pat Lambie’s long-term injury, Innocent Radebe has a knee niggle, Garth April is still out with his injured calf and Clement Poitrenaud has a groin strain.
“Our performances this year have shown that this young team has the talent and the temperament needed to succeed and we still have room for improvement. What excites us is the work ethic and commitment that our players have shown,” Du Preez said yesterday.
“It’s not ideal chopping and changing, but when we initially brought Curwin into the team it was at fullback, just to give him a bit more space. But now he’s grown a lot in terms of his confidence and he’s actually very relaxed about where he plays.
“He’s happy at fullback, but he slots back into flyhalf easily.”
The other change to the starting line-up is also injury-enforced. Having just welcomed Dan du Preez back from long-term injury, his twin brother Jean-Luc has now injured his hamstring. It is being described as just a “niggle” though, and his replacement, Philip van der Walt, will certainly bring plenty of urgency to the loose trio.
“It’s a slight hamstring problem and we didn’t think it was necessary to risk Jean-Luc now, and we have a great replacement in Philip,” coach Du Preez said.