Sharks coach looks to youth stars
THE Sharks will of course have an eye on today’s match against the Sun wolves at Kings Park at 3.05pm.
But there is an all-important tour coming up that the coach needs to be savvy about.
In a team with so much raw talent and potential, especially in the backline, it is going to be an ongoing task to try to get the best out of the squad.
Coach Robert du Preez has always been one for utilising his squad to the fullest, and has seen dividends from it with the stars that have emerged.
He now has a chance to play a few of the fringe players who have been knocking on the door against a Sun wolves team that will be challenging, but hardly daunting.
The coach admitted that in his mind he is yet to trim down his touring squad to the required 27 players, with the door still open to a few to try to impress before the cut is made this evening.
Looking at the selections, there is some just reward, and a few experiments, as Du Preez continues to tinker. He has handed debuts to Wian Vosloo on the flank; the former lock one who can bring huge physicality in the loose.
Gideon Koegelenberg, should he come off the bench, will also have a chance to shine.
In the starting line up, prodigious talent Curwin Bosch has a chance to show what made him a back at under 20 years of age.
Tera Mtembu is also rewarded as Tyler Paul has a niggle, and so does Thomas du Toit with John-Hubert Meyer taking his spot.
The Sharks will maintain them as they are if they do not suffer any ill effects from changing up the squad because it has been their mandate for some time to have more than just one strong starting 15.
The Sun wolves have shown that in their first few seasons of Super Rugby, they are an improving entity.
They are well coached by Jamie Joseph, a former Super Rugby winning coach with the Highlanders, and also boast a number of familiar foreigners.
It does, however, become imperative for the Sharks to win this game at home, because it would be their first win of the competition.
The loss to the Lions was a close-fought thing, and seeing how the Johannesburg side is going now, a losing bonus point at Ellis Park seems a good result.
They will, however, be kicking themselves about the Waratahs draw, a game in which they struggled to land the killer blow.
A tough tour awaits, with the Brumbies, Rebels and Blues up first. The Sharks have shown a lot of promise, but starting today, they need to show some grit and determination to not just look good, but win good.