Du Preez names powerful Sharks line-up for Bulls clash

TRUE TO his word, Sharks coach Robert du Preez has named a powerful line-up for tomorrow’s friendly against the Bulls on the Dolphin Coast.

No fewer than nine Springboks will start and there are two more frontline Boks on the bench in burly centre Andre Esterhuizen and flyhalf Robert du Preez, both of whom continue to enjoy relative rest after returning from club duty in Japan and England respectively.

The aforementioned two are likely to be the only changes from tomorrow’s starting line-up for the following weekend’s Super Rugby opener against the Sunwolves in Singapore.

Two more key Sharks are injured. Jean-Luc du Preez will miss the first two months of Super Rugby and fellow loose forward Philip van der Walt will miss the first three rounds.

The starting front row tomorrow in Ballito is as experienced as it is strong in Coenie Oosthuizen, pictured, Akker van der Merwe and Tendai Mtawarira, with Thomas du Toit sitting this one out with a niggle.

The backline features Boks enjoying comebacks from injury in Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am.

The latter yesterday said that he could not be in finer fettle after having tested the comeback waters in the Superhero match against the Lions in Cape Town last week.

After losing narrowly to the SpiderMan-clad Lions, tomorrow the Bulls await a Sharks backline to be marshalled once more by Curwin Bosch.

Am will be up against his rival for the Bok No 13 jersey, Jesse Kriel, who is in an equally strong Bulls team.

“It is really good to have tough opposition in the pre-season games because the standard of Super Rugby is so high,” Am said. “From these games we can measure where we are at now and find out what we need to do going into the tournament proper.”

Am was injured for four months and has been training under the guidance of new attack coach David Williams, who enjoyed much success with the Southern Kings in their impressive 2016 season, and also with England clubs Bath and London Irish.

“David has worked really hard on our shape on attack and how we want to play in the tournament, which is about scoring tries,” Am said. “Without tries you can’t win games, and that is what we are focusing heavily on.”

Am added that Williams had the backs working on the necessity to adjust on attack according to the opposition.

“We will be facing a number of teams during the season and different defensive systems, so David as been pushing us to adjust on a week-toweek basis.”

Tomorrow’s match kicks off at 2pm at the Ashton College school.

– 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 S’bu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Schreuder (c), 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Hyron Andrews, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira. Subs: 16 Juan Schoeman, 17 Fezo Mbatha, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Gideon Koegelenberg, 21 Wian Vosloo, 22 Luke Stringer, 23 Phepsi Buthelezi, 24 Cameron Wright, 25 Robert du Preez, 26 Lwazi Mvovo, 27 Andre Esterhuizen, 28 Jeremy Ward, 29 Leolin Zas, 30 Courtney Winnaar, 31 Kerron van Vuuren, 32

Grant Williams, 33 Rhyno Smith.