Engelbrecht backs the Sharks eight
WITH all the media attention being devoted to Thomas du Toit recently, Sharks fans could be forgiven for thinking the big man was the only prop in the team.
Thankfully, that’s not the case, with 24-year-old Gerhard Engelbrecht the first-choice tighthead prop alongside loosehead Du Toit and hooker Monde Hadebe in the Sharks’ front row.
Born in Pretoria, Engelbrecht is part of a young, largely inexperienced Sharks team who have been struggling to build momentum in the competition.
This Saturday they will face arguably their toughest assignment, against the logleading Lions in Johannesburg.
Engelbrecht attended the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), where he played in their first team.
He then took time out to gain his South African colours in judo (“I still find those skills helpful on the rugby field because it helps with my flexibility in the scrum”), before playing Under-21 and Vodacom Cup rugby for the Blue Bulls.
But Engelbrecht heard a whisper from KwaZulu-Natal that there might be an opportunity to develop his career in Durban, so he “took a chance” and turned out for a couple of games for Berea Rovers before the Sharks pulled him in.
“I’m really humbled that I’m playing for the Sharks,” said Engelbrecht after practice yesterday.
“I’ve worked hard, and Gary Gold believed in me and gave me a shot. He could have chosen other props, but I’m humbled he chose me.”
He admitted he had worked hard to get down to his fighting weight of 126kg.
“I was 135kg when I came down, and I had a lot of body fat. I’m just about there now in terms of my right weight,” he said with a smile.
Describing the gap between club and Currie Cup rugby, Engelbrecht said it had been a “big step up, especially for the tempo, which is a bit different.
“Club rugby is quite slowpaced compared with the rugby I’m playing now, but I think I’m getting there.”
He said it had been “quite a new experience” to face the likes of Steven Kitshoff and other top props in the competition.
“I’m enjoying it, but it’s a matter of experience to learn how they scrum. There’s a few things you need to learn if you want to beat them, but I believe that we’ll step up this weekend (against the Lions) and do the job.”
Engelbrecht echoed the recent comments of (director of rugby) Gold and forwards coach Ryan Strudwick when he said that it was individual errors that were holding the Sharks back.
Explaining the loss of momentum in the scrums in the second half against Western Province last Saturday, he said that players were guilty of “small, individual errors, not major ones”.
Ultimately, however, these errors caused the Sharks to “let WP in”.
“We need to work together as a team to scrum properly. Everybody is putting in a hard effort, but not always together. It’s something we’ve got to fix, and we worked hard today to do that.
“We’re a new team,” he added, noting that the players had only been together for three months.
“The Lions have played together for 18 months, and they’re a good, solid unit. But I believe we’ll get there eventually.
“I believe eight of us.”
in
all