Four feisty newbies in Sharks’ Down Under touring squad
SHARKS coach Robert du Preez has rewarded form in pre-season warm-up matches by adding four brand-new faces to the Sharks squad that leaves for Brisbane tomorrow for next Friday’s Super Rugby kickoff against the Reds.
2016 SA Under-20 players in wing/ centre Sbu Nkosi and centre Jeremy Ward (the SA Under 20 captain last year) were among the bolters named by the coach along with up-and coming forwards in hooker Stephan Coetzee (a Paarl Boys High old boy) and Jacques Vermeulen, a 22-year-old flanker recruited from Western Province.
“It was extremely tough to narrow a 45-man squad down to 27 for the two matches in Australia but the guys that remain behind will not be idle while we are on tour,” Du Preez said.
“We have a number of games lined up for the greater squad, starting with a game against (local club side) Rovers (tomorrow) and then the Griffons the following week.”
Nkosi has come from just about nowhere to get a shot ahead of the established S’bura Sithole,
but it is early days in the season, the coach said.
“We know what we have in S’bura but maybe Sbu is just one step ahead, but S’bura will get his chance going forward,” Du Preez said.
“Initially the decision was to take 15 forwards and 12 backs but we have opted for 16 forwards and 11 backs for what is a short tour, and then there will be opportunities for the others.” Currie Cup flyhalf Inny Radebe is another who will stay in Durban, with fullback Curwin Bosch doubling as flyha lf cover for Patrick Lambie on tour. “We were debating whether to take a second flyha lf and options were Garth April, Berhard Janse van Rensburg and Inny, but it is a short tour and I would prefer them to get as much game time as possible while we are away,” Du Preez said.
Vermeulen, another former SA U-20 player, comes in for injured KeeganDaniel and he can cover 6, 7 and 8.
Du Preez said the squad was heading for Brisbane and Canberra (for the Brumbies the week after) with the goal of two wins, laughing off suggestions that the Sharks would look to gather asmany points as possible before returning to a run of home games.
“Obviously home games are important but we believe we can win these games if we build on our form in the warm-up matches against the Cheetahs and the Bulls (albeit a second-string Pretoria team) and putting into action what we have been doing in training over a long pre-season,” he said.
“The Reds played against the Rebels last Tuesday in Brisbane in temperatures approximating 40º, so we will not be uncomfortable with the conditions,” he said.