Durban — Blockbusting centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg will make his debut for the Sharks when they open their United Rugby Championship campaign against Zebre in Italy on Friday evening while two other newcomers are set for their debuts off the bench.
Burly former Lions tighthead prop Carlu Sadie and former Cheetahs lock Justin Basson will be among the replacements
The Sharks are captained by Thomas du Toit, with Boeta Chamberlain named at flyhalf while Sharks old boy Fred Zeilinga has been pulled in to cover flyhalf after lightning struck twice in the Sharks pre-season when Curwin Bosch and Lionel Joubert both suffered broken arms.
Janse van Rensburg, who joined from Manchester’s Sale Sharks, will partner former Wallaby Ben Tapuai in the centres.
For a Sharks team that finished in fifth place on the log at the end of the pool stages, getting their season off to a cracking start is vitally important.
Speaking from the team’s Italian base, coach Sean Everitt believes that his team is in the right physical and mental space to get their campaign off to a good start.
“We’re happy to make amends from our start last year — all the South African teams struggled but we’re coming in with a bit more experience, we know what’s coming our way as far as the opposition is concerned. It’s not like last year when we were going into the unknown.”
Everitt has warned that despite Zebre registering just one win in last season’s URC campaign, that is all in the history books.
“Zebre will be a tough nut to crack at home,” he admits. “They put on a good performance against Leinster last weekend (going down 33-29) and I don’t think anyone would have believed the game would be so close; they were pretty unfortunate not to get the result.
“We’re under no illusions as to what we’re facing on Friday night and we know this competition is unforgiving as some of the teams found out in the first weekend’s action.
“Preparations have gone well, apart from the injuries picked up by Curwin and Lionel but Boeta showed enough in those pre-season friendlies against the Lions and Stormers that he’s ready to take over the number 10 jersey.”
Sharks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Dylan Richardson, 6 James Venter, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Gerbrant Grobler, 3 Thomas du Toit (c), 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Subs: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Fred Zeilinga, 23 Marnus Potgieter.