No8 Nick Hatton will lead a Hollywoodbets Sharks match day squad that features five debutants in Saturday’s opening Vodacom United Rugby Championship match of the new season against the Ospreys in Durban.
The clash with the Welsh team marks the first time in the Sharks’ history that they will be starting the URC with a match at home and there will be a lot of pressure on them to win it as they face champions Leinster the following week before heading to Cape Town for the first derby of the season against the DHL Stormers.
The match day squad called up by coach JP Pietersen reflects a combination of the off-season work done by the recruitment department, with former Lions lock Darrien Landsberg one of two debutants in the starting team. The other is DHL Stormers utility back Suleiman Hartzenberg, who is playing for the Sharks this year on loan and will make his debut for the Durban team on the wing.
The other debutants are on the bench, with Junior Bok hooker Estehu Mnebelele rated as a player with a big future, while he will have another debutant in the form of back-up loosehead prop Nemo Roelofse alongside him. On the other end of the experience scale is veteran scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl, who will play his first game off the bench but has a long career at English club Saracens and the Vodacom Bulls behind him.
Vusi Moyo, capped for the Springboks during the home leg of the Nations Championship, will be playing his second URC game for the Sharks, with the fit again Bok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse as his halfback partner and Murray Koster, who is back from a stint in Japan, on the other side of him at inside centre.
Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Luan Giliomee, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Jurenzo Julius, Murray Koster, Litelihle Bester, Vusi Moyo, Jaden Hendrikse, Nick Hatton (captain), Manu Tshituka, Phepsi Buthelezi, Darrien Landsberg, Corne Rahl, Vincent Koch, Eduan Swart, Phatu Ganyane. Replacements: Esethu Mnebelele, Nemo Roelofse, Hanro Jacobs, Jason Jenkins, Matt Ramao, Ivan van Zyl, Siya Masuku Zekhethelo Siyaya.