Sharks name strong team for Griquas

Cell C Sharks coach Sean Everitt gave an indication of just how strongly his team will challenge for back to back Currie Cup titles when he named his team for Friday night’s competition opener against Tafel Lager Griquas in Durban.

There has been a lot of the use of the word 'exodus' in describing what is going to happen to South African rugby after the World Cup but there is little indication of it in the immediate post Super Rugby period.

Certainly not at the Sharks, where no less than 10 of the players who started the Super Rugby quarterfinal against the Brumbies are in the run-on team that will start the domestic season.

When it comes to the match day 23, there are 13 survivors, which is quite impressive continuity for the new Sharks coach to work with at the start of his first Currie Cup as the chief honcho.

There are some players, such as Springbok tighthead Coenie Oosthuizen, who will be leaving for overseas after the Currie Cup, but there is enough mix of promising young talent and more experienced players to be encouraged about the possibility that the next two months will be the build-up to a good Super Rugby campaign in 2020.

And in some cases the new players coming in, such as JP Pietersen and co-captain Tera Mtembu, are experienced players who have done well for the Sharks and have been out for a while.

Pietersen makes his return to the black and white at outside centre, while Mtembu will back down at No 8.

Phepsi Buthelezi, back from skippering the Junior Boks in the world tournament in Argentina, is the back-up loose-forward and will make his Currie Cup debut if, as is likely, he comes onto the field.

Jeremy Ward is slotting into the midfield alongside Pietersen so both co-captains will be starting the first match.

Aphelele Fassi is back at fullback after recovering from the injury he suffered against the Stormers that kept him out of the game against the Brumbies.

Curwin Bosch starts at flyhalf and will be partnered by Cameron Wright and the Sharks will start with a strong, experienced pack, with the likes of lock Hyron Andrews having grown in stature during the recent Super Rugby season.

Cell C Sharks team: Aphelele Fassi, Kobus van Wyk, JP Pietersen, Jeremy Ward (co-captain), Lwazi Mvovo, Curwin Bosch, Cameron Wright, Tera Mtembu (co-captain), Jacques Vermeulen, Luke Stringer, Hyron Andrews, Ruben van Heerden, Coenie Oosthuizen, Kerron van Vuuren, Juan Schoeman.

Replacements: Craig Burden, Mzamo Majola, John-Hubert Meyer, Gideon Koegelenberg, Phepsi Buthelezi, Sanele Nohamba, Marius Louw, Rhyno Smith.