Sharks bolster the pack
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Sharks Director of Rugby Gary Gold has made four changes to his team for this Saturday’s Super Rugby clash with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
All four personnel changes have been made in the pack, with a return to the all Springbok front row of Jannie du Plessis, back after being given last week off with the birth of his child, his brother and captain Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira.
Mouritz Botha is also back after an eye socket injury sustained in the opening round match against the Cheetahs, the first leg going the way of the Free State side, and the English International will pack down alongside Springbok Pieter-Steph du Toit in the second row.
The final change comes in at loose forward where Renaldo Bothma comes in for Willem Alberts who is out of the match 23 due to injury.
Gold said of Alberts' injury that it was just a tightening up of his problem hamstring.
"Willem just tightened up his hamstring on the weekend.
"It is being assessed, but we want to be careful with him, we do not want to have to rush him back too soon.
"It should only be a couple of weeks and he will be alright."
The Sharks will be wary of the Cheetahs having lost to them already this season.
“The Cheetahs were formidable opponents in our first round encounter and are a real threat with ball in hand,” Gold admits.
“We will have our work cut out for us this Saturday in a pressurised situation.”
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Renaldo Bothma, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick / Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Marco Wentzel / Lubabalo Mtyanda, 20 Lubabalo Mtembu, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Jack Wilson.
Date: Saturday, March 14
Venue: Free State stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden (South Africa), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
TMO: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
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