Blow for Sharks as Eben Etzebeth ruled out of URC semi-final against Bulls
Etzebeth and Jenkins were the starting second row for last week's dramatic quarter-final defeat of Munster in Durban, but both picked up injuries in the bruising encounter.
The Sharks' lock pairing for the trip to Loftus Versfeld is Emile van Heerden and Corne Rahl.
Etzebeth has had an injury-plagued season and his absence against the Bulls is unfortunate.
The most capped Springbok of all time, Etzebeth's experience, inspiration and brute strength would have been a vital tool for the Sharks against the in-form Bulls pack.
The 33-year-old missed five months of rugby because of a concussion injury and then picked up a hamstring injury at a Bok alignment camp in March.
He has been excellent for the Sharks since making his comeback last month, earning two Player of the Match awards.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will captain the side in Etzebeth's absence. Kolisi is at No 8 and apart from the new second row, the pack is unchanged.
Coach John Plumtree has also been able to field the same backline that played against Munster. There is a fresh backline face on the bench in the form of Jurenzo 'The Boogie Man' Julius. He is back from injury and replaces Francois Venter.
The lock cover on the bench is Deon Slabbert, the 2m, 117kg former Pumas lock. Plumtree also has the option of moving flank Vincent Tshituka to lock during the game, and bringing on Phepsi Buthelezi.
Sharks team
15 Aphelele Fassi 14 Ethan Hooker 13 Lukhanyo Am 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Makazole Mapimpi 10 Jordan Hendrikse 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Siya Kolisi (captain) 7 Vincent Tshituka 6 James Venter 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Corne Rahl 3 Vincent Koch 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Fez Mbatha 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu 18 Hanro Jacobs 19 Deon Slabbert 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Bradley Davids 22 Jurenzo Julius 23 Yaw Penxe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Captain to captain: Siya Kolisi gives Jesse Kriel seal of approval
Siya Kolisi has proverbially handed the Springbok captain reigns over to his colleague Jesse Kriel in a sweet social media post. The 34-year-old was ruled out of the Bok's upcoming match against Italy due to another physical niggle. Jesse stepped up into the leader role in a game against the Barbarians in Cape Town last weekend. In a sweet Instagram snap, Siya Kolisi showed love to Jesse Kriel, who would take up position as Springbok captain this weekend. The rugby squad will play Italy at Loftus in their first test match of the year. In the post, Siya posted a clip of an embrace with Jesse following the 2023 Rugby World Cup win. Another image shows the duo bonding over a traditional Xhosa meal spent with elders. 'Sikhokhele' [Lead us], Siya captioned the post. In the comments, Jesse Kriel, who is fluent in Xhosa, responded: 'I love you, bra.' Siya Kolisi's show of affection to Jesse Kriel mirrors that of his father Fezakele, who did the same during the Eastern Cape leg of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in 2023. During the stop, Kriel and fellow Springbok Deon Fourie visited the Zwide township, the home of Siya. Siya's father, the spitting image of his rugby player son, was there to greet them. The elderly man greeted Jesse and Deon with hugs and kisses and even jokingly placed the trophy on his head. Siya is also known for his playful and affectionate personality towards his colleagues. Take a look… View this post on Instagram A post shared by Springboks (@bokrugby) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Baby Boks triumph over England in thrilling World U20 Championship match
Junior Springbok scrumhalf Haashim Pead feeds one of the scrums against Australia. He was a constant thorn in the flesh of England on Friday night as the Baby Boks beat the defending champions 32-22. The Junior Springboks started slowly in their World Rugby U2O Championship pool match against champions England in Rovigo, Italy on Friday night, before eventually settling into their stride and running out 32-22 winners. The South African youngsters had no answers to an early England onslaught that yielded two tries, the first from fullback Josh Bellamy, who converted his own try, and the second from Connor Treacey (14-0). But SA hit back with a spectacular score from the hot-stepping Cheswell Jooste, who burst through the England defensive line after a set move in midfield, and blew past a number of defenders to score. Jooste was a menace whenever he touched the ball. Flyhalf Vusi Moyo kicked the conversion to make the score 12-7. The Baby Boks were suddenly full of running, with scrumhalf Haashim Pead, who was pulling strings for SA at scrumhalf, starting and finishing an attacking move down the right wing for SA's second try. England were then gifted a try off a South African mistake close to their try line (19-12). More silky touches and pace to burn by the SA backs put fullback Gilermo Mentoe over for the third SA try. Centre Cupido showed great vision and timing in the pass. Moyo landed the conversion to draw SA level (19-19).
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Stick: Springboks need to start game against Italy with intensity
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said they must start their game against Italy the same way they want to start the season. Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the world champions need to come out guns blazing against Italy in the first of two Tests against the visitors at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm). He said on the eve of the match that the Springboks need to make a statement early on in the Test, which, being the first competitive game of the season, is symbolic of the start they need for 2025. The Springboks play Italy after their emphatic 54–7 win in a non-Test against invitational side, the Barbarians. 'It is very important for us to start well. Remember, we are starting our season. A team like Italy, for example, they are close to the end of their season,' Stick said. He explained that this was why the Bok coaches had picked such a strong team for the match, and why they have repeatedly said they hope to improve on their performance against the BaaBaas. Springboks go all out against Italy 'Hopefully we can have a good start [in the season] that will give us opportunities maybe later on when we can rotate our squad.' He said that for their part, Italy were a growing nation in rugby and were building their depth well. Though the Italians left a few top players behind on their tour, Stick said the Springboks would not underestimate them. 'For us, it is about what we want to execute as a team. Where we started against Baa Baas in the wet conditions of Cape Town, but we managed to control the game. That was the most important thing for us last week and we just want to make sure that we keep improving, getting better in how we execute our plans. 'This is a team [Italy] that, if you allow them to control the game, they will hurt you. The key thing for us is to start with a high-intensity game. Once again, you are playing at Loftus. The most important thing is for us to pitch up physically and mentally, and be in a good space. Then we can take it from there.' Springboks improve their attacking game He said the Springboks take pride in their physicality, kicking game and defence, which has been strong for a long time. 'Now having someone like Tony [Brown] bring something different, different energy, when it comes to ball in hand. You can see the guys starting to have confidence. You can see from our outside backs, the way they have been scoring tries. We want to keep building on that.'
