Sharks’ Springbok Players To Return Against Saracens
Sharks coach John Plumtree has confirmed that his Springbok players are expected to be available for their next match against English giants Saracens in the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday.
Plumtree endured his final game in the hotseat with a damning 56-19 defeat to a star-studded Toulouse side, laden with international might at Stade Ernest Wallon in France.
Except for the veteran Makazole Mapimpi and players like Marvin Orie and the Hendrikse brothers – with Jordan starting and Jaden starting from the bench – who have all represented the Springboks, the rest of the side was highly inexperienced and faced the monumental task of facing one of the elite sides in world rugby.
The Sharks have only one victory across the United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup – following this defeat, Plumtree remained upbeat despite the difficult situation the Durban-based side found themselves in.
The Sharks deregistered world-class Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth following his 12-game ban for an eye gouge during the final game of the end-of-year tour against Wales.
“We expect to have Etzebeth back in three months,” Plumtree said comedically, “all other players should be available for next week’s game against Saracens.”
Despite the bloated scoreline and the frank assessment from Plumtree, the Sharks have positives to take away from their tough encounter.
The young Sharks side can take heart from the fight they exhibited as they succeeded in dotting down three tries, and there is certainly reason to feel confident and optimistic about the future of Sharks rugby.
“We had some opportunities. That was Toulouse putting pressure on us, and we weren’t good enough to nail those moments, but I am really proud of the effort of the boys.”
“Toulouse has lots of experience and lots of internationals, but it was a great experience for some of the younger boys.”
The Sharks will spend this week preparing for their next Investec Champions Cup game against Saracens on Saturday, 13 December at Hollywoodbets Kings Park and will be ecstatic to have their Springboks back among the mix.
