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JP Pietersen will play in The Sharks game against the Cheetahs on Saturday.
In a significant boost for the Sharks, Springbok wing JP Pietersen has fully recovered from a hand injury and has been named on the left wing in the team to play the Cheetahs in a Currie Cup match on Saturday (7pm).
Pietersen has not played for six weeks but has shown no ill affects from training with this teammates on Monday and Tuesday, and so has been passed fit to play.
The fourth-placed Cheetahs, in turn, have lost their key openside flank, Heinrich Brussow, to a season-ending injury but will nevertheless provide stern opposition for a Sharks side that has yet to win at altitude this Currie Cup campaign.
The Sharks have reverted to the backline that was due to start against the Bulls before rain forced a rethink, which means Riaan Viljoen drops to the bench and Meyer Bosman takes over at flyhalf, with Louis Ludik starting at fullback. Tim Whitehead and Paul Jordaan are the centres, with Odwa Ndungane continuing on the wing.
This is the dry weather combination originally picked by coach John Plumtree, and it is interesting to see that he has recalled Charl McLeod at scrumhalf. He has said that he has been picking Cobus Reinach at nine because he wanted to get the youngster up to speed with a view to Super Rugby next year, and with Reinach having been Man of the Match against the Bulls, Plumtree is now content to get McLeod going once more.
In the only change to the pack, lock Steven Sykes is out injured and is replaced by Jandre Marais. On the bench, there is a bold call to give young prop Alan Dell a go. The under-21 player can play both loosehead and tighthead, and takes over from Julian Redelinghuys.
But much of the build-up to this game is in the mind for a Sharks team that has won just once away from home this competition – at sea level in the first round against Western Province.
The Sharks have lost at altitude to the Bulls, Griquas and the Lions. Why?
“I won’t say we underestimated anybody, not all,” said coach Hugh Reece-Edwards.
“How can you, given the quality of opposition we played? Maybe senior players needed to take more of a lead, and we are certainly looking for that tomorrow against the Cheetahs.
“It is going to be one heck of a clash. The Cheetahs are playing for a place in the semi-finals and we are playing for a home semi-final,” Reece-Edwards continued.
A twist to the saga is the kick-off time which is after the Springbok v All Blacks match in the Rugby Championship. The Free State Rugby Union asked for a 2pm kick-off, but the Sharks considered their options and said: “No.”
Their reasoning was that a 7pm kick-off takes the sting out of the heat that prevails at 2pm, and which exacerbates the altitude factor.
