The Sharks’ chances of upsetting Toulouse in Durban today has taken a hit, with Eben Etzebeth not available to face several French superstars who he helped terrorise in the quarter-final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Paris.
The enforcer was injured during training this week, just when it looked like he recovered from a concussion sustained late last year, and was immediately withdrawn from the team to face the European giants in the Champions Cup at Kings Park (5.15pm kickoff).
“Eben did really well with his concussion protocols during the week, and went through the different stages,” head coach John Plumtree said yesterday.
“But he developed a headache during a session on Wednesday, and we straight away pulled him out.
“We have to assess him now over the next weeks, and see how he goes again. He is not too far off from being fit, but we have to treat him with caution at the moment.”
The reigning Challenge Cup champions have an uphill battle against the current Champions Cup holders in their quest to bag a second win in the tournament.
It will boost their chances for a knockout (and possibly a home game) spot.
But they know the six-time European champions will be a tough nut to crack, especially after they selected a powerful side featuring scrumhalf and captain Antoine Dupont, fullback Thomas Ramos, flyhalf Romain Ntamack and forwards Anthony Jelonch, Thibaud Flament and Peato Mauvaka.
Still, in the absence of Etzebeth, there are plenty of Boks to fall back on, like captain Siya Kolisi and fit-again hooker Bongi Mbonambi, alongside props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch. All four are double World Cup winners.
At the back, the Sharks will heavily rely on the halfback pairing of Jaden Hendrikse and brother Jordan.
Plumtree also made a bold decision to hand fullback Hakeem Kunene a debut against the French giants in the absence of the injured Aphelele Fassi.
“We are absolutely excited for this game,” Plumtree added about the home meeting with the champions.
“There are plenty of star players in the Toulouse team, and they’ve been the best team in Europe. If you look at the names right through that group, you will have to say that they’ll compete pretty much on the stage with most rugby teams.
“It’s a massive challenge for the boys.”
Plumtree noted that his team must be efficient in every facet of the game if they want to come away with the victory. He emphasised taking the opportunities when it’s presented to them.
In past games, the Sharks have created plenty of scoring opportunities, more recently against the Stormers in Cape Town, but their inability to convert them cost them a victory.
While the Durban outfit are on a five-match winning streak at home, they know Toulouse will be a different kettle of fish to contend with.
“We must build and put them under pressure and then capitalise on it. They will also put us under immense pressure at times... we must be able to absorb that.”
Plumtree acknowledged that they won’t get things right all the time, but he wants to see his side match their opponents and go ahead of them.
“That is where the challenge lies,” he stated.
“Hakeem is a promising young player, and he is marking a lot of French international players. That must be exciting for him. But don’t forget (that) we have some pretty good players, and we know what we need to do.
“There are a lot of good match-ups like the Hendrikse brothers against their halfbacks (Dupont and Ntamack). At the end of the day, it’s about the collective, and how well we play as a group for more than 80 minutes.”
Dupont told the media yesterday that he doesn’t have such good memories of the only time he played in South Africa, back in 2017, when he made his debut for France against the Springboks in Durban in a losing cause.
On South Africa’s inclusion in the Champions Cup, Dupont said it’s something to deal with, because they are not the decision-makers.
“Even if it is not practical... Because one week you train at five degrees Celsius, and the next week you play at 30 degrees Celsius with the humidity.
“It is tough on our bodies, but we must deal with it because we don’t have a choice, and they (the South African teams) also do not have the choice.” | Independent Media Sport
Sharks Team
15 Hakeem Kunene 14 Yaw Penxe 13 Ethan Hooker 12 Francois Venter 11 Makazole Mapimpi 10 Jordan Hendrikse 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Siya Kolisi (captain) 7 Emmanuel Tshituka 6 Phepsi Buthelezi 5 Jason Jenkins 4 Corné Rahl 3 Vincent Koch 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Dylan Richardson 17 Ruan Dreyer 18 Trevor Nyakane 19 Jeandré Labuschagne 20 Vincent Tshituka 21 Nick Hatton 22 Bradley Davids 23 Jurenzo Julius.
Toulouse: 15 Thomas Ramos 14 Blair Kinghorn 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi 12 Santiago Chocobares 11 Matthis Lebel 10 Romain Ntamack 9 Antoine Dupont (captain) 8 Jack Willis 7 Anthony Jelonch 6 Francois Cros 5 Emmanuel Meafou 4 Thibaud Flament 3 Dorian Aldegheri 2 Peato Mauvaka 1 Rodrigue Neti.
Bench: 16 Julien Marchand 17 Cyril Baille 18 Joel Merkler 19 Joshua Brennan 20 Leo Banos 21 Paul Graou 22 Juan-Cruz Mallia 23 Ange Capuozzo.