The Sharks team to play the United Rugby Championship champions Glasgow in Durban on Saturday (4pm kick-off) remains under wraps.
Still, judging by the turnout at training yesterday at Kings Park, home fans are in for a treat.
Superstars Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Siya Kolisi, Vincent Koch, Aphelele Fassi, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi all trained yesterday, and are certain to fulfil a role this weekend.
There was a big welcome back from injury for scrumhalf Grant Williams, and he will play a role off the bench behind Jaden Hendrikse on Saturday.
Coach John Plumtree chose to allow his Rugby Championship Springboks a three-week break after the end of the tournament on September 28 in Mbombela, and he is happy to bring back some serious firepower for a fortnight of games against Glasgow and (next week) Munster.
It’s a full TANK 🖤🦈@vodacom #URC #SHAvGLA pic.twitter.com/25PZEeNYj4
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) October 16, 2024
After that, the Sharks’ Boks will go into a training camp ahead of their November tour to the United Kingdom.
“We felt that it was the right thing for our Bok players to have a block of rest after the Rugby Championship,” Plumtree said.
“How coaches manage their Springbok players depends on the URC schedule, but at the Sharks, our Boks became available just as we were going on tour.
“We did not want to take them on tour when rest is what they needed.”
The big question for all the coaches of South Africa’s URC teams is how best to manage their Bok players, given that they must have a mandatory eight-week period of rest as agreed to with SA Rugby, and coaches will vary in how they use their Test stars.
Warriors🖤support Warriors 🩷
Uniting in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with @Hollywoodbets #BreastCancerAwareness #ThinkPink #EarlyDetection #PinkForTheDay pic.twitter.com/4YetqPrJiR
In terms of the Sharks, Plumtree said: “Everyone has their view of how to manage the Boks. I like to talk to each individual, and see where he is in terms of his fitness and his mental readiness.
“Players tend to be in different places, and the URC draw also means there are different challenges for the Sharks, Bulls, Lions and Stormers.
“A lot depends on when you go on URC tour. For us, we went on tour the day after we won the Currie Cup final, and the week before, we had had a massive semi-final against the Bulls.
“By the time we got to Galway to play Connacht, we were feeling the time on the road.”
Plumtree said that his players had done their best on a tour that ended with two defeats and a win.
“We had good periods of play against Connacht, the Dragons and Benetton, but we just didn’t have the legs to play 80-minute games.”
This week in Durban is a game-changer, and all of the Sharks’ big-name Boks will feature against Glasgow.
“The Boks are back and hungry, and I will see how best to bring each one back,” the coach said.
“It depends on position and whether the player will work out best starting playing off the bench, but the Boks will be back.”