Johannesburg - The Sharks have wasted no time in introducing new signing Francois Venter to the fray and he will form a vital link in the backline that will face the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday.
The former Springbok will slot in at inside centre, where another former Bok in Rohan Janse van Rensburg remains suspended, with Ben Tapuai moving to the No 13 berth he has occupied with distinction in the absence of injured Lukhanyo Am.
With the Sharks’ Bok contingent en route for Dublin, it is most fortunate that rugged lock Gerbrandt Grobler is back from injury to take over from Eben Etzebeth in the No 4 jersey. The Sharks have been a touch thin in the second row, so the return of the tough Grobler is timely given the guaranteed forward battle at Loftus.
Venter played seven Tests for the Boks from 2016 to 2017 and was playing for Worcester in the English Premiership when the club went insolvent last month, making him a free agent.
Director of Rugby Neil Powell said that even though the 31-year-old has just arrived in Durban, he soon ticked all the boxes required for selection.
“Francois brings a lot of experience, he has played for the Boks and been in the UK for some time,” Powell said. “He also brings a lot of rugby IQ — our attack coach, Noel McNamara, was very impressed with how quickly he understood what we wanted from him.
“He has an amazing work ethic and off the field, he is a good fit for our team. We needed to see how quickly he could understand our attacking shape and defence system and he passed with flying colours.
Powell said the calling off of the Ulster match last week was a massive disappointment.
“Whether we get the points or not, this was a missed opportunity for the Boks to play with the guys still here,” he said. “We would have had all the guys together to get some valuable synergy on the field because the next time we have the Boks will be in early December when we play the Ospreys.
“We would have loved to have played Ulster but at least we have had more time to focus on the Bulls. We are preparing for a huge forward battle, as it always is at Loftus. The challenge has been placed before the players and hopefully, they will make us proud.
“To beat the Bulls there, we need an 80-minute performance, not just a good start or a good finish,” Powell stressed. “If we do not play for the entire 80, we will be in trouble also if we don’t match their physicality. The good news is that having not played last week, we have a new energy in the team.”
Sharks team – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Francois Venter 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Thomas du Toit (capt), 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Justin Basson 20 James Venter 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Grant Williams 23 Marnus Potgieter.
IOL Sport