Never underestimate a wounded Cat. That will be the message coach Kevin Putt will be hammering home to his Sharks charges as they come back into Super 12 rugby action after a weekend off for a bye in the ”derby” game against the Cats at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday. Kick-off is at 5.05pm.
Putt will be aware that the Cats will be coming off a difficult tour leg and also have a change of chief coach, with Tim Lane being replaced by Chester Williams.
In the past the Cats seemed to reserve their best rugby for games against the Sharks. So come Saturday they will surely be no different as they look to turn their fortunes around — a lively contest can be expected.
In contrast the Sharks had a great tour down under and going into their home leg of six games on the trot are in a very healthy position.
The game is all the more special in that this will be the Sharks’ 100th game in all Super 12 matches. They are only the fourth (and first South African) team to reach this milestone after the Blues, Brumbies and Crusaders recorded a century of matches at various stages of this year’s competition.
In a departure from his usual policy of not changing a winning team, Putt is set to opt for youth ahead of experience on the right wing, where veteran Deon Kayser is to make way for promising young former Pumas and Border Bulldogs back Chumani Booi.
In explaining this decision, Putt said that Kayser, now 34 years old, is being rested after playing in every game the Sharks have played so far this season. However, reading between the lines it appears Booi will get to make the right-wing position his own if he acquits himself well in the first home match of the season.
Kayser has served both his province and his country with distinction, but he no longer possesses the out-and-out pace of a few years ago and this could be a case of out with the old and in with the new.
Kayser, who started his career with Eastern Province, does not even find a place on the bench for this game.
The inclusion of Booi in the starting line-up is sure to be welcomed at national level where a high premium has been placed on the need fully to develop young black players of talent.
The excellent Sharks record, which includes three wins in five starts on the away leg, can be seen as a vindication of Putt’s decision to keep the side settled. This has never been a strong suit of South African teams over the years. — Sapa
Teams:
Sharks: Brent Russell, Chumani Booi, Adrian Jacobs, Trevor Halstead, Henno Mentz, Butch James, Craig Davidson, Russell Winter, Charl van Rensburg, Luke Watson, Johan Muller, AJ Venter, BJ Botha, John Smit (captain), Eduard Coetzee.
Reserves: Skipper Badenhorst, Deon Carstens, Nico Breedt, Solly Tyibilika, Noel Oelschig, Gregor Townsend, Ricardo Loubscher.
Cats: Conrad Jantjes, Ashwin Willemse, Jaque Fourie, Wayne Julies, Anton Pitout, André Pretorius, Enrico Januarie, Pietie Ferreira, Wikus van Heerden (captain), Roland Bernard, Gerrie Brits, Boela du Plooy, CJ van der Linde, Hanyani Shimange, Os du Randt.
Reserves: André van Niekerk, Gurthro Steenkamp, Juan Smith, Gerhard Vosloo, Paul Delport, Nel Fourie, Jorrie Muller.