Hollywoodbets Sharks interim head coach JP Pietersen has made three changes to his team for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) local derby against the Lions in Durban.
Pietersen’s side is riding a wave of confidence after back-to-back home victories, over Saracens in the Investec Champions Cup and the Bulls in the URC, marking a turnaround after a difficult start to the season. The Sharks, currently 13th on the URC log, are aiming to build on their momentum and strive for greater consistency.
Springboks Ox Nche and Aphelele Fassi both return from injury to the starting lineup, while Corne Rahl and Siya Masuku are back on the bench.
Pietersen is challenging his squad to raise their standards further. “We’ve built a little bit of momentum and confidence, but two wins mean nothing if you don’t back it up,” he said. “We want to keep working hard and making this team better.”
“Two wins bring energy, and they bring the group closer together, but we’re also very clear on the areas we still need to work on, which is important for our growth.”
“We want to keep it going, keep working hard, and keep making this team better.”
He expects a stern test from the eighth-placed Lions, who have impressed this season. “They’ve got an experienced coaching group and a clear way they want to play. You can see that in their performances, they convincingly beat the Bulls at Loftus and could easily have beaten the Stormers in Cape Town. So they’ll come to Kings Park full of confidence.” Pietersen noted.
“It’s going to be a great challenge,” he added. “South African derbies are always physical, so the boys are preparing themselves for a proper physical battle on Saturday.
“The Lions like to move the ball, and that’s something we also want to do. play our rugby. Hopefully, we can give the fans a game they really enjoy watching, something entertaining as we head into the new year.”