The highly anticipated clash between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the New Zealand All Blacks has been rocked by late squad disruptions, forcing both coaching staff to alter their tactical blueprints following the official team announcements.
The historic fixture, scheduled for today, 11 August 2026, at Kings Park, will test the squad depth of both sides to its absolute limits.
With both teams losing key components of their spine, this match will transform into a tactical chess match. The Sharks will look to simplify their game plan, relying heavily on a local Durban crowd and low-risk, territorial kicking. Conversely, the All Blacks will aim to exploit the Sharks' disrupted forward combinations by moving the ball quickly into the wide channels, testing whether the hosts' replacement defenders can hold their shape.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks' hopes of dominating the physical battle upfront have taken a significant hit. The Durban-based franchise was forced into making two late, injury-enforced changes to their starting pack, disrupting the combinations originally named by the coaching staff.
Vincent Tshituka has been ruled out after failing a late fitness test. His explosive carrying power and work rate at the breakdown will be sorely missed against a mobile Kiwi back row, while Emile van Heerden is also sidelined with a late injury knock, stripping the Sharks of a primary lineout target and a physical enforcer in the tight-five.
These late withdrawals force an immediate reshuffle in the tight units, thrusting bench players into starting roles and severely testing the Sharks' tactical discipline under high-pressure set-pieces.
The visitors have not escaped the injury curse either. New Zealand's coaching staff has had to re-engineer their game plan after losing two vital components of their attacking spine.
Cam Roigard is unavailable due to an injury setback. Roigard’s sharp service from the base of the ruck and his sniping running game are central to the All Blacks' high-tempo transition play, while Billy Proctor has also been scratched from the lineup. Proctor's defensive organisation in the midfield and his ability to fix defenders in the wide channels are massive losses for the Tourists' backline cohesion.
All Black hooker George Bell (calf strain) and centre Billy Proctor (fractured shoulder blade) have both been sent home; Codie Taylor is also managing a calf issue, though Rennie has indicated the veteran tour captain could be available against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
Teams:
Hollywoodbets Sharks: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Donovan Don, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Murray Koster, 11 Litelihle Bester, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Bradley Davids, 8 Nick Hatton (c), 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Hendrè Stassen, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Nemo Roelofse. Replacements: 16 Liam van Wyk, 17 Rambo Kubekha, 18 Simphiwe Ngobese, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Luan Giliomee, 23 Ma’a Nonu.
All Blacks: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Fehi Fineanganofo, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Kyle Preston, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Luke Jacobson (c), 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Ethan de Groot. Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Ethan Blackadder, 20 Semisi Ta’eiloa, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 23 Emoni Narawa.