When the Cell C Sharks travel to Toulouse for Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final clash with Stade Toulousain at the Stade Ernest Wallon at 16:00 (SA Time), it will be a venture into the unknown.
The first season of Heineken Champions Cup rugby has been a huge challenge, but one the team has faced up to remarkably well given that this weekend is the Cell C Sharks foray in the quarter-final stage.
Unfortunately, they will be without three players who were injured in the victory over Munster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park last weekend, but have still named a powerful line-up.
Director of Rugby Neil Powell’s team selection for this match shows only enforced changes, with Hyron Andrews replacing Eben Etzebeth at lock, Grant Williams in for Jaden Hendrikse at scrumhalf and loose-forward Jeandre Labuschagne taking over from Emile van Heerden on the bench.
Cell C Sharks centre Lukhanyo Am admitted that the team are all set after the huge Munster clash, and he expects nothing different this weekend against the French giants.
“The bodies were a bit sore after the Munster game, that was a really physical game, close to test match demands,” he said and that the Cell C Sharks are focused on putting another strong attacking performance together for a second week in a row.
“One or two wins gets your momentum going and right now we’re in a good space. We’re going to France to go play rugby.”
His expectations of Toulouse are that, “The French sides have a similar style of play to us, with a focus on the set-piece and forward-dominance with a backline that’s not afraid to move the ball around. It’s almost like-for-like and going to Toulouse, they’re a big side in France with home-ground advantage which is going to be a challenge for us, but it’s something we’ve prepared for.
“As South African teams, we like the physical and confrontational side of things and if you bring that against a side like Toulouse’s big pack, it will give us confidence in the game. We just need to minimise the penalties and make sure our discipline is good so we don’t give them opportunities to get into our 22, I think that will give us a fair chance.”
Cell C Sharks: 15. Henry Chamberlain, 14. Werner Kok, 13. Lukhanyo Am, 12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11. Makazole Mapimpi, 10. Curwin Bosch, 9. Grant Williams, 8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7. Vincent Tshituka, 6. Siyamthanda Kolisi (c), 5. Gerbrandt Grobler, 4. Hyron Andrews, 3. Thomas du Toit, 2. Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1. Retshegofaditswe Nché. Replacements: 16. Kerron van Vuuren, 17. Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18. Carlü Sadie, 19. Jeandre Labuschagne, 20. Phendulani Buthelezi, 21. Cameron Wright, 22. Ben Tapuai, 23. Thaakir Abrahams.
