Hollywoodbets Sharks will host ASM Clermont Auvergne on Saturday at 15:00 (SA Time). In Pool 1 of the Investec Championship, the Hollywoodbets Sharks trail the fourth-placed Toulouse by only two points, although they also need to win their clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park to stay in the running for a playoff spot, as the French giants have a home game against the Sale Sharks this weekend.
The KwaZulu-Natalians will, however, take comfort from the fact that Clermont Auvergne have lost all their matches so far in the competition and are currently pointless, although they have fared much better in the Top 14 than their hosts in the Vodacom URC, winning eight of their 14 matches to only two wins out of eight by the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
Fortunately for the Durbanites, who lost to Sale last weekend, they will be playing at home in their familiar hot and humid conditions, where they too have only suffered one defeat in the Vodacom URC, while they also won their Investec Champions Cup clash this season at home.
The Sharks have named a side with a mix of stalwarts and squad players, resting some key Springboks, while Clermont has also opted to rest several star players for the long trip to South Africa. Given Clermont's winless streak and the Sharks' strong home performance expectations, most predictions favour a comfortable Sharks victory by a significant margin.
Sharks Head Coach JP Pietersen has switched things up a bit with his team selection, maintaining some continuity from last week’s trip to Manchester, while bringing back a range of stalwarts across the board.
There are starts for Matt Romao and PK Sobahle, with Rugby World Cup winners Ox Nche and Bongi Mbonambi upfront and Aphelele Fassi at fullback. Brothers Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse form the halfback pairing, while Jurenzo Julius retains his number 12 jersey, partnering with Le Roux Malan in the midfield.
Nick Hatton continues his lead-by-example role, having retained the captaincy for the match against the 114-year old club and three-time Champions Cup runners-up, two-time French Champions (2010 and 2017) and Challenge Cup champions on three different occasions, most recently in 2019, the Hollywoodbets Sharks taking that honour in 2024.
Teams
Hollywoodbets Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Le Roux Malan, 12 Jurenzo Julius, 11 PK Sobahle, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Nick Hatton (c), 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Jason Jenkins, 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Phatu Ganyane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Emile van Heerden, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Ross Braude, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
Clermont Auvergne: 15 Kylan Hamdaoui, 14 Yerim Fall, 13 Timeo Frier, 12 Alifereti Loaloa, 11 Joris Jurand, 10 Irae Simone, 9 Lucas Zamora, 8 Anthime Hemery, 7 Lucas Dessaigne, 6 Killian Tixeront (c), 5 Leo Michaux Vargas, 4 Thibaud Lanen, 3 Cristian Ojovan, 2 Étienne Fourcade, 1 Matheo Frisach. Replacements: 16 Seilala Lam, 17 Giga Tutisani, 18 Giorgi Dzmanashvili, 19 Baptiste Veschambre, 20 Pio Muarua, 21 Niek Doornenbal, 22 Tom Raffy, 23 Axel Guillaud.
