Durban - Marcell Coetzee will captain a Sharks side that has a distinctly experimental look about it in the friendly against Toulouse on Thursday night.
Flanker Coetzee and fullback Willie le Roux did not travel with the squad last week to Toulon because they were on conditioning programmes following their return from club rugby in Japan, and they are just about the only two certainties in this second-string line-up for the Super Rugby opener against the Kings on February 27.
Coach Gary Gold fielded close to his strongest team against Toulon and obviously now wants to look at his depth, which is the point of a pre-season tour.
Injury has also forced his hand, and then there are also some Springboks who are not available for selection because of the South African Rugby Union’s limitations on the game time of contracted Boks.
There will be a lot of focus on flyhalf Garth April, who takes over from crocked captain Patrick Lambie. April is partnered by veteran scrumhalf Michael Claassens.
The second row, an area in which the Sharks have their injuries, sees opportunities for Hyron Andrews and David McDuling. Most of the players who started against Toulon are on the bench.
The players unavailable due to injury or Saru decree are Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Francois Kleinhans, Giant Mtyanda, Lwazi Mvovo, Lambie and Ruan Botha.
The match will be televised from 9.40pm.
“This match will give us another opportunity to test new combinations and work on areas where we were not as accurate as we would have liked to have been last Friday,” Gold said. “Toulouse will provide the ideal test.”
Sharks team:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Wandile Mjekevu, 13 Heimar Williams, 12 Johan Deysel, 11 S’bura Sithole, 10 Garth April, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Christiaan de Bruin, 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Marcell Coetzee (capt), 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Dave McDuling, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Replacements:
16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Gerhard Engelbrecht, 18 Daniel du Preez, 19 Jean-Luc du Preez, 20 Cobus Reinach, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Paul Jordaan, 24 Odwa Ndungane, 25 Joe Pietersen.
The Mercury