Sharks coach John Plumtree has stuck largely with the team that beat the Cheetahs last week for this Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Blues at Mr Price KINGS PARK.

Keegan Daniel’s inclusion at flank is the only change to the starting lineup after Jacques Botes took a knock to the hip.

Sharksrugby

Jacques Botes has been bracketed in with flank Lambert Groenewald on the bench and a decision on his availability will be made closer to the match.

The rest of the backline remains unchanged while Springboks John Smit and JP Pietersen have been given the all-clear to play this weekend and should both feature off the bench. Smit’s availability means Craig Burden, himself a late inclusion last week after the Bok captain was ruled out, drops out of the match 22.

Pietersen’s return means that Adrian Jacobs (who last week celebrated a personal milestone, having played in 100 Vodacom Super Rugby matches of which 75 were for The Sharks) will feature for the Sharks XV this Saturday meaning an opportunity to gain valuable game time. The Blues take a measure of confidence and continuity into this weekend’s game as well, coming off a Week One win over the Crusaders and naming an unchanged starting XV.

The Sharks have enjoyed a run of six match wins against the Blues and will look to maintain their recent stranglehold over their opponents with some tough, uncompromising rugby.

The Sharks:

15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche (c), 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Keegan Daniels, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 John Smit, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Jacques Botes / Lambert Groenewald, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 JP Pietersen