New Sharks mentor Jake White may know what he wants to do with Pat Lambie and Frans Steyn, but question marks remain over a few other players.
White has made known that Lambie will be his first-choice flyhalf and Steyn will play No 12.
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The Sharks Director of Rugby believes they can be the best No.10-No.12 combination in Super Rugby.
While he hasn’t worked that much with Lambie, White and Steyn go back a long way – saying he knows what makes him tick since he was a schoolboy at Grey College.
And, who can forget, how valuable Steyn was for the Springbok cause as an inside centre during the successful 2007 World Cup captain, when White was the coach.
However, it is the chance to work with some of the new players in the Sharks’ wider training group that most excites the World Cup-winning coach.
He said the pre-season training has been going “really well”.
Working with such a large group of players has given him a chance to see the depth of the squad.
“I also had a chance to work with players who would not normally be here when the national players are here,” White said.
“It allows me to also see the next generation and the depth, if there’s a shortage of players in certain positions – to see whatever we need.”
He added that he will look at some of those new players on the trip to England – where they will play Saracens in a pre-season friendly at Allianz Park next Saturday 25 January.
“Some of them have come through and I am giving them a run against Saracens to see how they come out,” White said.
“Hopefully they are what I think they are, then at least we will have some depth in the squad.”