Sharks send patched-up squad into Toulouse cauldron as Champions Cup campaign kicks off

The Sharks will open their European Champions Cup campaign with a heavily rotated side against French juggernauts Toulouse on Sunday – a strategic gamble that sees most of their Springboks held back for next weekend’s home fixture against Saracens.

With several frontline internationals remaining in Durban, head coach John Plumtree has opted to back fringe players and emerging talent for the daunting first-round trip to Stade Ernest-Wallon (kick-off 5.15pm SA time).

It means the Sharks will confront one of rugby’s most stacked squads without their strongest available XV.

The team will be without the majority of their Springboks who starred in the November internationals, including Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Grant Williams and André Esterhuizen.

Toulouse, six-time European champions and leaders of the French Top 14, have again assembled a star-studded lineup for the competition loaded with French internationals, including brilliant scrumhalf Antoine Dupont. 

Against that backdrop, the Sharks will rely heavily on grit, work rate and the hunger of their less-experienced campaigners. The side features five Champions Cup debutants – lock JJ Scheepers and Junior Bok powerhouse loose forward Bathobele Hlekani in the starting pack, with tighthead Cebo Dlamini, lock Jannes Potgieter and speedster Phikolomzi Sobahle set to win their first caps off the bench.

Plumtree admitted the team for the daunting assignment was chosen with one eye on two massive home games coming up – against Saracens in the Champions Cup and the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship (URC).  

“However, that’s only a part of it. The main one is the fact that some of our Springboks have been on a five-week tour of the UK, and just to add another week here would have burnt their batteries,” Plumtree told an online media conference from Toulouse on Friday afternoon.

“It’s important they refresh with their families and we can join up in Durban next week.”

The Sharks will be hoping that the baggage from a poor start to their URC campaign is not carried over to the Champions Cup, but Plumtree is under no illusions about the enormity of the task that awaits them in the south of France. 

“Obviously it’s going to be a tough task for us here. It’s a pretty young group with players that are potentially going to play a lot of games in the Sharks jerseys over the years, playing on Sunday. Some names you might not even recognise,” Plumtree admitted.

“An example is Matt Romoa. I thought he was excellent against Connacht. I think he’s going to be a star in our team one day. Ross Braude gets an opportunity to play at halfback and mark a guy like Dupont. You can imagine how excited he is about that. 

“Just being in Toulouse, a real rugby town, the vibe is unbelievable and it’s going to be a real experience for the boys. We’re sort of embracing that and walking towards the challenge. We know it’s going to be a massive task but everyone’s really looking forward to it.

"This is one of the best clubs in the world and we've got to make sure we celebrate any little positive and that we stay in the fight the whole time, no matter what the situation is."

Sharks XV

15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Le Roux Malan, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Ross Braude, 8 Nick Hatton (captain), 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 JJ Scheepers, 3 Mawande Mdanda, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko. 

Replacement: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Simphiwe Ngobese, 18 Cebo Dlamini, 19 Jannes Potgieter, 20 Tino Mavesere, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Jean Smith, 23 Phikolomzi Sobahle.