Settled Sharks selected for Kolisi, Du Toit swansong
The Cell C Sharks have selected a settled starting XV as Siya Kolisi and Thomas du Toit play their
final home matches for the Sharks against Munster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Saturday.
The Sharks have all but sealed their spot in the final eight of the URC, however that eighth position comes with the daunting task of playing Leinster in Dublin in the quarter-finals.
A good win for the Sharks on Saturday could see them finish in sixth, but that position will only come if the Bulls lose to a weakened Leinster side in Pretoria and Connacht break an impressive winning run against Glasgow.
Saturday’s showdown with the Munster Men, a side the Sharks beat comfortably at the beginning of April in the Heineken Champions Cup, will have added significance as they bid farewell to captain Siya Kolisi and stalwart Thomas du Toit.
Both players will be plying their domestic trade in Europe from next season with Kolisi heading to Racing 92 and Du Toit to the South West of England with Bath.
Du Toit arrived at the Sharks straight out of school and lived up to the schoolboy hype as the Paarl Boys’ High School graduate racked up well over 100 appearances for the Durban side over the ten years he’s been with the union.
Kolisi arrived in Durban in a high-profile switch from the Stormers and Western Province in 2021 and in the subsequent years he’s taken his game to the next level and continues to put in dominant performances.
Both players will take with them vast experience and the Sharks will have the important job of replacing them in the new season.
The Sharks starting line-up for this weekend’s meeting sees just one change from the side that beat Benetton last weekend with Jeandre Labuschagne coming in for the injured Hyron Andrews.
There is a boost on the bench for the Sharks with Rohan Janse van Rensberg and Aphelele Fassi both coming into the squad after recovering from their respective injuries.
The Sharks will also be bidding farewell to Australian Ben Tapuai who will be leaving the union at the end of the season.
Kick off at Hollywoodbets Kings Park is at 6:15pm on Saturday.
Cell C Sharks Squad v Munster
1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Jeandre Labuschagne, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Vincent Tshituka, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 9 Grant Williams, 10 Curwin Bosch, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Ben Tapuai, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Werner Kok, 15 Boeta Chamberlain.
Replacements
16 Kerron van Vuurren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Aphelele Fassi.
