2211012157
Sharks captain AndrĂ© Esterhuizen believes his side’s defence will have their work cut out for them in their United Rugby Championship clash with the Ospreys in Wales on Saturday night (kick-off 8.45pm).
The Ospreys sit just one spot below the Sharks on the URC table, at 11th, and will have most of their Welsh internationals available, while the Durban union are still missing several Springboks.
Wales stars to line up
Wales captain Jac Morgan recently returned from injury, though Dewi Lake is battling a shoulder knock. Morgan will aim to give the club just their second-ever top-eight finish before he and Lake move to Gloucester amid Welsh rugby’s uncertain future.
Welsh international scrumhalf Kieran Hardy, flanker Harri Deaves, flyhalf Dan Edwards, lock Rhys Davies and No 8 Morgan Morse could all make an impact.
For the Sharks, Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth misses the touring squad due to a hip injury, though Siya Kolisi returns and Edwill van der Merwe, Ox Nché, Vincent Koch, Vincent Tshituka, Ethan Hooker, Jaden Hendrikse and Makazole Mapimpi could also feature.
Bok centre André Esterhuizen will lead the team. He said that the Sharks need to find consistency after a very up-and-down season hampered by a change in coaches.
They are yet to win a game in Europe.
“The mood in the camp is great at the moment,” Esterhuizen said as the Sharks establish themselves in Europe with Edinburgh to follow next week.
“Ospreys are a tough side to play, especially there. They are a physical side that likes to move the ball around.
“We know they are going to play a lot of rugby. They’ve got a nice attacking style. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
Ospreys have it all to play for v Sharks
While the Sharks have only failed to reach the playoffs once, Ospreys have only reached the quarterfinals on one occasion, when they were thumped 23-7 away to Munster in 2023/24.
They are a side looking to prove their worth as the Welsh Rugby Union plans to cut a side from the competition, or at least restructure, as it looks to reduce its number of professional teams from four to three.
The Ospreys and Scarlets are reportedly the most at risk, though a decision will be made after further review.
The Ospreys come off a Challenge Cup last-16 away defeat to Ulster and are now putting all their eggs in one basket in the URC. They will look for inspiration from their last home encounter against the Sharks, where they secured a 19-5 victory in 2023.
