Griquas Currie Cup star Whitehead to wear Sharks No 10 jersey against Connacht

The Sharks have opted to include Griquas veteran flyhalf George Whitehead at No 10 for their United Rugby Championship match against Connacht in Galway on Saturday (9.45pm).

Whitehead helped guide the Griquas to the Currie Cup title last season and has years of experience behind him. He is on loan from the Kimberley-based side and is set to feature prominently over the coming weeks.

Whitehead will be joined at halfback by Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, while in other team news Jordan Hendrikse will play at fullback, with recent Bok tourist Edwill van der Merwe on the right wing.

Grant Williams, who was also on tour with the Boks up north during November, will play from the bench.

There will also be a debut for flanker Matt Romao, one of the stars of the Junior Boks team earlier this year.

The Sharks are down in 13th position on the URC log with just one win from five matches and will hope to perform better following the month-long international break.

‘Connecting with the team’

Captain Vincent Tshituka will lead the team from the blindside flank position this weekend.

“We’ve been able to prepare well for this challenge against Connacht. The guys have put in a lot of hard work and there’s been a good, positive vibe going into this game,” he said.

“The past few weeks have been about connecting with the team, it’s been a tough start to the season, not one we wanted, but the only way to build is to bounce back together and put in the hard work, which is exactly what we’ve done. We hope we get to reap those results as well.

“Team connection has been a massive part of the last few weeks for us, connecting on and off the field, connecting as individuals and it’s been working, the guys are in a really good space.”

Besides a few Springbok players who’re unavailable this week, some of the men on the injured list include Aphelele Fassi, Ruan Dreyer, Simphiwe Matanzima and Trevor Nyakane.

Sharks team: Jordan Hendrikse, Edwill van der Merwe, Jurenzo Julius, Francois Venter, Makazole Mapimpi, George Whitehead, Jaden Hendrikse, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka (capt), Matt Romao, Marvin Orie, Jason Jenkins, Hanro Jacobs, Fez Mbatha, Phatu Ganyane. Bench: Eduan Swart, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Mawande Mdanda, Emile van Heerden, Phepsi Buthelezi, Grant Williams, Le Roux Malan, Hakeem Kunene