JP Pietersen welcomes back six Springboks for the visit of reigning champions Leinster, while 20-year-old flyhalf Vusi Moyo gets his chance to measure himself against the best in the competition.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks were boosted with the availability of six of their Springboks who, fresh off the test series against the All Blacks and last weekend’s match against the Wallabies, have come into the reckoning for today’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship showdown with Leinster.
Confirming his selection policy with the Springbok inclusions, head coach JP Pietersen admitted that he found it easy to pick them.
“When you ask a player if he’s available and keen to play, it makes your job super easy when he immediately puts his hand up. They were excited to be back and play for us.
“With three starting and three on the bench, it was about managing their workload, especially Ox, Eben and Ethan who have played a lot of minutes over the last four test matches.
“It’s great to have them back.”
While their inclusion speaks volumes of the esteem these international players are held in, it also confirms that those who stood up last week bear mentioning.
“It’s a nice selection headache to have as a coach,” Pietersen admitted.
“We have good quality available which is great for the group having this experience back for us. They’re players who are game ready and can perform which they’ve shown over the last two months.
“Hopefully they continue that form for us.”
Leinster too have bolstered their stocks, losing in last week’s opening round to the 10Bet Lions and looking to kick-start a campaign that must be full of pressure for the reigning champs.
“We know Leinster, they’re last season’s champions and whatever team they put out will be a really good team. They have really good structures and have been building over the last few years.
“They’ve shown that they’re the best club and we want to measure ourselves against the best, so for us, we’ve prepped well against an experienced team.
“We have young players who also want to measure themselves against the best players in the tournament, so it’s going to be a great contest.”
Speaking young guns, 2025 World Rugby Under 20 Championship winner with the junior Boks, Vusi Moyo, gets an opportunity to test himself.
“For me, this match is about taking ownership of my stuff, but with the Boks back, there is confidence that comes with having them in the team and knowing you’re safe around them,” said the young flyhalf, only recently out of his teens.
“Going into this game, the focus isn’t so much on Leinster, but on what we can achieve. We’ve set high standards for ourselves and we want to meet those standards.
“We’re very excited for this game and to take ownership for what the coaches have set for us.”
Getting selected on such a grand stage as a 20-year-old shows maturity beyond his years as well as his coach’s belief in his ability to do the job.
“There’s very healthy competition for places in the squad and that keeps you on your toes,” he explained.
“With coach JP selecting me this weekend, it shows faith and trust in my ability to keep the forwards going forward and organising the backs. It’s about taking ownership of my role and executing detail.”
Tonight’s match kicks off at 6.30pm.
