Opportunity knocks for youthful Sharks in Challenge Cup clash in Lyon

The Sharks’ status as champions of the Challenge Cup could very well end in frosty Lyon on tonight, but the decision to send the youth brigade to France provides a wealth of opportunity for up-and-comers.

Fourteen first-choice players will be on their couches in Durban watching the last-16 encounter, a few of them nervously, as they see youngsters fighting to make a name for themselves.

There is no doubt that coach John Plumtree’s pep talk for this team will be all about that word “opportunity”.

He will be telling them to play the game of their lives and put pressure on the incumbents back in Durbs.

Plumtree’s decision to hold back his heavy artillery is about making a full guns blazing assault on the United Rugby Championship but he also wants to examine his depth ahead of the four remaining URC matches.

South Africans have found away matches in France notoriously tough and Plumtree will see which players prosper or flounder under the pressure.

For example, 21-year-old fullback Hakeem Kunene has the pedigree of having played for the Junior Springboks at the 2023 World Rugby Under-20 Championship but on Sunday night he will be subjected to the harshest examination under the high ball by the Lyon kickers.

His defence will also go under the spotlight.

In the loose forwards, Plumtree has picked a pair of 21-year-old Hilton College Old Boys in Jannes Potgieter (another SA Under-20 representative) and Nick Hatton. They are exciting prospects and will empty their tanks, for sure. We have already seen Hatton score a match-winning try for the Sharks in their Durban match against the Lions.

Hatton was head boy at Hilton, and his leadership extends to rugby — he captains the Sharks against Lyon.

There is a third Junior Springbok in wing Litelihle Bester, while the backline has a solid centre of gravity in the midfield pairing of Springboks Francois Venter and Andre Esterhuizen.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Siya Masuku fares at fly-half. Last season he could do little wrong and had an excellent game in the Challenge Cup final against Gloucester, only to be on the outer in the first half of this season as Jordan Hendrikse came to the fore after he arrived from the Lions.

Masuku has also had his injury problems, but he is back at flyhalf for this match and has a golden opportunity to prove to Plumtree that he should have his place back.

In the forwards, the Bok brigade of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch are missing, but there is a capable replacement front row in Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruan Dreyer and Fez Mbatha.

Mbatha has much to prove after coming off the bench against Leinster and missing his lineout throws. The second row of Corne Rahl and veteran Gerbrandt Grobler has plenty of grunt, while the third loose forward, Zimbabwean Tino Mavesere, is a lively character.

All in all, there is much potential in this Sharks team, but they must play at their very best if they are to compete with a French side that won their opening two games against Cardiff and Zebre, and overpowered the Cheetahs in round four.

Lyon team

15 Alexandre Tchaptchet 14 Vincent Rattez 13 Josiah Maraku 12 Theo Mille, 11 Monty Ioane 10 Léo Berdeu 9 Baptiste Couilloud 8 Arno Botha (captain) 7 Liam Allen 6 Dylan Cretin 5 Mickael Guillard 4 Theo William 3 Irakli Aptsiauri 2 Yanis Charcosset 1 Hamza Kaabeche.

Bench

16 Camille Chat 17 Jérôme Rey 18 Valentin Simutoga 19 Killian Geraci 20 Maxime Gouzou 21 Charlie Cassang 22 Martin Meliande 23 Alfred Parisien.

Sharks team

15 Hakeem Kunene 14 Yaw Penxe 13 Francois Venter 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Litelihle Bester 10 Siya Masuku 9 Bradley Davids 8 Nick Hatton (captain) 7 Jannes Potgieter 6 Tino Mavesere 5 Gerbrandt Grobler 4 Corne Rahl 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Fez Mbatha 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.

Bench

16 Ethan Bester 17 Dian Bleuler 18 Mwande Madande 19 Emile van Heerden 20 Bathobelo Hlakane 21 Tiaan Fourie 22 Jean Smith 23 Jurenzo Julius.