Sharks pick Ma’a Nonu to face All Blacks!
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have named an exciting blend of youth and experience for Tuesday, 11 August’s historic clash against the All Blacks at…
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The Hollywoodbets Sharks have named an exciting blend of youth and experience for Tuesday, 11 August’s historic clash against the All Blacks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, with rugby legend Ma’a Nonu set to feature from the bench.
The match forms part of New Zealand’s eight-game “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” tour of South Africa, which sees the All Blacks face all four United Rugby Championship franchises before taking on the Springboks in a four-Test Freedom Cup series.
The tour gets underway on Friday, 7 August night when New Zealand face the Stormers in Cape Town, before travelling to Durban for next week’s encounter.
Despite several players being unavailable due to international commitments and the ongoing Currie Cup campaign, Sharks head coach JP Pietersen has assembled a squad that combines emerging talent with seasoned professionals.
The biggest talking point is the inclusion of former All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu, who only joined the Sharks this week and has been named among the replacements for the historic encounter.
Captain Nick Hatton leads a side featuring several members of the Sharks’ URC pre-season squad, while experienced recruits Nemo Roelofse, who has played for Racing 92 in France, and former Stade Français lock Hendre Stassen add valuable overseas experience.
Pietersen has also remained true to his philosophy that “if he’s good enough, he’s old enough”, handing starting roles to promising youngsters Vusi Moyo and Zekhethelo Siyaya.
The Sharks bench includes Rambo Kubekha, Matt Romao, Luan Giliomee and Ivan van Zyl alongside Nonu.
More than a pre-season fixture
For the Sharks, the match represents a rare opportunity to measure themselves against one of world rugby’s most successful and iconic teams.
It also gives Durban supporters the chance to witness a fixture that has never before taken place, as New Zealand continue their first traditional tour of South Africa since the professional era transformed the international calendar.
15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Donovan Don, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Murray Koster, 11 Litelihle Bester, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Bradley Davids, 8 Nick Hatton (captain), 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Hendre Stassen, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Nemo Roelofse
Replacements: 16 Liam van Wyk, 17 Rambo Kubekha, 18 Simphiwe Ngobese, 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Luan Giliomee, 23 Ma’a Nonu