Durban – The Sharks will be hoping that consistency is king when they visit the Bulls on Saturday for the URC quarter-finals after coach Sean Everitt made just one change to the match 23 that lost to Ulster a few weeks ago.
And before that match, more or less the same squad had won seven out of eight matches, with the sole blip the loss at home to Edinburgh in heavy rain.
The change is in the second row where burly Le Roux Roets returns from paternity leave to replace Ruben van Heerden, who moves to the bench. The man who drops out of the squad is Reniel Hugo while in an injury blow, Gerbrandt Grobler continues to be unavailable, as was the case when the Sharks went to Belfast.
Grobler had been in fine form and was Man of the Match when the Sharks beat Leinster in Durban.
The Bulls only just pipped the Sharks – by a solitary log point – to earn home ground advantage for the quarter-finals as late as the final round after the Durban side had led the South African charge and that is the main reason why Everitt has largely stuck with the same starting XV as that played Ulster in round 18.
Sharks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Le Roux Roets, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Ben Tapuai.
