Sharks hit by major blow ahead of Loftus semi-final showdown
The Sharks will be without a key figure in their forward pack for Saturday's highly anticipated United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
After an intense penalty shootout victory over Munster in Durban, the Sharks are riding a wave of momentum heading into their first-ever URC semi-final. However, head coach John Plumtree has been forced to make changes, most notably the omission of captain Eben Etzebeth, who sustained an injury during training this week.
Etzebeth, South Africa's most-capped Springbok and a two-time World Cup winner, has been replaced in the starting lineup by Corne Rahl, with Siya Kolisi stepping in as captain.
Another change in the second row sees Emile van Heerden slot in for Jason Jenkins, who failed to recover from a recent knock. Deon Slabbert joins the matchday squad on the bench, while Jurenzo Julius replaces Francois Venter among the reserves. The rest of the starting XV remains unchanged.
The Bulls, led by Jake White, secured a home semi-final after a convincing win over Edinburgh and will be confident at Loftus Versfeld, where they hold a 3-2 URC record against the Sharks.
However, recent form leans in favour of the visitors. Plumtree's men defeated the Bulls in both league encounters this season, including a notable 29-19 victory in Pretoria.
Sharks XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Deon Slabbert, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Jurenzo Julius, 23 Yaw Penxe.
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