Eben Etzebeth leads Sharks side featuring 12 Boks against Edinburgh

Eben Etzebeth will captain a Springbok-loaded Hollywoodbets Sharks XV when they visit Edinburgh in a Round 15 Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixture at the Hive Stadium on Friday night.

Head coach John Plumtree has, for the first time since beating Glasgow six months ago, been able to roll out his first-choice team, recalling World Cup winners Lukhanyo Am at outside-centre and Aphelele Fassi at full-back, while scrum-half Grant Williams returns via the bench.

With the Durban franchise lying 10th, four points off the play-off berths, Plumtree believes the timing of the reunion could not be better as his side embark on a two-match northern swing that will also take them to Parma to face Zebre.

“We want to set ourselves up for a home quarter-final and potentially a home semi,” the coach said, insisting that four straight wins would accomplish that task. “But for now, our focus is to do well on this tour.”

Edinburgh, coached by former Sharks boss Sean Everitt, will have been buoyed by last week’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final triumph over the Bulls and a home semi against Bath.

Hollywoodbets Sharks team to face Edinburgh
1. Ox Nche
2. Bongi Mbonambi
3. Vincent Koch
4. Eben Etzebeth (c)
5. Emile van Heerden
6. Phepsi Buthelezi
7. Vincent Tshituka
8. Siya Kolisi
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Jordan Hendrikse
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. André Esterhuizen
13. Lukhanyo Am
14. Ethan Hooker
15. Aphelele Fassi

REPLACEMENTS:
16. Fez Mbatha
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Hanro Jacobs
19. Jason Jenkins
20. James Venter
21. Grant Williams
22. Siya Masuku
23. Jurenzo Julius