The head coach of the Sharks, JP Pietersen, expresses optimism regarding the swift return of most of the team's injured stars before the start of the United Rugby Championship (URC) season, which kicks off with the next match against the Lions.
The Sharks squad began preparations for the URC with a significant number of injured players. However, Pietersen is convinced that reinforcements will arrive in time. After several seasons marked by a large list of absent players, Pietersen hopes that most players will be back in training by the third round of the URC, which will be played away against the Stormers.
This will provide the Durban-based club with a significant boost ahead of the opening games: the home match against the Ospreys on September 26th and the game against Leinster on October 3rd.
Preparation for the First Block of the URC
The team's initial matches are scheduled as friendlies against the South Western Districts in George on Friday, and against the Lions on September 11th. Pietersen expects a number of injured footballers to start playing against the Lions.
He stated that 'Jordan Hendrikse, I hope, will be ready to get game time next week [against the Lions], as will Jason Jenkins and Zekhethelo Siyaya.' Pietersen also noted that 'Stephan Lewies and Ethan Bester, I hope, are on track for the match against the Ospreys.' Furthermore, he added that 'we also hope that Simphiwe Matanzima and Yaw Penxe will get minutes next week against the Lions.'
Regarding players who will be out longer, these are Emile van Heerden and Jaco Williams; Pietersen hopes they will be ready for the match against the Stormers or shortly thereafter. He emphasized that 'most of our injured players will return against the Lions, and we will push them to get some game time and gain full match experience.'
New Player in the Sharks Squad
Despite the injury issues, the Sharks have acquired an interesting new player on loan from the Stormers—Suleiman Hartzenberg. The 23-year-old athlete, capable of playing both as an outside centre and on the wing, will debut for the Sharks against SWD in George. Pietersen expressed enthusiasm about what Hartzenberg can bring to the squad.
The coach remarked: 'Suleiman is brilliant, happy to have him; I have always highly rated him when he started young, and having him on loan at the Sharks is just wonderful.' He added that 'he has easily integrated into the team, like one of us. Obviously, it will take time for him to adjust to our systems, how we operate, our language, and how we do things.'
Pietersen also highlighted the player's positive qualities: 'He is a very positive guy, always open to learning and improving, and it is good for him that he comes at this time with Ma’a Nonu in our system to enhance his play and skill set.'
He concluded that 'he is a great addition to our team, and hopefully, he can show excellent results and answer our questions about what we want from him. We look forward to what he can bring, and hopefully, he can jump straight into the game tomorrow [Friday].'
Hartzenberg's versatility could prove particularly useful for the Sharks, as the team is short of options at the outside centre position. Pietersen stated: 'His strength is that he can play two positions, and he is good at both.' He specified: 'We will give him a chance at outside centre against SWD and see how he performs from the bench. Hopefully, against the Lions, we will see him play on the wing. We are currently a bit light in the centres, so we will probably play him more at outside centre this season.'