Well, it looks like the Sharks are in for a bit of a rough swim! Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi is out of the water for a while, folks. After a gnarly shoulder injury at Ellis Park last week, Coach JP Pietersen has confirmed the team will be pushing for a top-eight finish in the Vodacom URC without their star player. The verdict's still out on whether Fassi will need surgery or just a stint in rehab, but either way, he's not hitting the field anytime soon.
"Fassi saw a surgeon this week and we’re just waiting to hear if it’s surgery or rehab,"
Pietersen spilled the beans.
"I don’t want to speculate, but it could be around six weeks if it’s rehab, or longer if he needs an operation. We’ll have more clarity soon."
Meanwhile, the Sharks have shuffled their deck ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, promoting wing sensation Jaco Williams to fullback. At just 20 years old, Williams is ready to dive into the deep end. "Jaco is a fullback. That’s his position, so we’ve got no problem with him moving there," assured Pietersen.
And it's not all doom and gloom! The Sharks are bolstering their ranks with the return of Springbok prop Ox Nché and centre André Esterhuizen, both of whom sat out the Lions debacle. Pietersen is keen to stress that their return isn't a knee-jerk reaction to last week's loss. "André was always going to play this weekend. He’s our captain. Ox was also always going to be back. It’s part of our rotation," he explained.
Reflecting on the Lions match, Pietersen didn’t mince words about the Sharks' performance, or lack thereof. "We had 21 or 22 unforced errors and turnovers conceded. We only had 30-odd percent territory. If you turn the ball over and knock it on in your own 22, you’re not going to win the territory battle." He added, "We couldn’t build pressure. We’d get one positive and turn it into two negatives. That’s something we’ve addressed this week."
So, as the Sharks gear up to make a splash against the Bulls, the team is hoping their tweaked lineup and refreshed strategy will turn the tide in their favor. Stay tuned to see if they can swim rather than sink this weekend!
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Well, it looks like the Sharks are in for a bit of a rough swim! Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi is out of the water for a while, folks. After a gnarly shoulder injury at Ellis Park last week, Coach JP Pietersen has confirmed the team will be pushing for a top-eight finish in the Vodacom URC without their star player. The verdict's still out on whether Fassi will need surgery or just a stint in rehab, but either way, he's not hitting the field anytime soon.
"Fassi saw a surgeon this week and we’re just waiting to hear if it’s surgery or rehab,"
Pietersen spilled the beans."I don’t want to speculate, but it could be around six weeks if it’s rehab, or longer if he needs an operation. We’ll have more clarity soon."
Meanwhile, the Sharks have shuffled their deck ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, promoting wing sensation Jaco Williams to fullback. At just 20 years old, Williams is ready to dive into the deep end. "Jaco is a fullback. That’s his position, so we’ve got no problem with him moving there," assured Pietersen.And it's not all doom and gloom! The Sharks are bolstering their ranks with the return of Springbok prop Ox Nché and centre André Esterhuizen, both of whom sat out the Lions debacle. Pietersen is keen to stress that their return isn't a knee-jerk reaction to last week's loss. "André was always going to play this weekend. He’s our captain. Ox was also always going to be back. It’s part of our rotation," he explained.
Reflecting on the Lions match, Pietersen didn’t mince words about the Sharks' performance, or lack thereof. "We had 21 or 22 unforced errors and turnovers conceded. We only had 30-odd percent territory. If you turn the ball over and knock it on in your own 22, you’re not going to win the territory battle." He added, "We couldn’t build pressure. We’d get one positive and turn it into two negatives. That’s something we’ve addressed this week."
So, as the Sharks gear up to make a splash against the Bulls, the team is hoping their tweaked lineup and refreshed strategy will turn the tide in their favor. Stay tuned to see if they can swim rather than sink this weekend!