Bok boost for Sharks, Sacha back for Stormers

The United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend after a four-week break and the pick of the round is the Durban derby between the Sharks and the Stormers.

Coach John Plumtree has confirmed that his Springboks are available for selection but he says he has to see what shape they are in after their three-week sojourn to the UK.

He will evaluate the players on an individual basis and those who are up for it will play and others will be rested.

Among the latter players, it is almost certain that Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche will be given a break after they picked up injuries that forced them from the field. Sharks Springboks that saw less game time are likely to be in action — men like Vincent Koch, Lukhanyo Am, Grant Williams, Andre Esterhuizen, Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi.

Siya Kolisi could well be involved, too.

If Plumtree gets most of his Boks back, the Stormers will find it tough to bounce back after a disappointing home loss to Glasgow which left them in 13th place on the table.

However, they have regained a potent weapon in Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, as well as tough forwards Salmaan Moerat and Ben-Jason Dixon.

The Sharks are in a confident mood after going into the break on the back of home defeats of Glasgow (28-24) and Munster (41-24). Plumtree’s side are in ninth place.

Later on Saturday night, the Bulls and Lions are overseas and looking to build on their promising starts to the season.

The third-placed Bulls have a tricky fixture against Connacht in Galway while the Lions visit a Munster side that recently sacked coach Graeme Rowntree.

Meanwhile, Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman has given an update on the injury woes of Springbok Steven Kitshoff, who suffered a career-threatening injury in September.

He recently underwent neck fusion surgery and his future remains uncertain.

“We haven’t spoken to the specialist or gotten any feedback from his doctors,” Snyman said. “The first thing is that we want him to recover, and we’ll take it from there.

“Sacha is back from injury,” Snyman said of the flyhalf prodigy. “Ben-Jason got injured against the Warriors but is looking fine and has been training with the squad.”

Loose forward Evan Roos is expected back in late December and Damian Willemse in February.