Dyanti gets his first Sharks start
Former Springbok wing and World Rugby Breakthrough Player of
the Year Aphiwe Dyanti will get his first start of the Hollywoodbets Sharks
against the Ospreys in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this Friday.
Dyanti has been biding his time in the Sharks squad and has been thrust into the starting line-up this weekend as he looks to make an impact on his return to the game.
It's been a tough start to the competition for the Sharks who have lost both of their opening matches against tough Irish opposition away from home. They will now face the Ospreys from Wales in London at the Twickenham Stoop.
Sharks assistant coach David Williams confirmed the four changes with Dylan Richardson starting at hooker, Coenie Oosthuizen returning to the tight-head, Sikhumbuzo Notshe coming in at number eight and Dyanti starting on the left wing.
For Williams, he knew that the side was going to be under pressure on this tour with four tough matches away from home to start the competition.
"We knew before we left that this was going to be a challenging tour," Williams said. "Playing the champions and the champions-elect in Leinster, and in both games, we were within a score of them for long periods of time.
"Unfortunately for us we couldn't convert in those important moments and build pressure.
"This week we've just tried to continue building that belief and try to be more ruthless when we get those line breaks and build more pressure."
It's going to be another big test for the Sharks who face their Welsh counterparts on neutral territory and Williams thinks that might play into the Sharks' hands.
"The venue might bring out some of the South Africans from South and West London to come through and support us which would be great."
Kick off on Friday night will be at 9:35pm SA Time.
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Ospreys
1 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 2 Dylan Richardson, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 4 Corne Rahl, 5Emile van Heerden, 6 James Venter, 7 Phepsi Buthelezi, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 9 Cameron Wright, 10 Curwin Bosch, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 13 Francois Venter (C), 14 Werner Kok, 15 Aphelele Fassi
Replacements
16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 George Cronje, 21 Zee Mkhabela, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Murray Koster
