Sharks coach John Plumtree will cash in on the next fortnight of Springbok availability by picking full-strength teams against Glasgow tomorrow (3.45pm kick-off) and Munster next week.
Bok bruiser Eben Etzebeth will captain a Sharks side against the Warriors at Kings Park tomorrow that boasts 12 Springboks and has the quirk of having brothers Jordan and Jaden Hendrikse as the halfback combination.
Flyhalf Jordan and scrumhalf Jaden played together as a combination at Glenwood High School in Durban, but this will be the first occasion that they are playing together on a professional stage.
Rugby Championship Bok busters Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche and Bongi Mbonambi are among the heavyweight firepower that Plumtree has picked for the game against the reigning champions from Scotland.
Plumtree said: “We have a fresh group of Springbok players who are coming back from a vacation and a group that is not so fresh after a long period on the road.
“I have picked a strong group on paper, but how they perform on the field is what matters. We have had a short preparation after getting back from Italy, and I have had to trust my instincts about how quickly the team can come together.
“I have chosen a bunch of Bok players in the pack that have played together on the international stage, and my gut is telling me that they will find each other quickly against the Warriors,” the coach explained.
“I have backed experience and the faith that those will gel sooner rather than later, given that they know each other so well from the Springbok environment.”
Plumtree had the option to bring some of the national stars back much sooner, but he felt that flying senior Boks over to Europe would be counter-productive.
“I felt it was right to give the Boks a block of rest and to not tire them with an overseas trip,” Plumtree explained.
“This is the first time that we are fielding a full-strength side, and I think we are the last team to pull in the top players, and we are going into round five.
“We have tried to be smart with how we bring our Boks back, and have looked at the big picture of how best to manage the eight-week (mandatory) rest the Boks must have.
“We have seen a bit of rust in training, but these guys know what to do, and I am relying on them to hit the ground running.
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“Glasgow are full of international players, and we can’t be sluggish in our start. We have to fire quickly, and Eben will lead the way.”
Several players were not considered for selection due to injury including Ethan Hooker, Francois Venter and Vincent Tshituka, who captained the side in their three European matches.
Sharks Team
15 Aphelele Fassi 14 Eduan Keyter 13 Lukhanyo Am 12 André Esterhuizen 11 Makazole Mapimpi 10 Jordan Hendrikse 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Phepsi Buthelezi 7 Emmanuel Tshituka 6 Siya Kolisi 5 Emile van Heerden 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain) 3 Vincent Koch 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Fez Mbatha 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Jason Jenkins 20 James Venter 21 Grant Williams 22 Siya Masuku 23 Jurenzo Julius.