Du Toit makes timely return for Sharks

PROMISING lock Pieter-Steph du Toit slots back into the Sharks starting line-up for the clash against Griquas in Kimberley this weekend after three months out with a sternum injury.

His return could not be more timely as the Sharks are in desperate need of lineout forwards who have known each other for longer than five minutes.

His return has been fasttracked by Marco Wentzel’s dislocated shoulder, an injury he suffered in last Saturday’s 25-19 loss to Western Province, head coach Brad MacLeod-Henderson said.

Not only is the 21-year-old touted as a future Springbok, he brings to the Sharks a level of familiarity after the new blend of forwards were exposed by Province in the lineout.

Hooker Kyle Cooper, who will replace Craig Burden, will throw to two familiar locks — Du Toit and his partner Edwin Hewitt — for the first time in the Currie Cup.

“Du Toit is a phenomenal athlete, so it is fantastic to have him back,” MacLeod-Henderson said.

“It will be a tough return for him, especially since he’s returning to face Griquas in Kimberley. But he has been training hard during rehabilitation, so we are looking forward to seeing him in action. We have a big and physical second row now and that is what we’ll probably need to triumph on Saturday,” he said.

Lubabalo Mtembu has recovered from a groin injury but his inclusion will depend on whether Jean Deysel recovers from a bruised thigh niggle.

Even then, he is in contention for a place on the bench as Justin Downey has been pencilled as the next player in line.

The Sharks are second on the standings past the halfway mark and the season has been a rollercoaster so far.

A shock opening-round defeat to this week’s rival started the competition off on a sour note but a three-match winning streak brought them to the summit of the log before Province eclipsed them last week.

MacLeod-Henderson was pleased with the net result after the first round of the competition, however, he expects his team to up the intensity, especially in their physicality. “We’ve scored some great tries along the way. We were happy with the three tries we scored in Cape Town last weekend, although we were not happy with the result and our performance in general,” he said.

“We were a little underdone in the first game and Griquas played well and dominated us physically. It is always tough going up to Kimberley but we need to be up for the physical challenge.”

Meanwhile, Keegan Daniel jumped to Province skipper Deon Fourie’s defence after the latter was cited for allegedly gouging the Sharks looseforward last Saturday. “Just to clear things up, there was no eye gouge from @Deonf (Deon Fourie), he’s not that type of player,” Daniel tweeted yesterday. “Rug (sic) is a contact sport and these things happen.”

Lions coach Johan Ackermann beefed up his front row by including controversial prop Bees Roux in his starting lineup for Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Roux, along with hooker Willie Wepener and CJ van der Linde, will form a formidable front row as the Lions seek to close the gap on Western Province.

Roux, who was convicted of manslaughter in 2011 but was handed a five-year suspended sentence following the death of a metro police officer in Pretoria, will make his debut for the Lions after playing in France and Italy.

Roux’s jail sentence was suspended after he agreed to pay the victim’s family R750,000.