Radebe gets his chance at No 10
THE Sharks’ Currie Cup coach Robert du Preez has continued to add substance to his pledge to play lively rugby in the Currie Cup by selecting the enterprising Inny Radebe at flyhalf for Friday night’s match against Griquas.
Radebe had a brilliant cameo off the bench in the Sharks’ 33-10 victory over the Pumas in Nelspruit last week. He came on at 10 when fullback Odwa Ndungane went off with a hamstring injury.
The starting flyhalf, Curwin Bosch, moved to fullback, a position in which he is equally at home.
Bosch showed some nifty footwork at flyhalf and then Radebe just about stole the show with crisp passing that often put his teammates into space. The Sharks won the match comfortably, and it could have been a rout had a number of “tries” been allowed.
Interestingly, Super Rugby flyhalf Garth April was available for selection this week after he was punished for his poor time-keeping the week before, but coach Du Preez does not feel the need to pick him ahead of Radebe.
Good on Du Preez for sticking to his guns and it will be up to April to embrace this reality check and fight his way back into the selection frame.
It also has to be said that Radebe, despite his sobering size (just 1.76m and 83kg) tackles way above his weight. Defence, to be frank, is not a strong point of either April or Bosch, especially in that vital flyhalf channel.
Radebe is a product of St Stithians College in Johannesburg and played Craven Week for the Lions in both Grade 11 and 12.
He was talent-spotted by the Sharks and has been at their Academy since matriculating. He is just 21.With veteran Ndungane sidelined with injury and seasoned campaigner Michael Claassens benched at scrumhalf for Stefan Ungerer, the Sharks’ backline suddenly looks refreshingly young, with respect to Ndungane and Claassens.
Right wing Neil Maritz, another Sharks Academy product, had an encouraging debut last week, as did outside centre Lukhanyo Am, the 22-year-old King William’s Town product.
Up front, Jean-Luc du Preez joins his twin brother on the sidelines with injury and that allows former Currie Cup captain Tera Mtembu to make a return to the starting line-up at No 8 after a long period of knee injury. Philip van der Walt moves to the flank.
In the front row, the well-deserved call-up of tighthead prop Lourens Adriaanse to the Springboks opens the door for Thomas du Toit.