BACK AT THE TANK
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS ULSTER RUGBY KICK-OFF 16H00 VS
18/10
MATCH PREVIEW
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Although they have yet to record their first win of the new Vodacom URC season, the Hollywoodbets Sharks, with limited resources and under tough conditions, have shown a lot of heart in Europe over the past three weeks. Back in The Tank and with a bit of a Bok boost, the boys in black are now fizzing to take their campaign to the next level…
The Hollywoodbets Sharks returned from their tour of Scotland, Wales and Ireland with two losses and a draw, and are currently placed 13th on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship table.
Back at their Hollywoodbets Kings Park home base, and with a posse of Springboks returning to the fray, John Plumtree’s side aim to really get their campaign going against Ulster today.
“It was tough,” Plumtree said, following the 5-31 loss to the defending champions, Leinster, with a host of British & Irish Lions internationals in the mix, in Dublin, with which his side concluded their recent tour.
“The start was massively important; we had a few soft moments defensively that allowed Leinster to build scoreboard pressure early.
We got back into the game in the last 10 minutes of the first half, but it was a case of playing catch-up, and in the second half their defence was just too good.
“We didn’t fire enough shots.”
The Hollywoodbets Sharks launched their
campaign last month in Glasgow against 2023-24 champions, the Warriors, with a 1935 defeat. However, the final score wasn’t an accurate reflection of how competitive the understrength Hollywoodbets Sharks really were, with the battle for both possession and territory being equal at the end of the day.
“There were some real positives,” Plumtree acknowledged. “We fielded nine debutants, and I couldn’t fault the effort of the boys.
“There were always going to be some challenges in terms of combinations and our continuity, but I’m really proud of the fight we showed.
“For 69 minutes, we were in the game, but then they scored a try, and at the end, it was disappointing to concede a couple of yellow cards and a penalty try.
“Some really nice learnings for us, though, as we get to know each other a little bit better.”
The following week in Newport, Wales, which was being lashed by heavy rain and gale-force winds due to tropical storm
Humberto across the Atlantic Ocean, and with no time left on the clock, the Hollywoodbets Sharks weathered a fierce onslaught by the Dragons to emerge with a hard-fought 17-17 draw.
“The conditions were horrible for both teams,” Plumtree admitted afterwards.
“I was proud of the boys for the way that they held on at the end under pressure, but again disappointed that we conceded one or two soft tries. It was always going to be a battle between the forward packs and a kicking game.
“We were disappointed with the draw because I thought we had scrum dominance and were able to relieve pressure with our scrum and create pressure with our scrum. But not getting the result is really disappointing.”
"AND WITH A POSSE OF SPRINGBOKS RETURNING..."
Superior scrummaging has been a standout feature of the Hollywoodbets Sharks thus far, as they not only annihilated the Dragons in the set piece but even shunted Leinster all over the place before halftime last week in Dublin, and were perhaps unfortunate not to receive a couple of scrum penalties
“We have a massive job ahead of us,” Plumtree said ahead of today’s encounter with Ulster.
“We have to maximise home-ground advantage now and work really hard to get into this competition.
“It was always going to be a tough tournament for us with a lot of disruptions, but there are no excuses. Collectively, we have to take responsibility to be better.”
Ulster arrive in The Tank with two wins from two, having followed up a 42-21 victory over the Dragons with last week’s bonus-point 28-7 win against the Bulls in Belfast.
Next week, the Hollywoodbets Sharks host the Scarlets, before the Autumn Internationals commence
WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP
IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING CLINICAL, À LA BOKS
Ethan Hooker has recently returned from the Bok set-up, where he celebrated his Rugby Championship baptism of fire with backto-back titles. And, now the thrilling three-quarter is amped to deliver more of the same winning mentality for the Hollywoodbets Sharks at home…
Ethan Hooker has come a long way from his days as a local hero at Westville Boys High School’s Bowden’s Field, to strutting his stuff in iconic rugby arenas of the world like Eden Park, Twickenham and the Aviva Stadium.
Just last week, the 22-year-old prodigy provided a glimmer of hope for the Hollywoodbets Sharks when he ran in an opportunistic try from 50 m out against Leinster in the famous Dublin stadium.
Hooker announced his arrival on the international stage a month ago, in the Springboks’ record 43-10 walloping of the All Blacks in Wellington. Apart from performing 11 carries, making 99 metres, beating five defenders and making one line break, Hooker, who was spectacular under the high ball all night, also inspired Kwagga Smith’s try with a scorching counter-attack from well inside South African territory.
Hooker’s favourite hunting ground, however, remains Hollywoodbets Kings Park. He alluded to this during a press conference earlier in the week.
“Just running out onto Hollywoodbets Kings Park in front of the home crowd is a feeling that I’ve missed,” he said. “I’m really keen to get back into that.
“It’s very exciting. Obviously, I want to come back, perform and do my home team proud.
“The whole vibe is pretty good being back; one gets that at-home feeling.
“Naturally, our first home game of the season is a big deal. We don’t want to lose any games on our home turf.
“We’ve been training really hard. We want to come firing out of the blocks, and hopefully it lasts for 80 minutes.”
Hooker acknowledged that the Hollywoodbets Sharks face a stern challenge from the Irish giants, Ulster, who are still unbeaten after their first two outings in the 2025-26 Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
“They are very clinical and physical,” Hooker observed.
“We’ve just got to match that and attain ascendancy up front, with our big, experienced forwards getting over the gain-line. Then it is up to the backs to finish off and cash in on the points on offer.”
Hooker reckons that the Hollywoodbets Sharks aim to take a leaf from the book of the Springboks, who have recently been crowned back-to-back Castle Lager Rugby Championship kings.
“The main thing I took on board from the Boks is just how clinical they are, especially when it comes to winning games,” Hooker said.
“If we can transfer that mindset to the Hollywoodbets Sharks and create a team culture around that, this team can go places.”
The sky is indeed the limit, and especially for the multi-talented Ethan Hooker, who now has five test caps for South Africa under his belt and is destined to be one of the Springbok stars at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 15/02/1993 HEIGHT: 2.01 m
SHARKS PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 2/08/1999 HEIGHT: 1.82 m BORN: 18/08/1997 HEIGHT: 1.82m WEIGHT: 104KG WEIGHT: 111KG BATHOBELE HLEKANI
BORN: 05/04/2005 HEIGHT: 1.93m
BORN: 22/07/1996 HEIGHT: 1.74m WEIGHT: 115KG WEIGHT: 77KG
HENDRIKSE
BORN: 01/10/1996 HEIGHT: 1.81 m WEIGHT: 86KG
1.84m WEIGHT: 83KG
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS
ULSTER RUGBY
ULSTER RUGBY PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 12/06/2000 HEIGHT: 1.75 m WEIGHT: 115KG
BORN: 06/03/2003 HEIGHT: 1.97m WEIGHT: 109KG
BORN: 01/08/1995 HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 112KG
BORN: 11/01/2001 HEIGHT: 1.83m
BORN: 06/08/2002 HEIGHT: 1.87 m WEIGHT: 103KG WEIGHT: 125KG
BORN: 21/02/1992 HEIGHT: 1.95 m WEIGHT: 116KG WEIGHT: 121KG
BORN: 09/12/1997 HEIGHT: 1.85m
BORN: 15/07/2004 HEIGHT: 1.75m
ULSTER RUGBY PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 20/06/2000 HEIGHT: 1.93m WEIGHT: 108KG
BORN: 17/12/2001 HEIGHT: 1.85m WEIGHT: 83KG
BORN: 03/04/1996 HEIGHT: 1.31m
BORN: 06/08/1992 HEIGHT: 1.93m WEIGHT: 112KG
BORN: 07/09/1998 HEIGHT: 1.86m WEIGHT: 97KG BORN: 17/01/1993 HEIGHT: 1.80m WEIGHT: 96KG
BORN: 27/04/1990 HEIGHT: 1.85m
BORN: 16/01/1999 HEIGHT: 1.83m
20/08/1998 HEIGHT: 1.70m
BORN: 23/09/1998 HEIGHT: 1.83m
BORN: 04/11/1998 HEIGHT: 1.80m
BORN: 16/03/2004 HEIGHT: 2.09m WEIGHT: 102KG WEIGHT: 115KG
BORN: 07/06/1999 HEIGHT: 1.84m BORN: 03/04/2002 HEIGHT: 1.93m
20/03/2001 HEIGHT: 1.83m
WEIGHT: 85KG
STUART MCCLOSKEY
DAVID MCCANN
JUARNO AUGUSTUS
TOM STEWART
SCOTT WILSON
HARRY SHERIDAN
NATHAN DOAK
NICK TIMONEY
SEAN REFFELL JOE HOPES
WERNER KOK
JAMES HUME
MICHAEL LOWRY
The safer the gear, the braver the game.
Volvo, proud vehicle par tner of the Sharks
MAJOR MATCHUP
PHEPSI VS. JUARNO
PHEPSI BUTHELEZI
With 98 caps for the Hollywoodbets Sharks under his belt, Buthelezi is one of the most impressive, reliable and, indeed, underrated players in black and white.
After all, head coach John Plumtree singled out Buthelezi as consistently the Hollywoodbets Sharks standout forward during the previous Vodacom URC campaign. A robust runner with the ball, the 26-year-old is also a deadly defender and highly versatile as a loose forward. In fact, he has already been utilised as an openside flanker too.
To date, Buthelezi has a single test cap for South Africa, against Portugal in 2024, to his name.
JUARNO AUGUSTUS
Alexander Bay-born Augustus was in rampant form for Ulster in their comprehensive 28-7 win against the Bulls in Belfast last Saturday.
The powerhouse No. 8 not only scored one of the Irish side’s four tries, but also carried the ball 17 times and pulled off half a dozen tackles.
Augustus joined Ulster on a three-year contract after four standout seasons in the colours of the Northampton Saints and played a leading role in helping the Saints reach the final of the Investec Champions Cup.
Nicknamed ‘Trokkie’, he was primed for a Springbok call-up earlier this year, but a back injury put those plans on hold.
FACTS, STATS & TRIVIA
SHARKS TO HOST ALL BLACKS IN 2026
Apart from four tests against the Springboks as part of their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa next year, the All Blacks will also take on the four Vodacom URC franchises, including the Hollywoodbets Sharks…
Traditional All Blacks and Springbok tours will be reignited in 2026 with Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, an alternating quadrennial tour between South Africa and New Zealand.
The maiden tour next year will see the All Blacks visit the Republic in August and September 2026, with tour matches scheduled against the Stormers, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Bulls and Lions, to supplement a four-test series against the Springboks.
“This is going to be huge, something this generation will never forget,” Hollywoodbets Sharks and Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, said. “These are the type of tours that we’ve only heard of. To experience this for the first time is unbelievable.”
The Hollywoodbets Sharks will welcome the All Blacks to the “Tank” on Tuesday, 11 August.
Did you know:
* Natal hosted the All Blacks on six occasions from 1928 to 1992, with the Kiwis winning five matches and one being drawn.
* The first match against Maurice Brownlie’s All Blacks in 1928 was lost 3-31, but in 1949, against Fred Allen’s tourists, the score was only 8-0 in favour of New Zealand.
* Natal’s most memorable performance against the mighty All Blacks was the 6-6 draw against Wilson Whineray’s team in 1960. Captained by Brian Irivine (NRU president, 1984-87), the men in black and white produced a courageous display of epic proportions.
* In 1986, Natal also hosted the rebel New Zealand Cavaliers, losing 2437 in a match that was overshadowed by an all-out brawl early on that lasted for more than five minutes.
* The last time Natal clashed with the All Blacks was in 1992 against Sean Fitzpatrick’s side, losing 25-43. This fixture was historic in that it signalled South Africa’s return to interna-tional rugby after almost a decade of sporting isolation due to apartheid.
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