HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS EDINBURGH MARCH 30 2024

THE SUIT THAT WORKS HARDER

MATCH PREVIEW

FROM LAST TO A BLAST!

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

The Sharks defied their precarious placing on the Vodacom URC table, before last weekend’s result, to deliver one of the most significant performances of the competition. Their authoritative victory over top Irish outfit Ulster not only gave a graphic display of the true world-class worth of this group, when at full strength, but also celebrated the surfacing of scintillating new talent…

What a difference a day makes. A good day at the office.

Head coach John Plumtree couldn’t hide his smile following the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ landmark 22-12 win against Ulster, who, until last Saturday, were one of the top five teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

“It makes a change, doesn’t it,” Plumtree reflected.

“I’m just so happy for the players. “The past few months have been pretty frustrating for a lot of people and it was just good to return to practice this past week, not having to try and pick the team up emotionally.”

The men in black certainly picked themselves up from the mire to deliver one of the commanding performances of the week.

The outstanding result, which warmed the hearts of the faithful of nearly 17 000 that

had filed through the Hollywoodbets Kings Park turnstiles, can in no small measure be attributed to the fact that Plumtree, for the first time this season, had been able to field his strongest possible lineup.

The Springbok contingent, in particular, took ownership of the team, like Plumtree had implored them to do, and the rest of the crew followed suit in stunning fashion.

As a matter of fact, the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ triumph had a World Cup-winning air to it, especially when the “Bomb Squad”, consisting of Ox Nché and Vincent Koch, arrived in the second half and summarily pulverised the Ulster scrum.

“The big players have a knock-on effect, lifting the others,” Plumtree agreed.

“Even though we still fluffed some chances and were still not accurate enough in that space, one could all of a sudden see aspects

of our game that had been absent of late, like our powerful scrummaging and mauling.

“I did encourage the leaders to step up, own the team and drag the others with them. The boys did a good job, especially in the pack.

“It was really pleasing to see us building pressure, or relieving pressure, through our set pieces. That has been a missing ingredient; we struggled in that department.

“With the big boys, you don’t have to always play ‘nice’ rugby to score a try and get seven points. As the players gel and become more cohesive, they should become even better.”

The fantastic forays upfront created a platform for the newer players in the team to shine too, which was yet another pleasing aspect for the coach.

“I was very happy with Ethan Hooker at centre,” Plumtree observed.

“We might have just witnessed the arrival of another big, young player on the big stage.

“I DID ENCOURAGE THE LEADERS TO STEP UP, OWN THE TEAM AND DRAG THE OTHERS WITH THEM..."

“Eduan Keyter looked good on the wing too, while Siya Masuku was comfortable playing flat, close to the advantage line. He was also required to do a lot of tackling and was good in that space.”

Plumtree concluded that the win against Ulster and today’s outing against Edinburgh, who are currently placed sixth on the URC table, are crucial in terms of the cohesion and momentum that the Hollywoodbets Sharks need to build ahead of their all-important EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16 fixture against Zebre Parma here in Durban next Sunday, April 7.

THE WEEKEND’S SPECIAL, COURTESY OF FASSI

The Hollywoodbets Sharks were under the cosh halfway through the first half of last weekend’s clash with powerful Ulster, when Aphelele Fassi, nicknamed “Weekend Special” after the late Brenda Fassi’s hit single of the early ‘80s, once again sparked something truly “special”, which not only turned the contest on its head but could well prove to be a watershed moment for Durbanbased outfit this year…

On the website of Roc Nation, global partner of the Hollywoodbets Sharks, Aphelele Fassi is described as “undoubtedly one of the most prodigiously talented young players in South African rugby, with his natural talent, skill and agility bringing fireworks to the field.”

The Hollywoodbets Kings Park faithful were certainly treated to an exhibition of those types of fireworks in the 27th minute of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter with Ulster.

The Irishmen were 7-0 up and applying sustained pressure in the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ 22 when Fassi scooped up a loose ball right in front of his posts and instinctively hoofed it 75 metres downtown. Young Ethan Hooker displayed exceptional gas to beat the cover defence to the rolling ball inside the opposition's 22 and pop it up for loose-forward dynamo, Phepsi Buthelezi, to score.

From that moment on, the Hollywoodbets Sharks never looked back as they industriously powered to a well-deserved 22-12 win.

“That is something that we actually train to do,” Fassie observed, regarding his seemingly spontaneous kick under pressure.

“I looked up, saw space in behind and decided to try and release some pressure. Then Ethan surprised everyone with his amazing turn of pace and it was really good that we could finish that off, with Phepsi scoring.”

According to Fassie, their inability to nail scoring opportunities has been one of the main reasons why the Hollywoodbets Sharks have not been able to get the results they wanted before the win against Ulster.

“Things haven’t gone the way we wanted it to, and, as a result, we’re not in a position that we like to be in, as far as the URC is concerned. The fact that a new coaching staff had come in at the beginning of the season and that we had to adapt to a new style of play, did contribute to our sluggish start to the campaign.

“The biggest debilitating factor, though, has been our inability to finish off opportunities. If you look at our results so far, the majority of games that we lost were by the narrowest of margins, mainly because we couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities that we had created.

“Last weekend, against Ulster, we did manage to take the opportunities, the important ones.

“We have taken a lot of confidence from that win and, although we’re continually learning from our mistakes and fixing the areas in which we might still be lacking, the intent is to carry this momentum into our encounter with Edinburgh this afternoon.” On a personal level, his special contribution on the weekend was not a mere flash-inthe-pan Fassi moment of inspiration, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks star’s stats thus far in the URC make for pretty impressive reading.

The rangy fullback is currently topping the metres gained category with a whopping 828 metres, while he boasts the second

most carries (131) thus far in the championship. Personally, Fassi is simply delighted to be regaining full fitness and form, having battled a series of injury woes over the past couple of seasons.

This meant that he hadn’t been able to attain the same heady heights, which led to his initial Springbok call-up in 2021. Fassi (26) played in three tests that year, scoring two tries.

“The past few seasons haven’t been the greatest for me,” he admitted.

“Every time I recovered and was busy regaining full fitness, I’d become injured again, which adversely affected my continuity. Therefore, I’m stoked with the run I have had off late, in terms of being able to play and getting through games unscathed.

“It might sound like a cliché, but my ambition, like any professional player in the country, is to represent South Africa again. That is the pinnacle.

“So, every week, when I go out and play, it is all about improving, learning and putting myself in contention for the Bok squad…”

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS PLAYER PROFILES

OX NCHE

PROP

BORN: 23/07/1995

HEIGHT: 1.76 m

WEIGHT: 117KG

EBEN ETZEBETH

LOCK

BORN: 29/09/1991

HEIGHT: 2.03 m

WEIGHT: 117KG

BONGI MBONAMBI

HOOKER

BORN: 07/01/1991

HEIGHT: 1.87 m

WEIGHT: 105KG

EMILE VAN HEERDEN

LOCK

BORN: 08/08/2000

HEIGHT: 2.00 m

WEIGHT: 110KG

VINCENT TSHITUKA PHEPSI BUTHELEZI

FLANK

BORN: 10/11/1998

HEIGHT: 1.95m

WEIGHT: 107KG

SIYA MASUKU

FLYHALF

BORN: 01/10/1996

HEIGHT: 1.81 m

WEIGHT: 86KG

VINCENT KOCH

PROP

BORN: 14/03/2000

HEIGHT: 1.82 m

WEIGHT: 122KG

JAMES VENTER

FLANK

BORN: 21/08/1996

HEIGHT: 1.79m

WEIGHT: 97KG

JADEN HENDRIKSE

EIGHTH MAN

BORN: 30/05/1999

HEIGHT: 1.88m

WEIGHT: 102KG

MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI

LUKHANYO AM

BORN: 28/11/1993 HEIGHT: 1.86 m

WEIGHT: 93KG

WERNER KOK

BORN: 17/01/1993 HEIGHT: 1.79 m

WEIGHT: 94KG

DAN JOOSTE NTUTHUKO MCHUNU

BORN: 21/02/1999 HEIGHT: 1.87 m

WEIGHT: 105KG

BORN: 23/03/2000

HEIGHT: 1.79m

BORN: 05/04/1999

HEIGHT: 1.88m

WEIGHT: 114KG

APHELELE FASSI

BORN: 23/01/1998 HEIGHT: 1.89 m

WEIGHT: 87KG

HANRO JACOBS

BORN: 14/03/2000 HEIGHT: 1.82 m

WEIGHT: 122KG

CORNE RAHL LAPPIES LABUSCHAGNE CAMERON WRIGHT

WEIGHT: 87KG

FRANCOIS VENTER

SCRUM-HALF WING

BORN: 26/07/1990

HEIGHT: 1.84m

WEIGHT: 91KG

BORN:19/04/1991

HEIGHT: 1.85 m

WEIGHT: 93KG

BORN: 27/05/2002

HEIGHT: 2.03 m

WEIGHT: 105KG

BORN: 17/07/1999

HEIGHT: 1.92m

CURWIN BOSCH

BORN: 25/06/1997

HEIGHT: 1.81 m

WEIGHT: 85KG

WEIGHT: 104KG

BORN: 20/04/1994

HEIGHT: 1.81m

ETHAN HOOKER

CENTRE

BORN: 20/01/2003

HEIGHT: 1.94 m

WEIGHT: 98KG

WEIGHT: 92KG

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS

EDINBURGH

APHELELE FASSI

WERNER KOK

LUKHANYO AM (C)

FRANCOIS VENTER

MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI

SIYA MASUKU

JADEN HENDRIKSE

PHEPSI BUTHELEZI

VINCENT TSHITUKA

JAMES VENTER

EMILE VAN HEERDEN

EBEN ETZEBETH

VINCENT KOCH

BONGI MBONAMBI

HEAD COACH

JOHN PLUMTREE

MANAGER

TREVOR BARNES

OX NCHE

DAN JOOSTE

NTUTHUKO MCHUNU

HANRO JACOBS

CORNE RAHL

LAPPIES LABUSCHAGNE

CAMERON WRIGHT

CURWIN BOSCH

ETHAN HOOKER

KICK OFF 15H00

REFEREE

EOGHAN CROSS

WES GOOSEN

JAKE HENRY

MATT CURRIE

CHRIS DEAN

DUHAN VAN DER MERWE

BEN HEALY

BEN VELLACOTT (C)

VILIAME MATA

HAMISH WATSON

JAMIE RITCHIE

SAM SKINNER

JAMIE HODGSON

WP NEL

EWAN ASHMAN

PIERRE SCHOEMAN

DAVE CHERRY

BOAN VENTER

JAVAN SEBASTIAN

MARSHALL SYKES

CONNOR BOYLE

CHARLIE SHIEL

CAMMY SCOTT

JAMES LANG

ASSISTANT REFEREES

CWENGILE JADEZWENI & JONOTHAN LOTTERING

TMO

MARC PATTON

HEAD COACH

SEAN EVERITT

MANAGER

DAVE BASSETT

EDINBURGH PLAYER PROFILES

BORN: 07/05/1994

HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 118KG

LOCK

BORN: 19/03/1998

HEIGHT: 1.97 m

WEIGHT: 197KG

BORN: 15/10/1991

HEIGHT: 1.85m

WEIGHT: 102KG

BORN: 03/04/2000

HEIGHT: 1.86 m

WEIGHT: 113KG

BORN: 31/01/1995

HEIGHT: 1.96 m

WEIGHT: 111KG

BORN: 22/10/1991

HEIGHT: 1.95m

WEIGHT: 115KG

PROP

BORN: 30/04/1986

HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 114KG

BORN: 16/08/1996

HEIGHT: 1.93 m

WEIGHT: 108KG

BORN: 28/03/1995

HEIGHT: 1.70m

WEIGHT: 78KG

EDINBURGH PLAYER PROFILES

BORN: 21/02/2001

HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 95KG

BORN: 26/06/1999

HEIGHT: 1.91m

WEIGHT: 97KG

BORN: 04/06/1995

HEIGHT: 1.93m

WEIGHT: 106KG

BORN: 15/03/1994

HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 102KG

BORN: 22/01/1991

HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 107KG

LOCK

BORN: 29/12/1999

HEIGHT: 2.00m

WEIGHT: 121KG

BORN: 31/08/2000

HEIGHT: 1.83 m

CENTRE PROP HOOKER

WING

WEIGHT: 90KG

BORN: 12/03/1997

HEIGHT: 1.87m

WEIGHT: 124KG

LOOSE FORWARD

BORN: 19/02/2000

HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 96KG

FLYHALF

BORN: 08/09/2001

HEIGHT: 1.79m

WEIGHT: 83KG

FULL BACK

BORN: 21/07/1997

HEIGHT: 1.79m

WEIGHT: 92KG

PROP

BORN: 02/09/1994

HEIGHT: 1.77m

WEIGHT: 118KG

SCRUM-HALF

BORN:03/12/1997

HEIGHT: 1.77m

FLANK

BORN: 04/04/1995

HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 95KG

WEIGHT: 82KG

DUHAN VAN DER MERWE

BEN HEALY

CHRIS DEAN

PROP

FLANK

LOCK HOOKER EIGHTH MAN

WING

FLYHALF

FLANK

SCRUMHALF CENTRE

JAMIE RITCHIE

VILIAME MATA

EWAN ASHMAN

WP NEL

SAM SKINNER

BEN VELLACOTT

PIERRE SCHOEMAN

JAMIE HODGSO

HAMISH WATSON

CONNOR BOYLE

MARSHALL SYKES

JAKE HENRY

MATT CURRIE

WES GOOSEN

BOAN VENTER

DAVE CHERRY

JAVAN SEBASTIAN

CAMMY SCOTT

JAMES LANG

CHARLIE SHIEL

MAJOR MATCHUP

KOK VS VAN DER MERWE

The battle of the wings between Hollywoodbets Sharks and former Blitzbok star, Werner Kok, and Scottish try-scoring sensation Duhan van der Merwe is shaping up as one of today’s mouthwatering duels.

Kok (31), who will be joining Irish club Leinster on a two-year deal next season, is a former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year and not only renowned for his tenacity on attack but also his tigerish defence.

To be sure, Kok’s work rate week in and week out is second to none. His competitiveness and character on defence are exactly what will be needed to keep a rampaging campaigner like Van der Merwe at bay, while the latter will also have to be wide awake when Kok gets a sniff with the ball in hand.

Such has Duhan van der Merwe’s impact on the international stage been that The Guardian is already drawing comparisons between him and the late, great Jonah Lomu.

“While Duhan van der Merwe may be nowhere near Lomu’s physical dimensions, he is an imposing enough specimen at 106 kg and 1.93 metres tall. And, amid the hurly-burly of Scotland’s Six Nations win over England, his Calcutta Cup hat-trick stretched his career tally to 26 tries in only 37 tests…”

This means that the 28-year-old flyer is just one try shy of Stuart Hogg’s alltime Scotland record of 27 in 100 tests.

Van der Merwe joined Edinburgh in 2017, making an immediate and stunning impact with 10 tries in his debut season.

FACTS, STATS & TRIVIA

TAKING STOCK OF THE STATS

With half a dozen Vodacom URC fixtures left to negotiate, it is an opportune time to have a look at the championship statistics, which proves to be quite an illuminating exercise - especially with regards to the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ results to date…

Did you know:

* In terms of attack, the Hollywoodbets Sharks are in the top three in respect of offloads (103) and defenders beaten (242), yet they are only in 12th position when it comes to tries scored (30). This substantiates the notion that, before the great win against Ulster, the Durban-based side had created ample opportunities but just lacked in so far as finishing them was concerned.

* The Hollywoodbets Sharks occupy the No. 1 spot with regard to both kicks retained (57) and lineout success (90%), while they have also won the second most lineouts (153) in the current championship.

* Kicks retained also proved decisive in last weekend’s victory over Ulster, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks managed to retain eight kicks, of which one led to Phepsi Buthelezi’s vital try in the first half, while the Irishmen could retain only two.

* The match stats between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Ulster were remarkably even, with the main difference being the fact that the home side beat 21 defenders to the four of their opponents and also won 11 turnovers to six, while Ulster conceded 11 penalties and the Hollywoodbets Sharks only four.

WELCOME TO THE SHARKS ACADEMY

THE SHARKS ACADEMY IS A WORLD-CLASS SOCCER AND RUGBY ACADEMY WHICH IS BACKED BY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHARKS.

@THESHARKSACADEMY

@SHARKSACADEMY

@SHARKS_ACADEMY

VODACOM UNITED RUGBY

SAT, 21 OCT

SAT, 28 OCT

FRI, 3 NOV

FRI, 10 NOV

SAT, 18 NOV

SAT, 25 NOV

SAT, 2 DEC

SAT, 6 JAN

SAT, 30 DEC

SAT, 17 FEB

SAT, 2 MAR

SAT, 23 MAR

R0UND

SAT, 30 MAR

FRI, 19 APR

R0UND 15

FRI, 26 APR

R0UND 16

SAT, 11 MAY

R0UND 17

SAT, 18 MAY SAT, 1 JUN

MUNSTER VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 34-21

LEINSTER VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 34-14

OSPREYS VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 19-5

ZEBRE VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 12-10

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS CONNACHT RUGBY | 12-13

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS DRAGONS | 69-14

VODACOM BULLS VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 44-10

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS EMIRATES LIONS | 18-20

DHL STORMERS VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 16-15

HOLLYWOODBETS

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Come up to Kearsney to enjoy top schoolboy rugby.

Thurs 28, Sat 30 March & Mon 01 April

With some of SA’s top-ranked rugby schools, a KidZone, refreshment tent and a wonderful festival atmosphere on our beautiful campus, the festival provides a great day out for the whole family.

Download the festival app for fixtures, team information, scores and more.

Tickets on Quicket.co.za to avoid the queues R45p/p, or at the gate R 40p/p.

No alcohol may be brought onto campus.

All games will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools.

KearsneyCollege

@KearsneyNews

kearsney.college

Kearsney College, Old Main Rd, Botha’s Hill, KZN

TOP SCHOOLBOY RUGBY FOR EASTER WEEKEND

Easter in KwaZulu-Natal has become synonymous with the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival and this year promises to be bigger and more thrilling than ever before.

Fourteen highly-rated 1st XV high school teams will showcase their skills this year, as well as ten U13 sides in the inaugural primary schools’ festival, which will run concurrently on an adjacent field.

Kearsney College will be joined by Durban High School (DHS), Glenwood and Westville Boys’ High as the KZN representatives at this 15th Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.

The organisers are excited to welcome newcomers Hoërskool Rustenburg from North-West, Rondebosch Boys’ High from Cape Town and Pearson High School from Gqeberha. Two powerhouse teams from Gauteng - Hoërskool Monument from Krugersdorp and Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen (Boksburg) will return to showcase their brand of fast and physical rugby.

After an excellent festival debut last year, Worcester Gimnasium from the Western Cape, together with the Eastern Cape’s Nico Malan High School (Humansdorp), Hoërskool Framesby (Gqeberha) and Hoër Landbouskool Marlow (Cradock) are certain to offer spectators thrilling running rugby. They will be joined by the tenacious team from Hoërskool Noord-Kaap (Kimberley).

Play days:

Thursday 28 March,

Saturday 30 & Monday 01 April.

A primary schools’ festival has been introduced this year, which will showcase the skills of 10 local teams. Participating U13 teams are Ashton International College Ballito, Chelsea Prep, Glenwood Prep, Highbury Prep, Hillcrest Primary, Kloof Senior Primary, Umhlali Prep, Westville Senior Primary, Winston Park Primary and the KZNRU Ibutho Development Team.

The family-friendly festival on Kearsney College’s beautiful campus in Botha’s Hill will have numerous food outlets, a refreshment tent, a fun KidZone for little ones and ample available on-site parking.

Download the Kearsney College Events app to get useful festival info, fixtures, team sheets, results and match reports. Fixtures are also available on www.kearsney.com and, for those unable to attend the festival, it will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools.

Online tickets can be purchased through Quicket.co.za at R45 per person to avoid queues, or at the gate for R40 per person. Children under six years of age are free.

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