HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS EDINBURGH APRIL 13 2024

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS

EDINBURGH RUGBY

13/04

#SHAvEDI

Cheslin Kolbe, 30 | Professional rugby player / Family man / Motorsport fan

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EPCR WELCOME MESSAGE

A warm welcome to this quarter-final match in the 2023/24 EPCR Challenge Cup as competition for a coveted place at the London Finals weekend really begins to intensify.

Following a compelling series of pool stage fixtures which saw Investec, the leading international bank and wealth manager, and Georgia Rugby Marketing Hub both coming on board as official tournament partners, the knockout stage generates its very own brand of high-stakes rugby and it’s win or bust now for the clubs which remain in contention to reach the EPCR Challenge Cup final at the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 24 May.

The clubs with the highest rankings from the pool stage earn home advantage in the Round of 16 and quarter-final matches, and five former tournament winners with a total of 10 Challenge Cup titles between booked their places in the knockout stage including Aviron Bayonnais, Sale Sharks, Connacht Rugby and Ulster Rugby who all qualified from the Investec Champions Cup.

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We are delighted to be joined on the journey to London by our official partners, Investec, DHL, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Georgia Rugby Marketing Hub, by our official supporters, Tissot, Gilbert and Kappa, and also by our official airline partner in South Africa, Qatar Airways.

Viaplay in the UK and Ireland, beIN SPORTS and France Télévisions in France, as well as SuperSport in South Africa, continue to provide cutting edge broadcast coverage, while S4C in Wales and FloRugby in the USA and Canada are showcasing the EPCR Challenge Cup to more viewers than ever across the world.

We hope that you enjoy the match and we take this opportunity to send our best wishes to you, the fans, to your club’s players and staff, and of course to our match officials, as we anticipate the ecstasy and occasional agony that go hand-in-hand with knockout rugby.

Dominic McKay, EPCR Chairman

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MATCH PREVIEW ACTION REPLAY…

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

The Hollywoodbets Sharks host Edinburgh for the second time in two weeks, having cruised into the quarters of the EPCR Challenge Cup with their Round of 16 romp against Zebre last weekend…

Following an arduous start to their Vodacom United Rugby Championship season, the Hollywoodbets Sharks have made an emphatic statement over the past three weeks with two highly impressive wins in the URC, one of which against the side they are facing today, Edinburgh, and their annihilation of Zebre Parma in last Sunday’s EPCR Challenge Cup knockout encounter.

John Plumtree’s charges gave a graphic illustration of just how ruthless they can be against the Italians, with their sixtry feeding frenzy that resulted in the comprehensive 47-3 triumph.

With that stunning display, the Durbanbased side secured today’s all-important home quarter-final against Edinburgh, with a view to getting through the semifinals in early May and, ultimately, booking a berth in the grand Challenge Cup Final on May 24 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks saw off Edinburgh 23-13 here in The Shark Tank a fortnight ago in the URC, producing an industrious display that exhibited the Durban-based team’s constant development and growth.

“The intent was always to do well in this particular four-match block,” Plumtree acknowledged following last weekend’s rout of Zebre, “and we have managed three out of three so far.

“Going into this Champions Cup quarterfinal, we have the opportunity to make it four from four. Being a playoff, though, it will be huge for both Edinburgh and us.”

On the previous occasion that they visited Hollywoodbets Kings Park at the end of March, the Scottish club were chasing championship points in the URC, while there was not much more than pride at stake for the home side.

This time around, in the quarter-final arena of the Challenge Cup, the playoff pressure will indeed be vivid for both teams.

“Edinburgh is undoubtedly a quality outfit, and, with both teams being desperate to advance through to the semi-final stage of the competition, it promises to be one extremely tough encounter.

“It will be akin to a test match, really. “In addition, we have played each other as recently as two weeks ago, so both teams will be fully aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

With that in mind, the Hollywoodbets Sharks will want to establish yet another solid platform up front, with their all-Springbok front row, consisting of Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch, again expected to play a pivotal role in establishing early forward dominance.

GOING INTO THIS CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER-FINAL, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT FOUR FROM FOUR...

“I thought Ox, Bong and Vincent were great against Zebre,” Plumtree observed.

“The intent is to put the opposition under pressure up front through our scrummaging and driving mauls, and the pack, particularly the front row, have been doing a magnificent job in that regard over the past few weeks.”

More of the same today should ensure enough authority for the Hollywoodbets Sharks to delight The Shark Tank faithful yet again and secure that Challenge Cup semi-final spot.

WE MIGHT’VE UNEARTHED OUR VERY OWN “SONNY BILL”

As a kid, Ethan Hooker wanted to be Sonny Bill Williams. Although it might be way too premature to start drawing comparisons between the All Blacks legend and 21-year-old Hollywoodbets Sharks’ prodigy, the latter, judging by the pacy and powerhouse impact he has made over the past month, certainly seems to have a bright future ahead of him…

Although Ethan Hooker made a fairly inconspicuous Vodacom United Rugby Championship debut for the Hollywoodbets Sharks more than a year ago, against Connacht in Ireland, the big, young centre certainly set the URC stage alight last month with a sensational Man of the Match performance in the 22-12 win against Ulster.

The standout moment was when Aphelele Fassi booted the ball downtown and Hooker exhibited unbelievable pace to outstrip the cover defence to the rolling ball inside the opposition's 22 and pop it up for Phepsi Buthelezi to score.

“Aphelele turned the ball over deep inside our 22 and I called for the ball, but he didn’t hear me and hoofed it,” Hooker recalls.

“So, I just decided to give chase. I wasn’t chasing the ball as such, but when I saw from the corner of my eye that Ulster’s fullback was falling back rather slowly, I realised that I might be in with a chance of getting there first.

“Unfortunately, my soccer skills let me down when I reached the ball, but I managed to get the job done in the end.”

Hooker was born in Pretoria, on January 20, 2003, but his family moved to Durban when he was only three, which classifies him as a KwaZulu-Natal thoroughbred.

“My parents are both sporty and thus I also developed a passion for sport from a young age, with rugby entering the picture in grade 3 at Winston Park Primary in Gillitts.”

It was around that time, too, that a certain Sonny Bill Williams, a former professional rugby league star for the Bulldogs, exploded onto the rugby union scene, helping New Zealand clinch the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

“I simply loved the way Sonny Bill Williams played,” Hooker says. “Whenever he got the ball, something happened, while those offloads of his were simply sensational. “I wanted to be him.”

The rugby dream continued for Hooker at Westville Boys High, where he matriculated barely three years ago.

“I was privileged to attend a school like Westville.

“Being mentored by people who also coach at provincial school level, people who know what they’re doing, gives one the inside track. It motivates you to continually improve and be the best you can be.”

Constant improvement and a hunger to be the best certainly are also hallmarks of the Hollywoodbets Sharks, who have in recent weeks not only won two tough URC encounters on the trot but have also advanced to the quarter-final stage of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

“When I came into the side, the Hollywoodbets Sharks weren’t in a good place,” Hooker recalls. “It wasn’t quite what I had expected. “However, just seeing the growth in the squad opened up for me what a team sport can achieve, in terms of really pulling together as a group. I now know what it takes to move from a losing environment to becoming a winning team.

“Moreover, being able to play alongside bigname players, like Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Eben Etzebeth en Bongi Mbonambi, who know what winning at the highest level is all about, makes one more and more hungry to win.”

Hooker’s debut in the URC, with a very young and inexperienced Hollywoodbets Sharks lineup going down 14-24 to Connacht in Galway, Ireland, in January last year, was

indeed a tough baptism for fire, but also an invaluable learning curve.

“I only came off the bench for about 30 seconds towards the end, but it was a debut nonetheless,” he says.

“We spent a week in Ireland and being around a handful of senior players in that type of environment gave me a feel for that level of competition. It meant that it wasn’t all new to me this season; it facilitated a smooth transition from junior to senior ranks.”

In July last year, Hooker also represented South Africa at the World Rugby U20 Championship, and now he is about to enter into the quarter-final fray of the Challenge Cup.

“For the Hollywoodbets Sharks to come away with a positive for next season, we need to do well in the Challenge Cup.

“It is a tall order, but coming off three consecutive wins we are nevertheless feeling confident. Most importantly, we have a chance to prove to the world what kind of team the Hollywoodbets Sharks are…”

HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS

EDINBURGH RUGBY

APHELELE FASSI

WERNER KOK

LUKHANYO AM ( C )

ETHAN HOOKER

MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI

SIYA MASUKU

JADEN HENDRIKSE

PHEPSI BUTHELEZI

VINCENT TSHITUKA

JAMES VENTER

EMILE VAN HEERDEN

EBEN ETZEBETH

VINCENT KOCH

BONGI MBONAMBI

OX NCHE

DAN JOOSTE

HEAD COACH

JOHN PLUMTREE

MANAGER

TREVOR BARNES

NTUTHUKO MCHUNU

HANRO JACOBS

CORNE RAHL

LAPPIES LABUSCHAGNE

GRANT WILLIAMS

CURWIN BOSCH

FRANCOIS VENTER

WES GOOSEN

JAKE HENRY

MARK BENNETT

MATT CURRIE

DUHAN VAN DER MERWE

BEN HEALY

BEN VELLACOTT (C)

VILIAME MATA

HAMISH WATSON

JAMIE RITCHIE

GRANT GILCHRIST

SAM SKINNER

WP NEL

EWAN ASHMAN

PIERRE SCHOEMAN

DAVE CHERRY

BOAN VENTER

D’ARCY RAE

JAMIE HODGSON

LUKE CROSBIE

ALI PRICE

JAMES LANG

CHRIS DEAN

ASSISTANT REFEREES

ADAM LEAL & ANTHONY WOODTHORPE

TMO

IAN TEMPEST

HEAD COACH SEAN EVERITT MANAGER DAVE BASSETT

EDINBURGH PLAYER PROFILES

PIERRE SCHOEMAN

BORN: 07/05/1994

HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 118KG

SAM SKINNER

LOCK

BORN: 31/01/1995

HEIGHT: 1.96 m

WEIGHT: 111KG

HAMISH WATSON

BORN: 15/10/1991

HEIGHT: 1.85m

WEIGHT: 102KG

BEN HEALY

BORN: 26/06/1999

EWAN ASHMAN

BORN: 03/04/2000

HEIGHT: 1.86 m

WEIGHT: 113KG

GRANT GILCHRIST

BORN: 09/08/1990

HEIGHT: 2.02 m

WEIGHT: 117KG

VILIAME MATA

EIGHTH MAN

BORN: 22/10/1991

HEIGHT: 1.95m

WEIGHT: 115KG

DUHAN VAN DER MERWE

WP NEL

BORN: 30/04/1986

HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 114KG

JAMIE RITCHIE

FLANK

BORN: 16/08/1996

HEIGHT: 1.93 m

WEIGHT: 108KG

BEN VELLACOTT

BORN: 28/03/1995

HEIGHT: 1.70m

EDINBURGH PLAYER PROFILES

MARK BENNETT

CENTRE

BORN: 03/02/1993

HEIGHT: 1.83 m

WEIGHT: 90KG

DAVE CHERRY

JAKE HENRY

BORN: 31/08/2000

HEIGHT: 1.83 m

WEIGHT: 90KG

BOAN VENTER

PROP HOOKER

BORN: 22/01/1991

HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 107KG

JAMIE HODGSON

LOCK

WES GOOSEN

WING PROP

BORN: 12/03/1997

HEIGHT: 1.87m

WEIGHT: 124KG

LUKE CROSBIE

LOOSE FORWARD

FULL BACK

BORN: 21/07/1997

HEIGHT: 1.79m

WEIGHT: 92KG

D’ARCY RAE

BORN: 21/12/1994

HEIGHT: 1.85m

WEIGHT: 125KG

ALI PRICE

BORN: 04/06/1995

HEIGHT: 1.91m WEIGHT: 106KG WEIGHT: 97KG

HEIGHT: 1.93m

WEIGHT: 78KG

MATT CURRIE

SCRUMHALF CENTRE

BORN: 21/02/2001

HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 95KG

BORN: 19/03/1998

HEIGHT: 1.97m

WEIGHT: 116KG

BORN: 22/04/1997

HEIGHT: 1.93m

WEIGHT: 108KG

SCRUM-HALF

BORN: 12/05/1993

HEIGHT: 1.78m

WEIGHT: 88KG

JAMES LANG CHRIS DEAN

FLYHALF

BORN: 04/04/1995

HEIGHT: 1.83m

WEIGHT: 95KG

FLANK

BORN: 15/03/1994

HEIGHT: 1.88m

WEIGHT: 102KG

MAJOR MATCHUP MASUKU VS HEALY

New flyhalf, Siya Masuku, has been one of the key performers in the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ resurgence over the past month.

This was never more evident than during his Man of the Match performance against Zebre Parma last Sunday, when the 27-yearold had a hand, and a pretty deft hand at that, in at least three of the Durban-based side’s tries. First, he slipped through a half gap and executed a magic reverse pass for Vincent Tshituka to dive across next to the sticks, before stabbing the ball through for both Corné Rahl and Aphelele Fassi to dot down for tries too.

Having previously also represented the Southern Kings and Cheetahs, Masuku boasts an educated boot and was on target with five from seven shots at goal last week.

Scotland flyhalf, Ben Healy (24), is a deadly accurate marksman and currently the top points-scorer in the Vodacom URC with a tally of 125. A former Ireland U20 representative, he joined Edinburgh from Irish Province Munster ahead of the current season.

Qualifying for Scotland through his grandparents, Healy’s test debut was against Italy in the 2023 Six Nations and he represented his adopted country in last year’s Rugby World Cup. During Scotland’s 84-0 romp against Romania, he became the second player to take more than 10 shots at goal without missing in a RWC match.

Healy played a pivotal part in Munster’s 2022/23 URC triumph, starting in the semi-final away win against Leinster and coming off the bench in the final against the Stormers in Cape Town.

ON

THE

HISTORY FACTS, STATS & TRIVIA

THRESHOLD

OF MAKING

The EPCR Challenge Cup has reached the quarter-final stage, with clubs from across Europe and South Africa looking to go all the way to the final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24. The Hollywood-bets Sharks are in with a chance of becoming the first SA outfit to win the Challenge Cup and, for that matter, any European competition…

Did you know:

* As the second-tier competition for clubs based in European and, now, South African leagues behind the Investec Champions Cup, the EPCR Challenge Cup was launched in 1996, with Bourgoin beating Castres (18-9) to the inaugural title in Béziers.

* Originally called the European Challenge Cup and administered by European Rugby Cup (ERC), the English and French leagues withdrew, following a dispute over the tourna-ment's format and distribution of revenue, to establish the EPCR. The EPCR has presided over both the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup since 2014.

* The Challenge Cup is contested between 18 teams, of which 16 qualify from the three chief European domestic leagues i.e. Premiership Rugby, Top 14, and United Rugby Champion-ship.

* The Cheetahs and Georgia's Black Lions have also been invited to participate in the Chal-lenge Cup, as Currie Cup champions and holders of the third-tier Rugby Europe Super Cup respectively.

* To date, Clermont (France) and Harlequins (England) have clinched the most Challenge Cup titles, with three apiece.

* French club, Toulon, are the reigning champions.

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