Back is Bongi Mbonambi from a family bereavement and Eben Etzebeth, colourfully described as “dented” last week by coach John Plumtree has been panel-beaten back into the second row.
Those powerful pistons on their own should get the engine room blasting forward after the Kings Park crowd were last week silenced by the Stormers’ surprise dominance of a Sharks pack that had forgotten it had a reverse gear.
There has been talking from the Shark Tank that the Stormers employed nefarious tactics to walk around the scrums and put pressure on Ox Nche but we can bet that the salad dodger will not go backwards tomorrow with Bongi next to him and Eben behind him.
Etzebeth will assume the captaincy role from Bok leader Siya Kolisi and replaces Jason Jenkins, who moves to the bench.
Trevor Nyakane comes into the team as the starting tighthead for the injured Vincent Koch and this will be Nyakane’s first start for the Sharks at this level of competition. He has played most of his games for the Sharks since moving to Durban from France off the bench.
In further changes to the team that started against the Stormers, Eduan Keyter comes back on the right wing for Ethan Hooker, who is back at his regular position of outside centre. Grant Williams is back as the starting scrumhalf for Jaden Hendrikse and Jordan Hendrikse wears the No 10 jersey in place of Siya Masuku. Masuku will play off the bench, as will Jaden Hendrikse.
Bok World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am is listed as one of the players who will miss this week because of injury and the Sharks are fortunate to call on a player of the quality of young Hooker, who has been in irrepressible form on the wing this season, to replace him. In the absence of Am, Francois Venter is back in the squad as one of the reserves.
The 31-year-old Am suffered a fracture in his forearm in last weekend’s win over the Stormers.
Lock Gerbrandt Grobler was the other major casualty and he has had to have an operation on his foot. His lay-off will be substantially longer.
“We didn’t have a great week last week and we picked up some injuries and they weren’t just soft tissue ones,” Plumtree said.
“They were fractures, so it’s bad news to lose Gerbrandt for that lengthy lay-off. I am not sure how long yet.
“Lukhanyo is not quite as bad and we will have him back potentially after Christmas, but it has certainly been a niggly week from an injury perspective.”
On Am’s injury, Plumtree added: “He has got a fracture in his forearm.
“It’s a small fracture but it’s serious enough to keep him out for a few weeks but no operation is needed.
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Eduan Keyter, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Francois Venter.