‘We do take the Challenge Cup seriously’: JP backs young Sharks team against desperate Lyon
· Citizen
Sharks head coach JP Pietersen defended his decision to rest several Springboks for Saturday’s Challenge Cup pool match against Lyon in France (kick-off 2pm).
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Pietersen argued that his matchday 23 was still experienced and comprised players who had built cohesion by playing together since pre-season.
The coach also pointed to the return of the club’s player of the year last season, Emile van Heerden, and the inclusion of Springbok flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, who will play his first match since sustaining a hamstring injury in March.
This comes amid claims that South African teams do not take the tournament seriously and after Lyon comfortably beat a similarly depleted Sharks side two seasons ago, scoring five tries at the same venue, Stade de Gerland, to knock the Sharks out of the tournament.
Boks rested now rather than later
André Esterhuizen, Edwill van der Merwe, Ethan Hooker, Ox Nché and Thomas du Toit will take their Springbok-mandated rest, while other Boks Eben Etzebeth, Vusi Moyo, Makazole Mapimpi and Phepsi Buthelezi are currently out injured.
Pietersen said most of these players would rejoin the touring squad the day after the match, on Sunday, to see if they are fit to play against Cardiff and Munster in the United Rugby Championship over the following two weeks.
“We do take the Challenge Cup seriously. One of our goals is to make the play-offs,” the coach said.
“We could have rested the Springboks early in the international break, or later, [but] the players felt it was probably best to rest them now.”
He said many of the players in the team have at least 50 caps in professional rugby. The younger players, such as 21-year-old Springbok Jaco Williams, Zekhethelo Siyaya, 19, and Lili Bester, 22, form part of a new generation of talent at the union.
“We are in a transition with the next wave… The next players must put their hands up, and this is an opportunity for them to show up. It’s a very good team.”
‘Emotional’ Lyon to come out hard
Pietersen said Lyon would be hurting after their defeat against La Rochelle. Especially as they are on a three-match losing streak in the Top 14.
“Their backs are against the wall. They will be emotional and come out and start the game with a bang. We know we must be ready for that.
“Whatever they throw at us, the first 20 minutes will be so important for us to stay in the game and even start the game well and put them under pressure.”
He said it is extremely tough to win away from home, as seen in how the Sharks didn’t win a single game in Europe last year.
“We’re playing against a very good Lyon side, who are probably a very similar side to us.
“They want to move the ball at a very high-tempo game. I think we got our mix right with the set-piece and also being flexible with whatever they throw at us.”