Pieter-Steph du Toit returns to the Sharks starting lineup to face Griquas this weekend.

Charl McLeod comes into the starting line-up again at scrumhalf, displacing Cobus Reinach to the bench this week – other than that rotational change, the back line remains unchanged. Butch James thus continues as the starting flyhalf, with Tim Whitehead again preferred at inside centre to Heimar Williams.

It’s among the forwards that the majority of changes have come, with Kyle Cooper, Wiehahn Herbst and Edwin Hewitt all moving into the starting line-up; together with Du Toit (who replaces injured Marco Wentzel) that makes a virtually new tight five this week, with only Danie Mienie retaining his place after Saturday’s loss to Western Province. Mienie came under pressure at scrum time, but his work rate and level of involvement in all other aspects of the game earned praise from the coaching staff.

Rayno Gerber is out injured, along with Wentzel, meaning a return to the squad for Dale Chadwick; it remains to be seen who will cover tighthead, with both Mienie and Chadwick having spent short stints in the position at junior level. Craig Burden also misses out this week, with Monde Hadebe set to feature for the first time this season, in the number 16 shirt.

The Sharks

15. SP Marais

14. Sizo Maseko

13. Louis Ludik

12. Tim Whitehead

11. Lwazi Mvovo

10. Butch James

9. Charl McLeod

8. Jacques Botes (Capt)

7. Jean Deysel

6. Keegan Daniel

5. Pieter-Steph du Toit

4. Edwin Hewitt

3. Wiehahn Herbst

2. Kyle Cooper

1. Danie Mienie

Replacements

16. Monde Hadebe

17. Dale Chadwick

18. Peet Marais

19. Justin Downey

20. Cobus Reinach

21. Fred Zeilinga

22. Jaco van Tonder