Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree, on the eve of his final game in charge before he moves aside to help mentor JP Pietersen as his replacement, has outlined a plan to keep Eben Etzebeth busy during the three months he will be suspended for.
A Six Nations disciplinary committee has suspended the most capped Springbok player for 12 weeks following his sending off for eye-gouging in the final test of the year against Wales in Cardiff last week.
It was less of a sanction than many anticipated, but also the harshest sentence handed down in the last 10 years for a player at Etzebeth’s level of the game. Former England captain Dylan Hartley was suspended for six months for eye-gouging, but that was significantly more than a decade ago.
To counter the perception that the suspension will mean Etzebeth now gets a paid holiday for three months, Plumtree said that wasn’t the case.
“Obviously he needs to take time off now, the time that he is due. He’s played a lot of rugby this year and he has a young family,” said Plumtree, who is to remain at the Sharks in a capacity that has yet to be properly outlined and will extend to more than just serving as a mentor for new head coach Pietersen.
“But I texted him three or four times last night and said okay big boy, now we have to use you in a different capacity. We want him to be present playing a mentorship role to the other players, helping coach the lineouts with Warren Whiteley and also helping coach the age-group teams.
"He may not be able to play for us but we will be able to draw on his experience and expertise.”
So Etzebeth will be in Durban once he has enjoyed his festive season holiday, and will also be back playing for the Sharks from 28 March, which is when he is eligible to play again. Which is a better result for the Sharks than might have been anticipated as many were expecting a ban of at least six months in line with the sanctions imposed for eye-gouging more than a decade ago.
In the meantime the Sharks will have to rely on an injury hit pool of locks, which has at least been boosted by the return from injury of Emile van Heerden and also the return to fitness of Jason Jenkins, who was back in the second row against Connacht in last weekend’s Vodacom URC game in Galway.
“We have Emile back, we have Jason Jenkins and we also have Marvin Orie, but Corne Rahl is still out injured and so is Deon Slabbert. Hopefully we will have Slabbert back by Christmas,” said Plumtree.
“Obviously it isn’t ideal. We would have wanted Eben to be playing for us, and he is remorseful about it. He knows how much what happened hurt the club he plays for.”
SCHEEPERS’ CHANCE TO SHOW HE CAN FILL A VOID
JJ Scheepers will meanwhile make his Champions Cup debut in the second row in the game against Toulouse, with Plumtree calling up a very inexperienced team for the game.
He explained that by pointing to not only the need to be at full strength for next week’s home Championship game against Saracens at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, but also the workload that the several Boks on the Sharks’ books carried on the recent tour.
However, while many of the names on the team sheet will not be well known, Plumtree says there are a lot of future stars in the group.
“You may not know the names now but there are guys who I think are going to play a lot of games for the Sharks. For instance, someone like the young flanker Matt Ramoa, who played well against Connacht last week and we think has a big future.”
There area clutch of experienced players in the team, like Bok World Cup winning wing Makazole Mapimpi, centre Francois Venter and another Bok in Marvin Orie, but the team to be captained by the excellent Sharks Currie Cup captain Nick Hatton mostly has a youthful look to it so there shouldn’t be any expectations for Sharks fans heading into this game. This is a match against mighty Toulouse, and at Toulouse’s home ground, after all.
Hollywoodbets Sharks team: Hakeem Kunene, Yaw Penxe, Le Roux Malan, Francois Venter, Makazole Mapimpi, Jordan Hendrikse, Ross Braude, Nick Hatton (captain), Bathobele Hlekani, Matt Ramao, Marvin Orie, JJ Scheepers, Mawande Mdanda, Eduan Swart, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko.
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Simphiwe Nobese, Cebo Dlamini, Jannes Potgieter, Tinotenda Mavesere, Jaden Hendrikse Jean Smith, Philo Sobahle.