Mike Greenaway
As the Springboks close in on a clean sweep of the northern hemisphere, Sharks fans are switching one eye to the blockbuster United Rugby Championship derby between their team and the Stormers, in Durban on November 30.
Reports from Hollywoodbets Kings Park suggest the fixture could be one of the best-attended at the stadium for some time. Ticket sales have been booming, and for the first time in many moons, the upper tier of the Shark Tank will be opened because the lower tier has sold out.
That means more than 20 000 tickets have already been sold and next week, sales will escalate.
The big question for Sharks coach John Plumtree will be how many of his large contingent of Springboks will be available for the match. The Sharks have the biggest representation of locally-based players in the Springbok squad. Rassie Erasmus’s selection for this week’s game against Wales will impact who becomes available to Plumtree.
Players who have carried a heavy workload over the three-match tour will likely be given a break, although Plumtree likes to gauge players' fatigue on an individual basis. Some players want to keep going, while others will take the opportunity to put their feet up.
Scrumhalves Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams have not played that much and flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, hadn’t played at all until the Wales game, so those three are likely to feature against the Stormers. Sharks fans will want to pencil in the date of December 21 for a visit to The Tank. The Sharks host the Bulls that day and it is the annual SharkFest.