Sharks loose-forward crisis: JP Pietersen weighs up midfield shift for Stormers rematch

It may have been just a throwaway line, but when JP Pietersen said his centres might end up on the flanks in the return match against the Stormers, it was not as far-fetched as you might think, as the coach tackles a loose forward crisis.

Andre Esterhuizen, we know, is an accomplished hybrid centre-cum-flank for the Springboks, while the strapping Hooker certainly has the physical attributes to one day follow in the footsteps of his midfield partner.

For Pietersen and the Sharks, the epic defeat of the Stormers in Cape Town came at a heavy loose forward cost — Manu Tshituka was injured in the 21st minute, Phepsi Buthelezi, who had a brilliant first half, went down 10 minutes into the second period, and replacement flank Siya Kolisi limped off with 10 minutes to go in the 30-19 win.

“I must just go check if I’ve got players left. I lost all three loose forwards, so I am wondering who will be available for the Durban game,” Pietersen said.

“But that’s a South African derby for you. It’s physical and hard, and we love playing it, but they take a toll,” the coach added.

“And the turnaround will be short. We’ll refresh and recover on Monday. At least we’re playing the same team, so we don’t have to change a lot of the game plan, but maybe just make a couple of tweaks here and there.

"We’ll give it a full go again. The Stormers will want to prove a point. The challenge in rugby is always to try back up a good performance.”

Reflecting on the casualty list, Pietersen said: “Bongi (Mbonambi) suffered a calf injury (during the captain’s run on the Friday).

"He’s in contention for the weekend, but we’ll make a call later in the week. Siya hurt his hamstring, Manu rolled his ankle, and Phepsi injured his toe.

"(Junior Springbok flank) Matt Romao is also out. He injured his shoulder, so we have lost four loose forwards in two weeks.

“We’ll look at the stocks. We’ve got Tino (Mavesere, the Zimbabwe international), Corne Rahl is available, and we’ve got André, and maybe Ethan,” Pietersen said with a smile.

Hooker, at 1.94m and 100kg of lean muscle, would make an excellent hybrid, and who better to train him up than "Andre the Giant"?

Esterhuizen was sensational against the Stormers, leading from the front with a barnstorming performance.

Esterhuizen has taken to the captaincy with gusto and vindicated Pietersen's decision to give him the armband ahead of previous captains Vincent Tshituka, Mbonambi, and Kolisi.

“For me, Andre was an easy choice. It seemed natural to me,” Pietersen said of his decision.

“He’s an old Sharks man who knows the team inside out. The way he plays, he asks a lot from the players, and they want to go with him. Andre challenges the group, and when he plays well, the team plays well, and I just love the way he carries the team.

"He lives and breathes Durban. His actions say a lot more than his words.”