With no hopes of reaching the URC play-offs, it can only benefit the Sharks to give young guns like Nick Hatton (pictured), scrumhalf Bradley Davids and fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya plenty of playing minutes in the final two home games of the season against Italian sides Benetton and Zebre.
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Nothing significant is riding on these last two games for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
The play-offs are gone, the pressure should be off, and that’s exactly why head coach JP Pietersen must go all in on their youngsters, starting against Benetton this Saturday in Durban and Zebre Parma next weekend.
Both Italian clubs are in South Africa, knowing they also can’t make the knockouts, but they have the opportunity to salvage some pride away from home. So, why not throw the Sharks’ pups into a couple of pressure matches against some physical Italians to see where they stand?
This is the perfect moment to not play it safe for the Durbanites.
There’s no real value in rolling out the same combinations that haven’t quite clicked just to scrape a couple of end-of-season wins. That won’t build anything towards the new season. What does matter is what this squad looks like for their next challenging campaign — and whether these younger players are ready to step up when it counts.
Fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya already looks like someone worth investing more in.
In the little game time he’s had, he’s shown proper intent — running hard, getting stuck in, and not holding back. You can’t teach that kind of attitude. Give him a full crack now, and allowing him to learn on the job could be the right teaching school. It could pay off sooner than people think, especially if Aphelele Fassi is away with the Springboks later in the year when the new URC season starts.
Loosehead prop Phatu Ganyane is another one.
He’s shown enough against quality opposition to suggest there’s something there. The only way he improves is by playing more minutes, and this could be a chance to give Ox Nché more runs off the replacement bench. It’s something that has been working for the Sharks.
The same goes for players like lock Corné Rahl, eighthman Nick Hatton and scrumhalf Bradley Davids — they are guys who need proper minutes, not just cameos, if they are to lead the Sharks’ charge in the new season when the Springboks are unavailable due to national commitments.
And that’s really the point. These players won’t be ready next season unless they’re trusted now. They can train all they want and they can make appearances off the bench, but nothing replaces the pace and physicality of starting a URC match against equally desperate teams.
So why not back them more? There’s no downside to this decision. If anything, the younger players bring a bit of energy and hunger that’s maybe been missing at times this season if you look at where the Durbanites find themselves.
The Sharks might not have anything left to play for on paper — but they’ve got plenty to gain if they get things right if they unleash their young pups.