Pietersen at 13 for Sharks

Editor

The Sharks have named Springbok wing JP Pietersen at outside centre for Saturday's Super Rugby clash with the Reds in Brisbane.

The Sharks have named Springbok wing JP Pietersen at outside centre for Saturday's Super Rugby clash with the Reds in Brisbane.

Sharks coach John Plumtree has made four changes to the starting line-up that lost to the Highlanders, two of them enforced through injury.

Pietersen moves to 13 in the place on the injured Fran Steyn, meaning Piet Lindeque starts his second start match on the wing.

JC Janse van Rensburg, on loan from the Lions, will start at loosehead prop, allowing Wiehahn Herbst to play in his favoured position at tighthead. Jannie du Plessis has been given a mini-break after starting almost every game so far and will start on the bench.

With Lubabalo Mtembu ruled out, captain Keegan Daniel shifts back to number eight, opening a spot for Jean Deysel who takes over at blindside flank.

Monde Hadebe could make his Super Rugby debut having been named on the bench for Craig Burden, who has returned home.

Springbok flank Willem Alberts has returned to the side and has been named on the bench.

“We're just going from week to week,” coach John Plumtree told the Sharks website.

“We want to take the pressure off, play for each other and play for jersey; that's important. We're in a different set of circumstance with the team because of the fact that we have so many guys out, we just have to put our heads together.

“We've sent four to five guys home already and it's only halfway through the tour. We've had to change personnel, we've had to play players out of position, it's not great. But right now the focus is solely on getting a team prepared for the weekend.”

The Sharks: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Piet Lindeque, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel (c), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Derick Minnie, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Odwa Ndungane.

Date: Saturday, May 11
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19.40 (09.40 GMT, 11.40 SAST)
Referee: Glen Jackson