JP Pietersen’s team selection for Ellis Park is about more than beating the Lions, it is about building the Sharks for next season and beyond, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that the head coach has made a deliberate shift from relying on fragments of a World Cup-winning spine to backing those who will define the 2026-27 campaign.
The Sharks will be without rested Springboks Ox Nche, Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams, Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker, as well as the injured Bongi Mbonambi and suspended Eben Etzebeth.
Pietersen’s selection is about building depth around the players who will carry the side forward, with Nche, Esterhuizen and Hooker pivotal to the next chapter.
TEAM: Tshituka leads Sharks, several Boks rested
When he first stepped in, Pietersen was candid about what he found. There was a disconnect between history and performance, between pride and output. He wanted clarity, not comfort.
“The flush out session with the players was about honesty. Who were they? What were their strengths? Where were they not strong?”
MORE: JP shocked by Sharks’ silence
Back-to-back wins over the Stormers suggested that honesty landed. Now comes a different challenge. The Lions beat a full-strength Sharks in Durban a month ago. Ellis Park demands edge and accuracy.
Selection is a coach’s loudest message. Pietersen is signalling that enthusiasm and hunger matter as much as reputation. He knows the value of his rested Springboks, but he also knows that genuine Vodacom URC contenders cannot depend on them every week.
JP: Chance for young guns to show mettle
“It is a big play, but right now it is one that signals intent and confidence,” Keohane writes.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post JP backs Sharks’ future appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
