The Sharks have struck early in the JP Pietersen era, signing a promising Junior Bok who’s already caught Rassie Erasmus’ attention.
According to Rapport, Pietersen has secured the services of highly rated Junior Boks hooker Esethu Mnebelele, fighting off strong interest from both the Vodacom Bulls and the Stormers to land one of the country’s most promising young props.
The Bulls were reportedly so keen to retain the 20-year-old that they were prepared to offer him a five-year contract extension. Instead, Mnebelele has opted for Durban.
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And it’s not just the clubs who rate him.
Erasmus invited Mnebelele to join the Springboks in Ireland at the end of last year, but a knee injury ruled him out of the trip. He remains firmly in the national set-up’s long-term plans and could be among the Junior Boks invited to a national alignment camp next month.
Currently touring Georgia with the SA U20 side under coach Kevin Foote, Mnebelele is regarded as a core member of the squad, although minor injury concerns ruled him out of their latest outing in Tbilisi.
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His move south appears to have been influenced by the congestion at hooker in Pretoria. With Springboks Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar and Marco van Staden – who can also slot in at hooker – ahead of him in the pecking order, as well as the experienced Akker van der Merwe (who is set to undergo neck surgery), the pathway to the Bulls’ No 2 jersey looked anything but straightforward.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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