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Ndungane set for major Sharks milestone

Durban - Sharks veteran Odwa Ndungane is a staggering 36-years-old, and on Saturday against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires he will join JP Pietersen as the most capped Super Rugby player in the franchise's history. 

When he runs out in the No 14 jersey at Jose Amalfitani Stadium, he will earn his 137th cap for the franchise that he has been a part of since 2005. 

READ: ODWA - THE ULTIMATE SA RUGBY SERVANT 

It is a piece of history that should not be taken lightly, with some big names at the franchise not getting close. 

Ndungane has featured just once for the Sharks this season as coach Robert du Preez has backed largely Kobus van Wyk and Lwazi Mvovo on the wings. 

With Van Wyk now injured, Ndungane gets another crack and his experience will come in handy on what promises to be a tough trip for the Sharks. 

"Odwa is a stalwart of Sharks Rugby who has made an invaluable contribution to our team over many years," the Sharks told Sport24 via e-mail.

"He has lived the ethos of our brand and he is a role-model and mentor to the young players in our squad.

"This is a fantastic achievement for a great player who continues to inspire."

Sharks prop Tendai Mtawarira is the next most capped Shark with 132 Super Rugby caps. 

The Durbanites and the Jaguares are separated by just four points in Africa Conference 2 and are fighting it out for the wildcard playoff spot in the South African group, making this weekend's clash even more important. 

The Sharks are looking to bounce back from their woeful 9-9 draw with the Rebels this past Saturday. 

Kick-off on Saturday is at 21:40.

Teams:

Jaguares

15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Bautista Ezcurra, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Rodrigo Baez, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Lucas Noguera Paz

Substitutes: 16 Roberto Tejerizo, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto Heilan, 19 Ignacio Larrague, 20 Benjamin Macome, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Juan Martin Hernandez, 23 Matias Moroni

Sharks

15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Jeremy Ward, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Philip van der Walt (captain), 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Ruan Botha, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Thomas du Toit
 
Substitutes: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Etienne Oosthuizen, 20 Tera Mtembu, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Johan Deysel

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