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Sharks opt for continuity

Durban - The Sharks have opted for continuity ahead of their Currie Cup clash against Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday, with coach John Plumtree making just one enforced change to the starting team.

Lock Steven Sykes is ruled out with a rib problem meaning a recall for Jandre Marais at lock.

Peet Marais comes in on the bench, where there is one other change after Rosko Specman dropped out for Brynard Stander.

Tim Whitehead, Pieter-Steph du Toit and JP Pietersen are all still out with injury, although they are expected to return in three to four weeks.

The top-of-the-table Sharks have failed to win on their last two trips to Kimberley.

Plumtree could not find an exact explanation behind their struggles in Northern Cape city.

"I think there are some who talk themselves out of contention before they even arrive there," Plumtree said.

"We have to make sure we embrace the challenge, we know what is coming.

"It’s at altitude, the ground is normally quite dry and it’s quite different to playing in the major stadiums, we just have to embrace all of that and get on with it.

He said the team needed to improve their fitness levels as they still struggled when they played at altitude.

"We know we will go through times where we are under pressure, whenever we play at altitude," he said.

"We’re not quite there from a physical point of view for a period of time.

"So we need to get over that and attempt to play for 80 minutes because from all of our games at altitude, generally we don’t."

Teams:

Griquas: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Wesley Wilkins, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 1 Steph Roberts

Substitutes: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Justin Downey, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Richard Lawson

Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 S'bura Sithole, 10 Riaan Viljoen, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel (captain), 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Monde Hadebe, 1 Dale Chadwick.

Substitutes: 16 Pieter Dixon, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Marius Joubert.

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