Sharks coach Everitt aims for consistency

Sean Everitt is a coach for whom consistency in selection is important and the Sharks will duly field an unchanged starting line-up in their Rainbow Cup match against the Lions at Kings Park on Saturday.

Although Everitt has put on record his disappointment with the quality of the performance against the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend, the Sharks’ 33-30 victory has nevertheless been rewarded with 21 of the 23-man team retaining their places for the Lions match.

The only two changes to the group are rotational switches on the bench, with Le Roux Roets replacing JJ van der Mescht as substitute lock and Jaden Hendrikse, having recovered from concussion, now selected as the back-up scrumhalf instead of Sanele Nohamba.

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“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves in Cape Town, especially in the first 20 minutes when we slipped some tackles,” Everitt said.

“But in patches, like when Reniel Hugo blitzed his hat-trick, we were absolutely sublime.

“In terms of the performance not being good, we have set standards, and conceding 29 turnovers is just something we cannot do.

“We want to enjoy our rugby and you can’t do that if you concede that number of turnovers.”

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The scrumhalf position looks set to give Everitt plenty of selection posers through the season because the Sharks have tremendous depth there with current starter Grant Williams, Hendrikse and Nohamba.

They are all young, attack-minded half-backs that suite the quick tempo with which the Sharks want to play.

“We have three great scrumhalves and we are able to rotate them,” Everitt said.
“Grant is the oldest at 24 but he hasn’t played much because he’s been unfortunate with a few serious injuries. But he has come good now.

“Jaden (21) and Sanele (22) are both still relatively young, but they are learning and growing.”