Sharks get Bok boost for Dragons duel

Jaden Hendrikse is the only change to the Sharks run-on XV to face the Dragons in Wales on Saturday, with Phepsi Buthelezi and Francois Venter also returning to the team.

The Sharks travel to Newport to tackle the Welsh outfit in round 3 of the 2024-25 Vodacom URC on the back of a 36-30 defeat by Connacht in Galway last week.

Two sets of brothers will run out at Rodney Parade for the Durbanites in their second of three matches of a European tour in the competition. The Sharks conclude the trip against Benetton in Treviso next week.

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Fresh off his Rugby Championship exploits for the title-winning Springboks, Hendrikse comes into the starting lineup for Bradley Jacobs, joining brother and fullback Jordan, with the Tshitukas, captain Vincent and Emmanuel, both playing in the back row. Fellow Boks Buthelezi and Venter have both been named on the bench.

John Plumtree’s charges blew a 20-point lead as Connacht scored four unanswered tries in the second half to beat the touring South African team.

However, the Sharks banked a dominant bonus-point win against the Dragons in Durban last year, with Springbok stars Aphelele Fassi and Grant Williams both scoring braces.