DURBAN - Anybody who has watched the Pumas play has to have noticed how their coach, the inimitable Jimmy Stonehouse, wears his heart on his sleeve.
Stonehouse, a power-lifter who has biceps bigger than those of his players, is hugely respected by his rival coaches for the wonders he produces from limited resources.
Sean Everitt, the Sharks coach who will do battle with Stonehouse at Mbombela Stadium tomorrow, says he wasn’t in the least surprised that the Pumas outwitted - and almost outplayed - the fancied Stormers last week.
“I wasn’t shocked by that game - not at all - because I have been on the receiving end of those Pumas performances a few times,” Everitt said. “They play with desperation, and they have players that want to get contracts at bigger teams.
“Everybody wrote them off in the first round when the Cheetahs blitzed them in the first half of that game, but they certainly showed their potential when they beat Griquas in Kimberley, and probably deserved to beat the Stormers.”
Everitt said that teams coached by Stonehouse carried a reliable trademark.
“Jimmy’s teams are always fighters - they show a tremendous amount of energy on the field - and play like desperate soldiers,” Everitt said. “That’s what Jimmy gets out of them and, as he often says, it is a struggle to keep rugby alive in the smaller unions and they need success so they can get sponsors, so they fight for their franchise and their livelihoods.”
Sadly for the Pumas, they lost one of their stars against the Stormers, flyhalf Eddie Fouche, who suffered a serious hip injury.
Everitt has refreshed his team for the game, making five changes to the side that lost to the Bulls.
In the only change to the backline, Madosh Tambwe takes over from Werner Kok, who has been rested after playing in all of the Sharks’ games since resumption.
Everitt has explained the number of changes he has made to the pack.
“Thomas du Toit is out because of injury and he’s replaced by John-Hubert Meyer at tighthead, while Michael Kumbirai, who joined us from Western Province last year, will have an opportunity to make his debut off the bench,” Everitt said.
“Bringing in JJ van der Mescht (for Ruben van Heerden) in the second row was a rotational change - we need to keep the squad fresh and the guys energised and JJ has only had 40 minutes in the last two weeks, so we’re giving him an opportunity to get game time and to see what difference he can make to our pack.”
There is a new loose trio because of injuries to opensider James Venter and No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who are replaced by Henco Venter and Phepsi Buthelezi respectively, with the latter’s place on the flank taken by last week’s hooker, Dylan Richardson.
Everitt has picked former Stormer Dan Jooste at hooker, with Kerron van Vuuren continuing his comeback from injury off the bench.
The Sharks team is:
15 Manie Libbok, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (capt), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Phendulani Buthelezi, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Dylan Richardson 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 JJ van der Mescht, 3 John Hubert-Meyer, 2 Dan Jooste, 1 Ox Nche.
Substitutes: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Yaw Penxe.
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