The return of four Springboks - three in the starting XV and one on the bench - will come as a timely boost for the Sharks, ahead of their Currie Cup crunch match against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Bok wing Odwa Ndungane, No.8 Ryan Kankowski and prop Deon Carstens will all start against the Lions, while prop Jannie du Plessis will play off the bench.

The only setback is the loss of Argentinean import Juan Hernandez to an ankle injury, which opens the door for Monty Dumond to start at flyhalf. Guy Cronjé, who started at No.10 in the earlier matches, will sit on the bench and his twin brother, Ross, will provide scrumhalf cover.

Rory Kockott's shoulder has not healed sufficiently to risk at this stage and Charl McLeod will continue at scrumhalf.

Ndungane comes in for Chris Jordaan on the wing.

Ryan Kankowski starts at No.8, with Jean Deysel and Jacques Botes on the flanks. Keegan Daniel is on the bench this week.

The return of Carstens will give the front row important experience, with Craig Burden starting at hooker this Saturday.

Jannie du Plessis and Skipper Badenhorst provide front row options off the bench.

The Sharks go into this match second on the log with 18 points, while the erratic Lions trail by just three log points having won three of their five matches.

The Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche (captain), 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Andries Strauss, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Monty Dumond, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Deon Carstens.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Michael Rhodes, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ross Cronjé, 21 Guy Cronjé, 22 Waylon Murray.

Date: Saturday, August 15
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referee: Mtheleni Msileni, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Shaun Veldsman

365

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