Aphelele Fassi starts, Jean-Luc du Preez back for Sharks in Currie Cup final against WP

CAPE TOWN – Aphelele Fassi will have a chance to display in his incredible speed

as a starter this time for the Sharks after he was picked at left wing for the

Currie Cup final against Western

Province on Saturday.

Coach

Robert du Preez announced his team on Thursday morning, naming Fassi as a

replacement for the concussed Lwazi Mvovo at No 11.

Fassi

became a social media sensation after he chased down Springbok wing Aphiwe

Dyantyi in last week’s semi-final against the Golden Lions, and the youngster

will have a chance to showcase his talents on the biggest domestic stage at

Newlands.

He is likely to come up against the top try-scorer in the competition this season, Sergeal Petersen, who is sure to start at right wing when the Western Province team is named later on Thursday.

Both players will hope to catch the eye of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who will name the squad for the end-of-year tour to Europe after the Currie Cup final.

This weekend's @TheCurrieCup semi-final saw a chase down for the ages, when #OurSharks young flyer, @onke_fassi reeled in @Springboks flyer Aphiwe Dyantyi from behind!🏃

Re-live the moment here, and see what goes through a player's mind in these situations.💭 #OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/iqD7PGqEPj

— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) October 22, 2018

expected, the coach recalled his son Jean-Luc du Preez at blindside flank,

which sees Tyler Paul move to openside in place of Jacques Vermeulen.

And

Jean-Luc can’t wait to operate with his twin brother Daniel once more from the

start, having come off the bench in recent games.

“It’s

the business end of the season, but fortunately we’re in the final again this

year and hopefully we can bring the cup home,” Jean-Luc du Preez said on the

Sharks website on Thursday.

“Playing off the bench has been good for me, obviously

coming back from a long-term injury, I was gradually eased into action and it’s

great to be back!

“We can take a lot out of that game (in the league, which WP

won 50-28), as we can from last week’s game against the Lions.

“In both matches we didn’t play for a full 80 minutes, we

got a bit complacent. We’re focussing on the full 80, or the full 90, if that’s

what it takes.

“The focus is on us right now, not on Western Province,

although we know it’s going to be a huge clash.

“They have a massive pack, we have a big pack too, so it’s

the old cliché again: it will all be won upfront. It will be huge. If all eight

and the forwards off the bench all put up our hands, it will be good.”

We caught up with #OurSharks rampaging flank, Jean-Luc du Preez, ahead of @TheCurrieCup Final against DHL @WP_RUGBY this weekend. He let us in on how the @CellC Sharks are looking forward to delivering a full 80-minute performance this Saturday!💪💦🏃 #WPvSHA #OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/B71LrbLTX0

— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) October 24, 2018