Andre Esterhuizen will lead a strong Hollywoodbets Sharks team to Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls in their final derby match of the 2025/26 Vodacom United Rugby Championship season.
A 21-12 victory over the Pretoria side at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in December set the Hollywoodbets Sharks up nicely on the log, and they followed that up with back-to-back, home and away victories over the DHL Stormers to rise to the top of the SA Shield.
This Saturday is all about delivering the knock-out punch and securing the points needed to lift the shield, but it’s not going to be easy against the side two places above the Hollywoodbets Sharks on the overall log, having played one game fewer and enjoying a one-point lead over the Durban side.
Head coach JP Pietersen has welcomed back Springboks Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Phepsi Buthelezi, Jordan Hendrikse, Makazole Mapimpi and Esterhuizen to the starting line-up as he looks to provide leadership and experience to his team against the old foe.
The Vodacom Bulls reined in a four-match run of losses in the competition when they defeated Edinburgh and the Lions in successive weeks and will be buoyed by their recent form, delivering up another mouth-watering contest between the two sides whose shared history of battle goes back decades.
Hollywoodbets Sharks
1. Ox Nche HTS Louis Botha Technical School
2. Eduan Swart Hoȅrskool Oos-Moot
3. Vincent Koch Huguenot High School
4. Jason Jenkins St Albans College
5. Emile van Heerden Paarl Boys High School
6. Tino Mavesere Churchill Boys High School
7. Vincent Tshituka Northcliff High School
8. Phepsi Buthelezi Durban High School
9. Jaden Hendrikse Glenwood High School
10. Jordan Hendrikse Glenwood High School
11. Makazole Mapimpi Jim Mvabaza Senior Secondary School
12. Andre Esterhuizen (c) Hoerskool Klerksdorp
13. Jurenzo Julius Paul Roos Gimnasium
14. Edwill van der Merwe Paul Roos Gimnasium
15. Jaco Williams Glenwood High School
Replacements
16. Fez Mbatha * Martizburg College
17. Phatu Ganyane Glenwood High School
18. Hanro Jacobs * Paul Roos Gimnasium
19. Corne Rahl Hoȅr Landbouskool Oakdale
20. Thomas Dyer Hilton College
21. Ross Braude Grey College
22. Siya Masuku Piet Retief High School
23. Yaw Penxe Queens College
