Twins are physical players - Mtembu
Cell C Sharks have picked both Daniel and Jean-Luc du Preez to start against the Lions in Vodacom Super Rugby action tomorrow.
Listen to the full interview here, or read our story below.
Daniel du Preez is at number eight and Jean-Luc at flank.
The selection of Daniel means a switch to flank for Sharks captain Tera Mtembu. The skipper is positive about the change.
"Firstly I am glad for Dan that he is back. I mean you have seen the road that he has been through. He has come out firing and is looking good and has done well since coming back. I personally have never started with both of them in the team. It is a new challenge and it is exciting. They are both physical players and bring a different dimension to the game. We have Jacques (Vermeulen) on the bench and so it is a new combination and I am sure it will go well. It is exciting to see what is going to happen on Saturday," Mtembu said.
Mtembu expects a big physical challenge in Johannesburg and feels it is a game the Sharks certainly can win.
"Playing against any South African team is always physical. There is always that desire for physical dominance. So it is going to be yet another physical encounter in Johannesburg. Our focus is on ourselves this week. We know what we need to do. They are a beatable team. So if we stick to what we have been practising this week, it will surely be a good result for us," Mtembu added.
Mtembu will wear the number six jersey in Johannesburg. He does not believe his role at six will be that much different to what was expected of him at number eight.
"With the way we play, six and eight play a similar role. It is another big challenge and I am just grateful to be in the team," Mtembu said.
The Lions tend to play ball-in-hand rugby and offload into space. Mtembu believes the key is denying them ball.
"The Lions were obviously the best team by a country mile in South Africa last season. Yet they cannot score tries without the ball. So if we keep the ball and fix the system errors we made last week, it should be a good game and we should do well," Mtembu concluded.
Sharks head coach, Robert du Preez, was unhappy with soft tries conceded to the Cheetahs last week and wants a better defensive effort in Johannesburg.
"Conceding those tries was very disappointing. The Lions are just as dangerous as the Cheetahs and so there will be a massive effort this week on defence," Du Preez said.
Kickoff tomorrow is at 17h15.
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre
The selection of Daniel means a switch to flank for Sharks captain Tera Mtembu. The skipper is positive about the change.
"Firstly I am glad for Dan that he is back. I mean you have seen the road that he has been through. He has come out firing and is looking good and has done well since coming back. I personally have never started with both of them in the team. It is a new challenge and it is exciting. They are both physical players and bring a different dimension to the game. We have Jacques (Vermeulen) on the bench and so it is a new combination and I am sure it will go well. It is exciting to see what is going to happen on Saturday," Mtembu said.
Mtembu expects a big physical challenge in Johannesburg and feels it is a game the Sharks certainly can win.
"Playing against any South African team is always physical. There is always that desire for physical dominance. So it is going to be yet another physical encounter in Johannesburg. Our focus is on ourselves this week. We know what we need to do. They are a beatable team. So if we stick to what we have been practising this week, it will surely be a good result for us," Mtembu added.
Mtembu will wear the number six jersey in Johannesburg. He does not believe his role at six will be that much different to what was expected of him at number eight.
"With the way we play, six and eight play a similar role. It is another big challenge and I am just grateful to be in the team," Mtembu said.
The Lions tend to play ball-in-hand rugby and offload into space. Mtembu believes the key is denying them ball.
"The Lions were obviously the best team by a country mile in South Africa last season. Yet they cannot score tries without the ball. So if we keep the ball and fix the system errors we made last week, it should be a good game and we should do well," Mtembu concluded.
Sharks head coach, Robert du Preez, was unhappy with soft tries conceded to the Cheetahs last week and wants a better defensive effort in Johannesburg.
"Conceding those tries was very disappointing. The Lions are just as dangerous as the Cheetahs and so there will be a massive effort this week on defence," Du Preez said.
Kickoff tomorrow is at 17h15.
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre