Ntokozo Makhaza wants nothing more than to play for the Sharks and emulate his rugby idol, Patrick Lambie.
|||Durban - Ntokozo Makhaza wants nothing more than to play for the Sharks and emulate his rugby idol, Pat Lambie – a dream he will realise, if only partially, on Saturday.
The 10-year-old local lad will be the first person on the pitch at Kings Park when he leads the Sharks out for the Currie Cup final – as the Sharks’ Rugby School “mascot” for the day.
“I am very excited,” Ntokozo said on Thursday, proudly wearing his Sharks jersey – something he hopes to do in the future.
The young winger was chosen because of the dedication he showed at practice and his willingness to put in extra work.
Bruce Dragt, manager of Garvz Sports Academy, which runs the school, said Ntokozo was the kind of kid who would do extra push-ups at practice, and was committed to the game.
Not even the possibility of wet weather has dampened the spirits of thousands of Sharks fans who plan to descend on Kings Park and shower the team with support.
Anticipation for the big match has been simmering all week and, come tomorrow, the excitement is going to be palpable as fans don their black-and-white gear.
George Laas, chairman of the Sharks Supporters’ Club, is champing at the bit for the starting whistle, saying that “of all the scalps, this is the one we want”.
“Western Province have always been such an icon in rugby, back since the Danie Craven days; now we are having them in our own back yard.
“This is the fifth time playing Western Province [in a Currie Cup final] and it doesn’t matter what happened in the past. This is going to be the clincher.”
Of the five finals played between the teams – the first of them in 1984, which the Sharks, still playing as Natal, lost 19-9 – the KwaZulu-Natal franchise has won only one, in 2010, beating their opponents 30-10.
Metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi said: “The plan that was put in place for the Afcon draw on Wednesday night will continue for the whole weekend, and the extra members who were deployed will also be on duty for the big match.”
Although roadblocks would be set up, Msomi said: “We do not want to discourage people from going to the stadium. We want them to go there and enjoy themselves. They must just do so responsibly and not drink and drive.”
Stadium manager Aslam Yusuf said they were ready and a range of entertainment had been lined up. He urged supporters to dress in black and white, and to get to the stadium early to soak up the atmosphere. About 5 000 tickets were available, he said.
Mike Greenaway writes that Sharks coach John Plumtree has packed nine Springboks into his starting line-up and has another four on the bench.
“We had a policy of showing loyalty to the guys who had served us well all season and we slowly brought the Boks back, and now they are raring to go and are thoroughly committed to the Sharks winning the final,” Plumtree said.
Tomorrow’s final will be the seventh the Sharks have been involved in since 2000, with two wins (in 2010 over Western Province and 2008 over the Blue Bulls, both at home). Apart from losses in 2000 and 2001 to WP, they also lost the 2003 final to the Blue Bulls and last year to the Lions.
But it is recent form that matters and the Sharks will take confidence in having beaten Province twice in the Currie Cup this year as well as in the Super Rugby semi-final in May in Cape Town.
The Capetonians have not won a trophy in 11 years and will be relishing the chance to end their drought. - The Mercury