TEAM NEWS | SHARKS v EXETER CHIEFS
New signing JJ Scheepers will make his first start while Senior Academy full-back Austin Keogh also gets a chance to impress as Sharks make six changes to the side for the visit of Exeter Chiefs in the PREM Rugby Cup on Friday night (KO 7.45pm).
Fresh from scoring six tries, racking up 52 gain-line carries, and making 67 carried metres for the Pumas in this season’s Currie Cup, Scheepers will start at blindside flanker against a team searching for their second win of this season’s PREM Rugby Cup.
Elsewhere, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White will make his 50th Sharks appearance in a team featuring Tom Roebuck and skipper Marius Louw.
The Sharks coaching team of Tommy Taylor, Tom Gilchrist and Jacob Ford have made one change in the front row following last Friday’s win over Bristol, with Alfie Longstaff joining props Ralph McEachran and Cebo Dlamini.
With Tom Burrow missing out through a minor calf strain, Patrick Hogg is joined by Dylan Hodkinson in the second row. And in the back row, Scheepers starts at six alongside Tristan Woodman and Seb Kelly.
Dom Hanson and Ollie Davies start again at half-back and they’ll have Ma’asi-White and captain Louw outside them in the centres.
Alex Wills and Roebuck start on the wings with Keogh, who joined Sharks on a Senior Acadamy bursary contract ahead of the 2026/27 season – at full-back.
Oli Spencer and Patreece Bell are the props on the replacements bench, with Nathan Jibulu, who played for England A last week, the hooker on the bench.
Reuben Logan and Wills Austin are the other forwards on the bench with Will Bayston, trialist Billy Pasco and David Opoku-Fordjour making up the rest of the replacements.
Starting XV:
15. Austin Keogh
14. Tom Roebuck
13. Marius Louw ©
12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White
11. Alex Wills
10. Ollie Davies
9. Dom Hanson;
1. Ralph McEachran
2. Alfie Longstaff
3. Cebo Dlamini
4. Patrick Hogg
5. Dylan Hodkinson
6. JJ Scheepers
7. Tristan Woodman
8. Seb Kelly
Replacements:
16. Nathan Jibulu
17. Oli Spencer
18. Patreece Bell
19. Reuben Logan
20. Wills Austin
21. Will Bayston
22. Billy Pasco
23. David Opoku-Fordjour
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