Raffi Quirke returns to the Sharks side after England duty as Alex Sanderson picks a strong XV for the trip to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday (KO 3.05pm, live on TNT Sports).
Centre Marius Louw also returns to the side as the Sharks Director of Rugby makes just two changes to the team that beat Bristol Bears in the final Prem Rugby Cup game of the campaign.
Alex has kept the pack unchanged from the win at Ashton Gate and that means hooker Nathan Jibulu gets another chance to impress between loosehead Si McIntyre and tighthead James Harper.
Skipper Ernst van Rhyn teams up with Ben Bamber in the second row and former Chief Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale and number 8 Dan du Preez make up a combative back row.
After being part of Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad, Quirke starts at scrum-half with Rob du Preez at fly-half and they’ll have Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Louw outside them in the centres.
Tom O’Flaherty, Arron Reed and Joe Carpenter make up an exciting back three.
Ethan Caine is the replacement hooker and he’s joined on the bench by academy prop Ralph McEachran and WillGriff John. Jos Gilmore and Reuben Logan are the other forwards on the bench.
Gus Warr, Ollie Davies and Alex Wills make up the rest of the replacements.
Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Marius Louw, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Raffi Quirke; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Nathan Jibulu, 3. James Harper, 4. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Verrmeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Jos Gilmore, 20. Reuben Logan, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Ollie Davies, 23. Alex Wills.
