Fassi looking good at 10

Sharks coach John Plumtree says Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi could move to flyhalf during Saturday’s Vodacom URC match against Scarlets at Kings Park.

Siya Masuku, who starts at 10, is the only specialist flyhalf in the match 23, with scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse expected to move there if Masuku gets injured, but Plumtree says Fassi is also an option.

“Fassi’s been running at 10 for us as well. Yaw Penxe [named on the bench] can come on and play fullback,” said the Sharks coach. “Obviously if Jaden’s still on the field and I haven’t subbed him for Bradley [Davids], then we could use him, but Fassi’s been running at 10 and looks quite good actually.”

TEAM: Eben’s quick recovery boosts Sharks

A win against Scarlets could see the Sharks finish third on the log ahead of Glasgow, who go into their last league-stage match against table-topping Leinster in Dublin as underdogs. The sixth-placed Scarlets also have plenty to play for, needing a win or a couple of bonus points if they lose to finish in the top eight.

With his son, Taine, playing for the Welsh club, Plumtree said he’d watched them closely this season: “They’ve improved in just about every area of their game. They’ve been the one Welsh team that’s just got better as the season’s gone on. So where they are at [on the log] is no surprise to me.

“They have a lot of consistency around selection. They probably don’t have the squad depth, but they haven’t had too many injuries so they’ve kept players on the park, and with that their game has developed.

“Their boys have got a lot of X factor and confidence, and their set piece is functioning very well – it certainly did against the Lions and Leinster – and they’ve got some pretty good, dynamic loose forwards.

“They’re a genuine threat. They’ve beaten Ospreys, they’ve beaten Leinster, a side that we didn’t. So it’s going to be a real contest, which is great because we want that before a quarter-final.”

While the Sharks have picked up wins regularly this season, they’ve yet to click as a team – in part due to injuries – and Plumtree is hoping that complete performance is just around the corner.

“The conditions have played a part [in how the Sharks have played recently],” he said. “The wet ball surprised us last week [in Durban], we thought it was going to be a lot dryer. Obviously playing overseas, in those conditions, you’ve got to play a different type of the game.

“The catch-pass game is not coming out the hands like we’d want it to, so we have to kick a bit more, we have to rely on the set piece and winning the territory battle and getting into the 22 and being really efficient. And we know our skill sets have to be better.

MORE: Sharks to deal with ‘disruptive’ Scarlets

“So yeah, we haven’t dazzled anyone yet, but we’re sure that will come. But the real positive side of it is that the team have shown that they’ll never give up, it doesn’t matter what the game situation is,” he added.

“And if you want to be a championship [winning] side, you have to tick that box. Because in the playoffs, games are going to go down to the wire and come down to big moments. We know we can live in that space.

“It would be nice to play some good footy, but you also have to respect the opposition. The teams we’re playing against this week and in the quarter-finals aren’t bad teams.”

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images