Hollywoodbets Sharks Archives

By Adnaan Mohamed

CAPE TOWN – Haashim Pead has barely pulled on a DHL Stormers jersey and already John Dobson has placed an intriguing name alongside his: Antoine Dupont.

The 21-year-old Bo-Kaap scrumhalf is set to make his Stormers debut from the replacements bench against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at DHL Stadium on Saturday, with Dobson comparing his potential with the French superstar who previously won the Junior World Championship Player of the Tournament award.

It is a remarkable reference point for a youngster whose own global breakthrough came at the 2025 World Rugby Under-20 Championship, where Pead was named Player of the Tournament after producing electric running, rapid service and instinctive attacking rugby.

“We went to a lot of trouble to get him,” Dobson said.

“He’s world-class … I don’t want to use that term glibly, but he’s a high-quality player.

“With all respect to Stef [Ungerer] and André [Warner], Haashim is the future. The quicker we get him on the field and develop him, the better.”

That is a sizeable endorsement before Pead has even played his first senior match for the Stormers.

The Lions moved quickly to sign him after his Junior World Championship heroics, although opportunities in Johannesburg were limited. His four-year Stormers deal has now brought him back to Cape Town, the city he calls home and the team he dreamed of representing as a child.

"Haashim Pead is the future." @THESTORMERS boss John Dobson has compared 21-year-old @Haashimpead_ 's potential with Antoine Dupont as the Bo-Kaap scrumhalf prepares for his debut against the Sharks. From Dorp Street to DHL Stadium.#Stormers #HaashimPead #URC #STOvSHA
Read… pic.twitter.com/nuJlxB8eig

— Adnaan Mohamed (@Adnaan1111) October 7, 2026

The geography adds another layer to the story.

Pead grew up on the cobbled streets of Dorp Street in the Bo-Kaap, less than 2km from DHL Stadium. On Saturday, he could walk onto the pitch in the Stormers jersey he once imagined wearing as a youngster.

He will deputise for two-time Rugby World Cup winner Cobus Reinach, giving the teenage sensation a front-row view of the demands of elite professional rugby.

Pead’s challenge is now to turn potential into production.

The scrumhalf has the speed to exploit broken-field opportunities and the passing game to accelerate the Stormers’ attack. The Sharks derby will offer a very different examination from the junior international stage.

The Stormers have surrounded him with serious experience, naming 11 Springboks in their match-day squad. Seven returning internationals are set to make their first Stormers appearances of the season.

Damian Willemse starts at fullback, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu partners Reinach at halfback and Siya Kolisi moves to blindside flank. Wilco Louw is also set for his first Stormers appearance since 2020.

Then there is the bench.

Fourie, who has 141 Stormers caps, provides veteran guidance alongside Evan Roos, Riley Norton, Connor Evans, Neethling Fouché, Vernon Matongo and Wandisile Simelane.

The Stormers will also wear their new black kit, reviving the iconic 1999 Men in Black campaign.

Dobson expects the occasion to resonate with supporters.

“This weekend we also play our first match in the new Men in Black kit, which is a great nod to our past and something which resonates deeply with our fans.”

For Pead, the symbolism is even stronger.

The world has already seen his potential.

Now Cape Town gets its first look.

And if Dobson’s Dupont comparison proves to be more than a headline, the Bo-Kaap boy could be at the beginning of something extraordinary.

DHL Stormers:
15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.

Replacements:
16 Deon Fourie, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Neethling Fouché, 19 Riley Norton, 20 Connor Evans, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Haashim Pead, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

By Adnaan Mohamed

Saturday’s return-leg Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers has all the ingredients of a heavyweight rematch – pride on the line, bodies already bruised, and both teams desperate to land the final blow before the competition pauses.

Kick-off at Hollywoodbets Kings Park is set for 17h00, with the Durban side chasing a stunning double over the previously unbeaten Cape outfit, while the Stormers arrive determined to right last week’s wrongs and wrestle momentum back across the Indian Ocean.

Stormers: reshaped for response

The DHL Stormers have reloaded their arsenal for the Durban battlefield, making several changes aimed at sharpening their edge. Damian Willemse drops back to fullback, Jonathan Roche steps in at inside centre, and Dylan Maart takes over on the right wing. It’s a backline reconfigured to counter-punch and strike from turnover ball.

From the bench, Stefan Ungerer, Jurie Matthee and Warrick Gelant are primed as late-game accelerators, ready to stretch tired defenders when the derby muscles tighten.

Up front, Oli Kebble anchors the scrum at loosehead prop, while a brand-new lock pairing of Ruben van Heerden and a fit-again Adré Smith adds fresh steel to the engine room. Evan Roos returns at the back of the scrum, bringing the kind of explosive carries and confrontational presence that can tilt a derby on its axis.

Director of Rugby John Dobson has made it clear there will be no easing into the four-week break.

“Playing back-to-back derbies against the same opposition is a fairly unique situation, and we are desperate to put in a more convincing performance than we managed at home last week.

“We have been boosted by the return from injury of some key players, and you can be sure that all 23 will be going out there to show what it means to play in our jersey for our fans,” he said.

Sharks: belief, but no complacency

The Hollywoodbets Sharks, meanwhile, have also rung the changes as they look to back up last weekend’s bonus-point victory. There’s a completely new front row, with Ox Nche, Fez Mbatha and Hanro Jacobs all starting, while Corne Rahl comes into the engine room, with Jason Jenkins named among the replacements.

In the loose forwards, Phepsi Buthelezi is the only starter retained from last week, joined by Siya Kolisi and Vincent Tshituka, both of whom made their impact off the bench in the first encounter.

The backline sees Grant Williams start at scrumhalf ahead of Jaden Hendrikse, the pair swapping jerseys, while Edwill van der Merwe replaces Yaw Penxe on the wing in the final tweak to the starting XV.

Despite the confidence that comes with a derby win, Sharks captain Andre Esterhuizen insists there is no room for complacency.

“We have a lot to improve on, we are working hard, but to know there is so much improvement ahead of us after the win last weekend is a good sign that we are on the right path,” he admits.

“Last week was a tough and brutal game, but that’s a South African derby and you have to get up for everyone. We’re all in the right mindset, knowing that we can’t just give a once-off performance like that, we must back it up this weekend again.”

With the break looming, Esterhuizen says motivation is sky-high.

“Everyone wants to go into that break in a good way; there is massive motivation for this weekend.”

Since taking over the captaincy, Esterhuizen’s influence has mirrored the Sharks’ improved form. While he credits a shift in mindset under coach JP Pietersen, his own lead-from-the-front approach remains central.

“I’m getting used to the role and enjoying leading the team and with the backing of the boys and coaching staff, that makes it so much easier.

“I’m a big believer that you can’t tell someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.”

What to expect

Expect collisions to echo, scrums to creak and tempers to simmer. The Sharks will look to turn Kings Park into a fortress and land back-to-back blows, while the Stormers arrive with pride wounded and packs reloaded, intent on proving last week was a stumble, not a trend.

In a derby where inches matter and moments decide everything, this one shapes as a contest fought in the trenches and finished by nerve.

Team line-ups

DHL Stormers

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (captain), 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Oli Kebble.

Replacements:
16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Warrick Gelant.