DURBAN – When the Sharks’ halfback pairing of Curwin Bosch and Sanele Nohamba were substituted in the 60th minute of the home team’s thrilling victory over the Free State Cheetahs at Jonsson Kings Park on Saturday, there was a roar of applause, so well had the young duo played.
While we should be careful of making heroes out of youngsters too soon, there was a feeling around the stadium that there will be many good things to come from Bosch and Nohamba, pictured, in the future, and rightly so. Bosch we have obviously known about for some time but Nohamba, who was starting his first senior game for the Sharks, was a revelation at scrumhalf.
“Sanele is a young lad, this is just his second year out of school (from Durban High School) but he certainly played with a mature head on his shoulders today,” said coach Sean Everitt.
“I am exceptionally happy for him, he got the Man of the Match award and justly so. We have known that he has a good rugby brain, and he showed that. I am very excited about what he has to offer us in the future.”
Bosch has been playing well for the Sharks since he was 19 and in his first year out of Grey High in Port Elizabeth. Since the departure of Robert du Preez after Super Rugby he now has sole claim to the Sharks’ flyhalf jersey.
“Curwin had a really good game as well,” said Everitt. “And he played through a lot of the game with pain in his lower back. Full marks to him for staying on the field for as long as he did. And in difficult, windy conditions he kicked really well.
“Curwin is a youngster, so being the general in the Currie Cup without many experienced players around him, he is going to be under pressure. Normally when you are a young flyhalf you have an experienced No 9 to look after you but he doesn’t have that, so he is showing good maturity and is growing every week, which was what we wanted from him in this campaign.”
Curwin Bosch has been playing well for the Sharks since he was 19 and in his first year out of Grey High in Port Elizabeth. Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix
The Sharks’ win over the Cheetahs keeps alive their chances of qualifying for the Currie Cup semi-finals.
This week they face the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Sunday and then finish away to the Bulls next weekend.