Frans Steyn has retained the Sharks No 10 jersey for their play-off qualifier against the Highlanders in Durban on Saturday with Pat Lambie among the substitutes.

Lambie has not played since sustaining a bicep injury against the Bulls in March, but has been training with the Sharks over the past couple of weeks.

Cobus Reinach is back in the starting line-up having pulled out late of the match against the Stormers with a minor complaint.

Sharks director of rugby Jake White believes their 34-18 loss to the Highlanders at Kings Park earlier this season could help them now.

'I know I don’t have to talk much this week,' he said. 'The players will know it’s not just going to happen. I think in a lot of ways, we were on a high in that pool game back in April, about to tour, and we ended up losing that game. We’ll be a lot more focussed this week.

'In a lot of ways, it’s probably a good thing for us, a boost, that they beat us. Had we beaten them comfortably perhaps we would have gone into this game thinking it was a fait accompli.'

Sharks – 15 SP Marais, 14 S’bura Sithole, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Paul Jordaan, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frans Steyn, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Albert, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (c), 1 Thomas du Toit.
Subs: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Etienne Oosthuizen, 20 Jean Deysel, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Tonderai Chavhanga.

Photo: Sabelo Mngoma/BackpagePix