Jannie du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira will make their return for the Sharks against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Springbok front rankers missed the disappointing defeat to the Stormers last weekend, but will return to add some much-needed stability up front.
Mtawarira has been absent since limping off during the opening round defeat to the Cheetahs in Durban, while Du Plessis missed the match at Newlands to attend the birth of his child.
There are two further changes to the pack, where Mouritz Botha comes in to partner Pieter-Steph du Toit in the second row, while Renaldo Bothma replaces the injured Willem Alberts at blindside flank.
Sharks director of rugby Garry Gold admits the pressure is on his side, after just one win from their opening four outings.
'The Cheetahs were formidable opponents in our first round encounter and a real threat with ball in hand,' said Gold. 'We will have our work cut out for us this Saturday in a pressurised situation.'
Sharks – 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Renaldo Bothma, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (c), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick/Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Marco Wentzel/Lubabalo Mtyanda, 20 Tera Mtembu, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 André Esterhuizen, 23 Jack Wilson.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
