Sharks coach Sean Everitt anticipates a tough test when his side face the Stormers in the Super Hero Sunday clash in Johannesburg.

In the final warm-up before the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season gets under way, both sides are expected to name strong starting lineups as this will give their key players some game time.

Stormers coach John Dobson has already confirmed Bok skipper Siya Kolisi will lead his team out on Sunday and that he would give a few of his returning Springboks a run this weekend.

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It should come as no surprise that Everitt told Netwerk24 that he is expecting Sunday’s match to played at a high intensity.

‘There are no “friendly” games in rugby, just no log points,’ Everitt said.  ‘The intensity is something that we’ve worked on. We want a high work rate and a lot of energy, and that’s what we want the crowds to judge us on.

‘I think it will be an unforgiving game.’

Everitt has had to manage his Springbok players carefully after their heavy workloads in 2019.

‘The Springboks returned to training late in December and they haven’t done any contact work,’ he said. ‘We’ve kept them out of that due to their work loads earlier in 2019. We’ve eased them back in.

‘We’ve been working hard with them over the last couple of weeks, so they should be game ready.

‘The players that you will see on Sunday are the players that will be taking part in Super Rugby 2020, so it’s a big day for everyone.’

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images