'The most up-and-coming player in SA rugby'

REACTION: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt could not resist talking about some of his youngsters after their match against the Lions, especially the explosive Ntuthuko Mchunu.

Everitt's team lost the match 40-43 in Johannesburg, but there were a lot of positives for the Sharks coach as he looks to build a strong squad to take to Europe for the upcoming Rainbow Cup.

Mchunu, 21, caught the eye in the Sharks' previous two preparation series fixtures against Griquas and the Cheetahs and his stock rose significantly after his latest performance off the bench at Ellis Park.

The prop scored two tries with his second being a sensational solo effort. He was also a strong presence in the scrums for the Sharks.

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"I'm pleased with how we have grown depth in our squad over the last three games," said Everitt. "We had a guy like Rynhardt Jonker making their debut for the Sharks and there was Boeta Chamberlain, who has not played decent rugby since the end of 2019. Then you take youngster like Emile van Heerden coming onto the field for the last 20 and putting in some massive contributions.

"There were some incredible performances by certain individuals. Ntuthuko Mchunu must be a standout and the most up-and-coming player in South African rugby at the moment.

"He does seem to get better and better every week and he showed us what pace he has and that comes from being a loose forward [in the past].

"There is a lot of positives from individuals that we have seen and we've certainly gained the benefit of growing our squad over the last three weeks and we will continue to do so over the next week as well."

Praise from a legend

Even Springbok legend Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira had something to say after Mchunu's stunning try.

"Wow, this guy is the real deal. Absolutely love it," Mtawarira tweeted.

The Sharks' final game in the preparation series is against the Bulls in Durban on Friday.