Vincent Tshituka will save his brotherly love for younger boet Emmanuel when the latter joins him at the Shark Tank in June.
On Saturday at Ellis Park (3pm kick-off), Vincent will be taking no prisoners as he marks his comeback from a shoulder injury, while doing his utmost to help the Sharks pull themselves up the United Rugby Championship ladder.
Yesterday, the Sharks confirmed that Emmanuel will be joining the Sharks from the Lions, and also officially on their way are André Esterhuizen (from Harlequins), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) and Jordan Hendrikse (Lions).
“It’s always an honour stepping out on the field with my brother,” said Vincent, who at 25 is two years older than Emmanuel.
“I cherish every moment, whether we’re on the same team or opposite sides on the field. It brings the best out of me, and that extra bit of motivation to be at the top of my game.”
The Tshitukas are thorough Joburgers, having been schooled at Northcliff High, and Vincent played 56 games for the Lions before moving to Durban just over a year ago.
“It is special for me to go back to play the Lions at Ellis Park... they’ve played a big part in my career and my life,” he said.
“They’ll always hold a special place for me. But I’m not going there as a friend or teammate, I’m going there to get the job done.”
Tshituka knows his former teammates inside out, and the conversations going on at Ellis Park ahead of the Sharks’ visit.
“With how things have gone for us this season, they will be determined to keep us down,” Tshituka said, smiling.
“They don’t want to be the ones to give us the breath of fresh air we are craving. They know we are under pressure, and they want to keep it that way.”
Tshituka knows exactly how the Lions will play the Sharks.
“They will be talking about the physical contest, as they always do when it is the Sharks, and that is because every match between the sides has been the same – extreme physicality. There is never a dip as far as that is concerned.
“Another big thing they will be emphasising is to move the ball. They value the altitude factor, and we are going up to Ellis Park, so they will want to move the ball around a lot.
“They’re going to play a running brand of rugby, and try and tire us out so they can take us on later in the game. I know that’s going to be a big aspect of their plan.”
Tshituka was targeted by the Sharks because of his fine performances in the 2021/2022 URC.
He won a series of player-of-the-match awards, and he needs to show similar form on Saturday if he is to overshadow Emmanuel, who has been excellent for the Lions.
Besides the job of watching out for his brother, a big part of Vincent’s job as a loose forward is to harass the Lions’ No 10.
Recently, Sanele Nohamba has been doing a good job as a pivot, but there is a good chance that Jordan Hendrikse might start this game, with Nohamba returning to No 9.
“Sanele and Jordan are both the heart of the Lions’ attack ... They give life to them and open up spaces,” Tshituka said.
“They can drain the other team when they are on top.
“A big part of our game is to shut their momentum down and slow things, because they thrive on broken play and open space.
“You have to put them under pressure because that’s when they make mistakes,” he added. “The thing about the Lions is that they are so adamant about counter-attacking and running the ball.
“They tend to make a lot of errors throughout the game, and the more pressure you put on them, the more errors creep out, and the more errors, the more they lose confidence.”