Swimming with the massive fish on Shark Tank is making Dylan Richardson an apex predator value conserving a detailed eye on.

The Cell C Sharks flank seized their alternative to impress within the first 5 rounds of the 2022-23 Vodacom United Rugby Championship as supervisor Sean Everitt delayed the deployment of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and new acquisition Vincent Tshituka (shoulder).

A collegiate product of Kearsney Faculty, Richardson has began 4 video games this season, the primary three on the blindside flank earlier than switching to the other aspect of the scrum, and was named Man of the Match in a 20-19 comeback win. about Dragons in Newport.

“His toughness is why we’re enjoying him on the blindside as a result of he is bodily and he runs rather a lot,” Everitt stated of the 23-year-old escapee.

“Dylan has at all times been a unfastened striker in each manner. His sweep and his excellence on the sphere add to his group choice.

“There was discuss of Dylan shifting to hooker, however he is snug on the flank and covers all of the areas we’d like him to.

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Dylan and James [Venter] overcome a mountain of labor and your sort out rely may be very excessive. They can put stress on the collapse.”

A Sharks squad that already had nice riches within the unfastened division, together with Kolisi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Phepsi Buthelezi, was additional strengthened within the offseason with the signing of Tshituka from the Emirates Lions.

The added depth and competitors have solely fueled Richardson’s drive to cement his place within the beginning lineup.

“I am proud of the competitors as a result of I can study rather a lot,” Richardson stated. “I am simply absorbing as a lot as I can, and being in that type of firm makes you need to take your complete sport to a different degree.”

Richardson, now a Scotland worldwide with worldwide protection who got here by the Sharks system, performed a significant position in main South Africa to a bronze medal on the 2019 Below-20 Championship in Argentina, starring alongside former Junior Bok captain, Buthelezi.

On the pitch collectively in a 40-12 win over Glasgow, Richardson, Tshituka and Buthelezi shaped a flexible trio that supplied the Sharks with high-energy, dynamic contributions within the general sport, matching work-rate and willpower, robust carries with tenacious sort out struggle in addition to crunching tackles with storming breakdown.

Richardson is flourishing regardless of star-studded firm in Durban and seems to be relishing the problem of combating for a spot in one of many membership sport’s most potent ahead packs.

“I am an area child from Durban, so my coronary heart has at all times been with the Sharks,” he stated. “I’ve supported them since I used to be a child and it is positively a dream to play for them.”

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Photograph: Information Images