Juan Martin Hernandez will not make his Currie Cup debut against the Free State Cheetahs on Friday night.

The Sharks finally unveiled their new signing on Monday, after months of speculation. The Pumas star follows in the footsteps of other international flyhalves in Theirry Lacroix (France), David Knox (Australia), Gregor Townsend (Scotland) and Frederic Michalak (France), who have all worn the Sharks No 10 jersey at some stage.

However, while Hernandez is in Durban at last, fans will have to wait a little while longer being seeing him in black and white.

‘Juan has not played for a couple weeks after taking a break after a few years of non-stop play in French club rugby, and we know how long their seasons are,’ Skarks coach John Pumtree told Mike Greenaway of The Mercury.

‘We want to use this week to work on his conditioning, and then intend to get him involved in next week’s match against the Leopards in Rustenburg.

‘We want to get him fit and settled in. We don’t want to injure him, and his family will be here in three or four weeks, so we are breaking him in slowly.’

Hernandez, who speaks pretty good English, said he had wanted to play rugby in South Africa since watching the Currie Cup and Super 12 on TV as a youngster.

‘I wanted to be a part of it back then, and now as professional rugby player I have been able to make it happen. Dreams do come true,’ he said.

‘When [Argentina and former Sharks scrumhalf] Nicolas [Miranda] heard there was a chance of me going to the Sharks he phoned me, and he was beside himself with excitement. He said “Go! you will love it there”.’
Sourced via keo.co.za

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