In what is a big blow for Saturday's visitors, the highly experienced Etzebeth picked up an injury during training this week and is replaced in the starting side by Corne Rahl. Rahl is joined in the second row by Emile van Heerden, who takes over from Jason Jenkins after the latter failed to recover from an injury picked up in the Sharks' dramatic quarter-final victory over Munster last week.
Deon Slabbert comes on to the bench in place of Jenkins, while Jurenzo Julius is preferred to Francois Venter among the replacements in the only other change from last time out.
A relatively inexperienced engine room aside, Sharks coach John Plumtree has been able to name no fewer than eight World Cup winners in his starting XV, and will hope that experience will help his side reach their first ever URC final.
The Sharks front row see Ox Nche and Bongi Mbonambi combine with Vincent Koch, while Siya Kolisi captains the side at eighth man, where he is joined in the back row by James Venter and Vincent Tshituka.
Quarter-final heroes Jordan and Jaden Hendrikse form the half-back pairing, and Andre Esterhuizen partners fellow Springbok Lukhanyo Am in midfield.
Wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Ethan Hooker provide the threat out wide, and Aphelele Fassi is tasked with manning the last line of defence in the number 15 jersey.
Kolisi, who earlier this week said critics of the team's playing style did not faze him, is backing his team to lean on their experience of tight games to get past a talented Bulls team at Loftus Versfeld this weekend.
"The most important thing is finding a way to win when things aren't going well," Kolisi said.
"I've been in a team where we played amazing rugby and we still lost. You can have that, or you can have what we’re going through.
"But the ultimate goal is to play the kind of rugby we know we’re capable of playing."
Leinster host Glasgow Warriors in Saturday's other semi-final in Dublin.
Hollywoodbets Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Corne’ Rahl, 5 Emile van Heerden, 6 James Venter, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 8 Siya Kolisi (c),
Replacements: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Deon Slabbert, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Jurenzo Julius, 23 Yaw Penxe.
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