RUGBY
Mike Greenaway|Published
Sharks coach JP Pietersen wants his team to build on the confidence gained from last weekend’s hard-fought victory in France by backing up that performance against Cardiff in Wales on Friday night.
The Durban side showed character to beat Lyon in a Challenge Cup match, but Pietersen knows they can’t keep making life difficult for themselves as they look to establish momentum in the United Rugby Championship.
The Sharks lost to the Stormers in their last URC match after starting with two home wins.
The Lyon win also came at an opportune time, giving the Sharks’ returning Springboks a positive environment in which to rejoin the squad ahead of a challenging away assignment.
“The confidence we will definitely take, but the challenge will always be with us: can we turn the confidence into consistent performance?” Pietersen said.
“We talk about it as a group. Can we be consistent and not give a rollercoaster performance sometimes? I think it will come because we have experience, youth, and we have guys who have just come in from a different franchise.
“But how can we be more consistent? That’s what we’re looking for going to Cardiff.”
Pietersen believes the foundations for a more reliable Sharks outfit were laid in a productive pre-season and a leadership group determined to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
The squad spent 10 weeks together preparing for the campaign, emphasising physical robustness and a shared understanding of what they want to achieve.
“I think it all comes down to the good pre-season. And there’s definitely a buzz in the group, some good leadership,” Pietersen added.
Pietersen singled out co-captains Nick Hatton and Emil van Heerden, along with players such as Ethan Hooker and experienced Springbok prop Vincent Koch, for working to create unity within the squad.
“When the senior guys aren’t playing, they put a lot of effort into getting the group aligned and getting a vision of where we want to go,” Pietersen said.
“I must give massive credit to the leadership group.”
The Sharks face a formidable challenge in Cardiff, who finished in the URC top eight last season and have built a strong home record. Pietersen also has to prepare for a Welsh side with a distinctly South African flavour.
Former Sharks centre Leroux Malan is in the Cardiff starting line-up, alongside South African scrumhalf Johan Mulder, while the head coach is former Cheetahs and Italy lock Corniel van Zyl.
“Corniel is a very good coach,” Pietersen said. “I can see that in last year's results – Cardiff made the quarter-finals.”
“And their record is pretty good at home. They only lost one game last year at home.”
Malan’s familiarity with the Sharks adds another intriguing dimension to the contest, having played for the Durban franchise until recently.
“Leroux Malan obviously was with us last season, so he knows the ins and outs about the players. He will definitely share his knowledge about us,” he said.
“And when you play against your mates, you want to bring it too. We know it will be a good battle. And Leroux Malan is a good player too.”
Sharks team to play Cardiff
15 Zekhethelo Siyaya 14 Edwill van der Merwe 13 Jurenzo Julius 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Ethan Hooker 10 Gianni Lombard 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Nick Hatton (capt) 7 Manu Tshituka 6 Matt Romao 5 Emile van Heerden 4 Jason Jenkins 3 Hanro Jacobs 2 Eduan Swart 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester 17 Ox Nche 18 Thomas du Toit 19 Stephan Lewies 20 Vincent Tshituka 21 Ivan van Zyl 22 Siya Masuku 23 Jaco Williams.