Veteran Sharks forward Stephan Lewies says the squad are riding the wave of confidence from their hard-fought victory over Lyon as they turn their attention to this weekend's United Rugby Championship clash against Cardiff.
Speaking to the media ahead of Friday night's encounter, Lewies reflected on the character shown by a youthful Sharks outfit in France last weekend, where they scored after the hooter to seal a memorable victory with a rookie side.
"To go to France, a hostile environment, away from home, and get the victory is special," Lewies said.
"I think sometimes when you're young, you don't realise what you achieved, and I think for many of these players, that'll probably be the case. .. But I think the pleasing thing for us is how we stuck in the fight with the scoreboards, we were up and down, and to have a full 80 or 82-minute performance to score there and get a victory with such a young group, I think we can be proud of that and we can build on that in the future."
The veteran lock added that overcoming adversity in tight matches builds invaluable resilience within the group: "When times are maybe a bit tougher, you can look back on those victories where you were relentless and fight towards the end... and you get confidence that you can do it again."
Looking ahead to Friday night's fixture at Cardiff Arms Park, assistant coach Warren Whiteley confirmed that the team's returning Springboks have fully integrated into the touring squad following their arrival on Sunday.
Addressing the tactical challenge posed by the Welsh side, coached by former Cheetahs lock Corniel van Zyl, Whiteley highlighted the set-piece battle as a pivotal focal point.
"They're a quality, quality team, and we know Corniel has a lot of experience when it comes to the set-piece and especially lineout," Whiteley noted. "He's an astute lineout coach and he's very smart. It's going to be a massive battle, and that will be one of the big, big areas of the game."
The team will also have to contend with Cardiff's artificial 4G surface, a feature Lewies admitted is rarely favoured by players.
"I prefer grass," Lewies said with a smile. "I think there's small subtleties in terms of the ball bounce a bit higher... so when there's scraps you have to be a bit more alert when you're placing the ball on grass, it lies there a little bit more. But at the end of the day, it's rugby between four lines. You can't change that; both teams playing on the same surface."
Armed with momentum, a growing belief among the younger contingent, and reinforcements from the national fold, the Sharks will look to maintain their fast, physical, and relentless identity under the Friday night lights in the Welsh capital.