As the one South African franchise that arguably has the money to seriously compete for Investec Champions Cup glory in the future, the experiences that the Hollywoodbets Sharks have picked up this season have not been in vain.
The Sharks are fourth in Pool 1 with just one win from three starts. But while the quality of rugby produced by the two teams below them, Ulster and Exeter Chiefs, has made an advance to the round of 16 almost certain, coach John Plumtree will be realistic about his side’s prospects of being at the EPCR finals weekend they were part of last year when they won the Challenge Cup.
A bonus point, or even just keeping a losing margin against the Bordeaux Begles in their final group match in Bordeaux on Sunday will be enough to ensure the Sharks of an advance to the knock-outs. However, the seedings that determine who plays who and where in the remainder of the competition are determined by where you finish in your pool and log points picked up, so as it stands the Sharks will have to travel for the rest of the competition, from the round of 16, if they want to win it.
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INURY CRISIS PLAYED ROLE IN TOULOUSE DEFEAT
That gives them a very outside chance, even if as hoped a phalanx of top Springboks, including Eben Etzebeth, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi, are back in the selection mix when the knock-outs arrive. Make no mistake, the injury crisis currently being experienced by the Sharks would have played a role in their 20-8 defeat to champions Toulouse at Hollywoodbets Kings Park at the weekend.
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“If we had a full-strength Sharks side, we would have made it look more interesting,” said Plumtree after a game where it felt like Toulouse, playing in humid conditions that were completely alien to them, were content to just keep the Sharks at arms length.
“I don’t want to discredit the players that we had out there, but it’s obviously disruptive to lose players every week with injury. And with the calendar season that we have, the squad has got to be quality. We’ve got six or seven key players that would make a massive difference to our team, and it stresses the squad.”
While not wanting to “discredit” the players who played against Toulouse, Plumtree said that the calendar faced by SA teams competing in two European competitions made it imperative for them to have deeper squads than they do currently. Given that the Sharks are more well heeled financially than the others, and have a Galacticos squad by comparison, Plumtree’s words sum up what a challenge it will be for the local teams to ever properly challenge the French behemoth teams Toulouse, La Rochelle and Bordeaux, plus Leinster, for the title.
Until the South African rugby administrators can come up with a plan that does away with the current 12 month season and introduces a much needed proper off-season for players to refresh and recondition themselves, the cycle the Sharks are in may well continue, as it will for the other SA sides competing in both the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the Champions Cup.
SPOKE OUT BEFORE NEW YEAR
As the coach with the most Springboks on his book, it is understandable that it was Plumtree who spoke out before New Year with a warning that the non-stop treadmill of rugby might end up negatively impacting the country’s chances of making it a three-peat at the next Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
But the fact the national team is on a southern hemisphere schedule courtesy of their participation in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship is not the only factor impacting the injury crisis that the Sharks, DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls have all experienced this season. The decision to schedule the Carling Currie Cup for the months when it should have been the offseason has also proved calamitous.
Several players who featured heavily in the playoff stages of that competition have been out for the Sharks while the Emirates Lions might now be paying for the fact they were the province that competes in the URC that took the domestic competition more seriously than the others. It isn’t a coincidence that the Stormers suddenly appear to be the form team locally - they paid the price for the 12 month season in the initial months of the northern hemisphere season that the franchises are aligned to but they now have their top players returning from injury.
INJURIES CONTRIBUTED TO MAGNITUDE OF AWAY DEFEATS
The injury lists at the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks have contributed to the big defeats suffered in away Champions Cup games. Whereas last season the Bulls and Stormers were competitive in away clashes against Lyon and Leicester Tigers respectively when they fielded under-strength teams, this year they were smashed and it was because the injuries meant their under-strength sides became more third than second string.
Had so many top players not been missing at the time due to injury, the Sharks could have gone to Leicester in December for their second Pool game with a stronger team - and given themselves a chance of at least returning to South Africa with a consolation bonus point or two.
As it turns out, that would have made the world of difference now, for one more point would have made the Sharks’ place in the round of 16 secure regardless of what happens in the final round. Those who have watched or covered a lot of Champions Cup rugby warned when SA first joined that bonus points make a huge difference in the initial phase, and that has proved to be the case.
The Sharks were playing for what would have been a crucial bonus point towards the end of the Toulouse game but in the end fell just short.
“We spoke at halftime about the need to hold on to the ball for longer periods of time and start putting them under a bit of pressure and I think we did that, particularly in the last 20 to 30 minutes, when they had to do some defending,” said Plumtree.
THE EXPERIENCE WILL GROW CONFIDENCE
The try scored by Jurenzo Julius that put the Sharks within a score of a losing bonus point was a gem and will give the youngster confidence next time he plays Champions Cup rugby. Ditto fullback Hakeem Kunene, who cost his team a try with a mistake made early in the game but recovered to deliver a solid performance on a day when flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse was the only real home team standout.
In his search for positives, Plumtree will see the experience that was accumulated as invaluable, as was the fact they have now played the top team in the competition and know now just what the top French sides are all about.
“We play Bordeaux next week, a team that plays similar rugby to Toulouse in some ways. This is going to prep us well for it, but it might be a bit cooler where we’re going.”
Toulouse never quite appeared to engage top gear, and to be fair it would be naive for anyone to head to Kings Park at the height of summer when it is humid expecting a quality game, but Plumtree was nonetheless impressed by the visitors.
“You could just see they are a classy outfit. Just the way they applied pressure. Not just through their defence and their set piece, their continuity play and attack was outstanding, their offloading and ability to keep the ball alive. That’s their game, that’s what makes them so dangerous.”