Sharks selection for Leicester was warning to Bulls

When the Hollywoodbets Sharks unveiled their team for this past weekend’s Investec Champions Cup clash with Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, it would not have scared their English opponents, but it should have been seen as a warning to the Vodacom Bulls.

Although the Sharks do have a well publicised lengthy list of injuries, there were still several Springboks not on the injured list who did not travel to England - Bok skipper Siya Kolisi, Aphelele Fassi, Ox Nche, Makazole Mapimpi for a start. Even had Sharks coach John Plumtree gone just with his fit Boks, his team would still have stood a much better chance against Leicester, and at the very least they may have returned with a valuable bonus point.

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Instead they shipped more than 50 points in a game that, coupled with the DHL Stormers’ later capitulation to Harlequins with an equally under-strength team, certainly did not increase the appetite overseas for the South African teams to be part of what is supposed to be a competition to determine the best team in Europe.

But Plumtree will argue correctly that he had no choice and the reason he had no choice is because of what comes next for the Sharks - while the Durban franchise has targeted Champions Cup success as a goal, they know from experience that not measuring up in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship means exclusion from the Champions Cup.

And with their desire to turn Hollywoodbets Kings Park into a home fortress also clearly in mind, the message that came out of the Sharks team announcement was a clear one. It would have read something like this “With five log points already in the bag we can worry about Champions Cup knock-out qualification in January but right now our priority is beating the Bulls”.

The Sharks were disappointed with their tour to the northern hemisphere that started their URC campaign, with the loss to Benetton being a particular low point, but they picked up impressive momentum in a three match home run that saw them beat three previous champions in the competition - the reigning title holders Glasgow Warriors, Munster and the Stormers.

The Bulls have been finalists twice and will arrive in Durban as the top performing South African URC team in the current season. Knocking them over in what should be regarded as an eagerly anticipated derby given the growth of both teams in recent times, that despite the Bulls’ two setbacks in the Champions Cup, will be another huge statement.

It would also give Plumtree some leeway when he considers his selections for the next game against the Stormers in Cape Town a week later. Do his Springboks, who toil all year on a 12-month rugby treadmill because of South Africa’s commitment to the southern season at international level but the northern one at franchise/club level, really need to be spending the Christmas week at work?

There is some enthusiasm from the URC organisers over the idea of festive season rugby in South Africa but it appears that it is now only really the Cape franchise that plays along. The Bulls and Lions will both be on holiday, like the rest of the country is, over the week between Christmas and New Year.

The Bulls will be able to go hammer and tongs against the Sharks in the knowledge that after Saturday’s game they won’t be in action again until 11 January, when the next round of the Champions Cup is due. What better motivation for the Sharks’ top players to do the same than have their coach whisper in their ear that “Win this one and you can have Christmas off”.

Losing to the Bulls will take away a lot of that breathing space for Plumtree and his players, so it is understandable that, to coin an expression his Stormers counterpart John Dobson has used in the past, he intends going “Full Metal Jacket” at the Bulls game. Apart from anything else it is a home derby, and he would have noted the enthusiasm of the Durban rugby public and atmosphere generated by the Stormers’ visit a few weeks ago.

Of course there might be some injury assessments to be done in the buildup that will impact the Sharks’ chances. Eben Etzebeth was concussed against Exeter Chiefs and his HIA protocols will only be completed a few days ahead of the game. Without Etzebeth the Sharks aren’t the same team, and ditto Bongi Mbonambi, who was also injured against the Chiefs and might be out for a while.