The Cell Sharks shouldn’t have been playing this week. Their game against Ulster at HollywoodBets Kings Park wasn’t scheduled for February, it was scheduled for late October. It was the game that didn’t happen, and that some argued should have been a forfeit.
For the Sharks, the rescheduling should be a reason for them to take extra edge into Saturday’s game. Cast your minds back - Ulster arrived in Durban to play a Sharks team that had just beaten Glasgow Warriors 40-12 in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship league game. It was the first time the Sharks had started to approach full strength, with Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth producing a powerful man-of-the-match performance on debut for his new franchise.
But there were still some players set to be bled into the system. The Ulster game was going to be the occasion when the Durban faithful got to see their new team at full strength for the first time. And it coincided with a Fans Day at the Kings Park complex, with the unveiling of the Sharks’ riches set to be accompanied by much razzmatazz.
I made my way to Durban for that game, and was looking forward to the occasion. The Sharks, with all their Boks in tow, would have been overwhelming favourites then to score a good win, possibly with a bonus point, to climb them up the log. But on the way into Kings Park to get my media parking ticket on the Friday afternoon before the game, the news broke - the game had been cancelled/postponed due to Ulster not being able to fulfil their commitment due to the outbreak within the squad of a form of gastro virus.
THERE WAS LOCAL ANGER
They happened to be staying in Umhlanga Rocks, where I was also staying. A friend who is a headmistress at a school in the area, told me there was a severe strain of gastro going through her school. A lot of people had it. So perhaps it wasn’t such a surprise, and Glasgow Warriors, who were also staying in Umhlanga, also had it. The postponement of the Kings Park game happened simultaneously with the postponement of Glasgow’s commitment to play the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg.
But while there was a virus going around, there was also some anger among local officials. The Ulster and Glasgow managements knew earlier in the week that they had a problem, why didn’t they call for reinforcements from home? For the overseas teams, South Africa is just an overnight fight. They don’t fly via Qatar like the South African teams do. Was an outbreak of gastro enough reason for the teams not to fulfil their commitment and shouldn’t they forfeit the log points?
Sharks officials and a very livid SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus certainly leant towards the latter outcome. For a while there was doubt about whether the game would be a postponement or a cancellation. The Sharks lost a lot because the game never took place when it should have - there were reports in the media at the time that they’d spent millions of rands around the planned entertainment for the day and that money was wasted.
You could also argue that the game not being played then might have had an even more profound impact on how the Sharks’ season has gone. For instance, had they won against Ulster in Durban, and had the fringe players in that game had the opportunity to get game time, the calamitous defeat to Cardiff that later cost Sean Everitt his job as coach might not have happened. The momentum of the Sharks’ season might have been completely different.
RESCHEDULING MEANT SHARKS LOST USE OF BOKS
Ultimately though it was decided the games would still be played, and a time in the calendar found to accommodate it. Why Erasmus wasn’t happy was because he knew February, which was the most likely date for a rescheduling, would be when the Springboks were following their resting protocols.
Those plans couldn’t be changed, the Bok rest had to coincide with the playing of the Six Nations, when there were fewer URC commitments and no Heineken Champions Cup games. But it was understandable why the Sharks were miffed - their full-strength side is more potent than their alternative team, and would have had a great chance of winning in October. Now… well, you can’t be so sure.
The postponement shouldn’t have made as much difference to the Lions, although Glasgow are arguably in much better form now than they were in October when they were only just starting out under the coaching of Franco Smith. The Lions themselves were in good form then, having just returned from a winning overseas tour and only narrowly losing to Ulster.
But for the Sharks it should make a huge difference, and while Ulster have picked up momentum recently with the exception of their narrow defeat last week in Glasgow, the Sharks will be going all out for the win they should have got in October.
CAN LIFT THEMSELVES TO FIFTH
Although seventh on the log currently, the Sharks can lift themselves to fifth if they win on Saturday, which will put them on the cusp of challenging for a top-four place and home-ground advantage in the first playoff game.
“It is a massive game for us,” agreed Sharks centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg.
“Every week is huge for us as we are getting closer and closer to the top five. If we win on Saturday it will take us to fifth. It is also important to win against teams like Leinster and Ulster when you play them at home as they are so well drilled, and the margin of error against them is way less than normal.
“So when they come here to play us on our home turf, we must make use of the opportunity. Getting those log points on Saturday is massive. Every point matters now.”
Van Rensburg says the team hasn’t spoken about it this week, but there is another reason why the Sharks should feel they owe Ulster one - it was against them at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast last year that the Sharks’ quest for a top-four place was ended in the final game of the league stage. A fairly comfortable Ulster win meant the Sharks had to go to Pretoria for their quarterfinal instead of hosting a game at Kings Park.
“No one has spoken about last season, this is just a massive game for us and we are focusing on what we can do as a team. Against a quality side like Ulster you must pitch or you will be in trouble,” he said.
The Sharks team for the Ulster game will be announced on Friday morning.