Plumtree praises Boks but new boys are revelatory

John Plumtree has always said the Hollywoodbets Sharks will be a different animal when he has the use of all his Springboks, particularly at forward, so it would have been understandable if he allowed himself to feel vindicated after Saturday’s 22-12 win over Ulster.

He didn’t go for all of his returning Boks in the starting line-up, with Vincent Koch making his Sharks debut off the bench and another World Cup winner in Ox Nche also only coming on later in the match. But there were seven Bok World Cup winners in his squad and, with the players who started ahead of the two Boks in the front row, Ntuthuko Mchunu playing his 50th game and tighthead Hanro Jacobs, also excelling, the big men laid a good platform for an important win.

Plumtree agrees that the significance might not be to the URC itself, for the Sharks are out of the running for a top-eight finish in the team’s primary competition. That means though that nothing less than lifting the EPCR Challenge Cup title at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May will be needed if the Sharks are to get into the Investec Champions Cup next year.

The Sharks host Zebre the week after next (6 April) in their Challenge Cup round of 16 clash and will be strongly favoured to get through into a quarterfinal in Durban a week later. Plumtree says that what happens in the URC before then all leads up to that point.

“We have another tough URC game against Edinburgh next week. The first two URC games against Ulster and Edinburgh are all about preparation for the upcoming EPCR game.

We really want to do well in that competition,” said Plumtree.

SHARKS’ NUISANCE VALUE WILL BE APPRECIATED ELSEWHERE

The Challenge Cup is certainly a much-needed lifeline for the Sharks after their poor season, but they will still want to do as well as they can in the URC. Their potential nuisance value to the other top contenders will aid the other South African teams vying for top-four finishes, particularly the DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions (the Bulls are pretty safe for a top-four finish).

Edinburgh are now sixth after losing to the Stormers but are still challenging strongly as there aren’t many log points separating the teams in the top 10 positions on the URC log. Plumtree will know that Edinburgh are targeting the Hollywoodbets Kings Park game for a win on their two-match tour as former Sharks coach Sean Everitt, now in charge of Edinburgh, rested his Six Nations contingent against the Stormers.

Edinburgh were well beaten by the Stormers, with their 22-point losing margin actually flattering the visitors, who conceded seven tries, but having the likes of Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman back in the mix should galvanise the Scottish team.

RELIEF FOR PLUMTREE

For once though the Sharks don’t have to report to work this Monday morning in need of a pick-me-up.

“There is certainly a lot of relief. It is good to see a lot more smiles. It’s been pretty tough. We have been working hard for the last couple of weeks. So I am happy for the players,” said the coach.

“It has been frustrating times for a lot of people here, including the staff. So, it’s good to come on Monday with sets of work-ons and not have to pick the team up. Hopefully, we keep building from here.”

What was evident against Ulster was that while Plumtree is right when he says the international players lifted those around them, there’s actually quite a bit to crow about for the Sharks when it comes to newcomers impressing.

HOOKER IS A STANDOUT NEWCOMER

He may not be the long-term answer, but Siya Masuku is definitely an improvement at flyhalf on what has gone before in terms of engaging the opposition defenders by being flatter and bringing the players around him into the game. And as for Westville Boys High School old boy Ethan Hooker, we have to ask why it has taken so long for the Sharks to play him.

Hooker was impressive in his first start against the Lions as an outside centre a few weeks ago but in the No 12 jersey against Ulster, he was even more impressive. His pace was on show and pivotal in setting up the all-important first Sharks try as they bounced back from an early deficit, easily winning the race against some really pacy players to kick ahead and then win that race too after the initial breakout kick had come from Aphelele Fassi.

He looks strong and is one of those line straighteners you need at inside centre, and it was no surprise given the players he had inside him that skipper Lukhanyo Am started to look more like his old self in the No 13 jersey.

Another player who has excelled in the last two matches is former Griquas wing Eduan Keyter. The product of the Affies rugby factory would have been one of my examples of a poor Sharks buy - the franchise has a lot of wings - before he got his first proper opportunity against the Lions and he followed up with another committed and forceful performance against Ulster that erases those question marks. He looks like an excellent buy for the Sharks as he makes up for time he spent off the field earlier in his stint in Durban because of injury.