The Sharks have gone into a week’s break in the United Rugby Championship in fourth place on the log, one point behind the Bulls who they defeated 29-19.
Speaking after the match, Sharks assistant coach David Williams admitted the brutal nature of the derby.
“The game was a real contest,” he said.
“You never sat there as a coach and thought, ‘This is going to be an easy game.’ The Bulls pride themselves on playing at home, and it was a proper contest throughout. This was another step in our journey to become a force in the URC.”
Despite the side being understrength for this match, those who played once again put their hands up. This only bodes well for the future, says Williams.
“The Sharks as an organization represent a united front, we know we need a squad that can qualify for play-offs and win tournaments, and utilizing the whole squad throughout the season is important,” he added.
“It was great for these guys to get an opportunity. And someone like [Man of the Match] Tino Mavesere put both hands up for inclusion in that back row.
“As a group, we have a lot of belief. We knew going into this game that the points of pressure would come from the Bulls. The yellow cards obviously weren’t planned for, but the fight and intent the players showed for the 80 minutes was outstanding.”
Comparing the progress of the team now to a year ago, Williams was adamant that the team has made big strides.
“We had a new coaching staff, a new group of players, and we learned a lot in that first year, and we’re just building on that now.”
There were many individual contributions in a game that required a team effort, and there were standout performances across the board. More and more, notice is being taken of Jurenzo Julius, who seems to catch attention.
“I spoke to him when he joined the Sharks, and one of the reasons he came to Durban was the people in that position he could learn from, and what Lukhanyo Am is sharing with him – and Ethan Hooker – is outstanding,” said Williams.
Going forward, the Sharks coaching staff will have a delicate balancing act as they integrate players back into the squad for the next block of fixtures while looking to maintain continuity in team selection and play, taking cognizance of the contribution of many younger players.
“It strengthens the depth of our group as those players come back from resting protocols and injuries, and what the guys did in this game just raises our standards. When we get back into training and filter players back in, we will have great competition in the squad. We’ll slowly filter players back in and rotate in this next block.”
Williams also had thoughts on the contribution of the fans, who were vocal and passionate in their support of the Sharks, even in enemy territory.
“That’s the great thing about working for the Sharks, even when traveling in Europe, is seeing the people come out in support. This is such a special brand, and we love it when fans come out and support us all around the world.”
