Sharks superstar Siya Kolisi has highlighted the fighting spirit of his teammates as they prepare for their United Rugby Championship semifinal showdown.
Kolisi is the first to admit that while the Sharks have been getting results, many of their performances have left fans frustrated, especially given their Springbok-laden squad.
No doubt, all will be forgiven should they lift the URC trophy later this month.
“There has been good progress from us this year in terms of the results, but I think the thing we have learned the most about ourselves this season, and which has been the point of difference from previous years, is that we know we can fight,” the double World Cup winner told the press this week.
“We have won games that in previous years we would have lost. An example was the home game against the Bulls.
“We had injuries and several players were missing, but, as has been the case all season, other players were able to come in and do the job for us. That is what we do. We fight and we don’t give up.
“At the end of the day, people will say what they want about how you played, but the result is what matters.
“Of course, you want to play well and improve, but we were able to fight at Edinburgh, and again at Ulster, and that’s what counts. It’s hard to win away, and we managed to do it even when we weren’t at our best.”
Kolisi is under no illusions as to the massive challenge that awaits the Sharks in Pretoria. While they have won the last two matches against the Bulls, Jake White’s men appeared to have turned the corner at the back end of the URC season.
“It’s going to be a physical game, definitely,” continued Kolisi, who heaped praise on the plethora of Bulls stars.
“The set piece will be vital, but there’s so much else – attack, defence, turnovers – which both sides thrive on.
“I am expecting from the Bulls what they are good at. They score a lot of tries from the lineouts, they are a good mauling side, and they play a lot off the lineouts, both off the top and with their driving.
“They have really strong loosies, and there is a reason that Cameron Hanekom, who is an amazing player, is in contention for URC Player of the Year.
“Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been a standout, Ruan Nortje, Marcell [Coetzee] – if you look at their pack and suss out their form, both individually and as a collective, it is clear that their pack is going to be a big challenge for us.
“And the guys at the back are as good. Embrose [Papier] is amazing, and Willie [le Roux] takes charge. Canan [Moodie] makes decisions on the outside and is extremely dangerous. They are great at scoring off counter-attacks and turnovers. We know we will have our work cut out, and we will have to be very good to win this one.
“As for the pack, we know it’s going to be a real battle up front, so we’ll have to stand our ground.
“There’s a lot we have to watch. That’s what makes preparing for them difficult – they’ve got so many ways to hurt you. They score off the counter, off turnovers, too.
“We’ve got to focus on executing our plan on the day, because if you spend too much time worrying about them, where do you even begin to stop them?”
There will be Springboks aplenty on the Loftus Versfeld pitch when the Bulls host the Sharks for a place in the URC Final next week.
