The experienced Springbok centre says the Sharks must stay united, through highs and lows, if they want their first win of the season.
Coordination will be crucial as the star-studded Sharks chase their first United Rugby Championship win in their fifth-round clash with Scarlets at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Durban side have recorded one draw and three losses, including last weekend’s 34-26 defeat to Ulster at home, despite fielding 13 Springboks in the starting XV and four more on the bench.
Head coach John Plumtree said there would be no excuses. Five Springboks came straight into the side from international duty, yet the Sharks were still outplayed and hurt by poor discipline, conceding two yellow cards – one upgraded to a red.
Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi is unavailable for the Scarlets match as he serves a five-game suspension for his tip-tackle.
‘We need to play like a team’ – Esterhuizen
Sharks and Springbok centre André Esterhuizen echoed Plumtree’s sentiments. He said the team looked world-class on paper, but that meant nothing without cohesion.
“It’s no use having a superstar team if we don’t play like one,” he said. “Everything revolves around the team. Everyone needs to get on the same page so we can play at the level we know we can.”
He admitted individual errors and lack of cohesion cost them against Ulster. However, after “hard meetings” on Monday, the Sharks players responded positively.
“We had a hard look at ourselves. We can’t change what happened, so we’re focusing on Scarlets before the big break. We need to rectify things.”
Esterhuizen said he had been part of many comebacks and shared the key message: stick together.
“As soon as things go bad and players go different ways, things get worse. Follow the plan and play to the best of our ability as a team. Stick together, whether it’s going well or badly.”
Sharks prepare for dangerous side with attacking flair
Scarlets are also winless but have only played three matches, with one postponed. They sit bottom of the table with no points, coming off a 29-18 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park.
Esterhuizen warned the Welsh side can be unpredictable.
“They like a loose, messy game and play off turnovers. Last year was messy here too, with lots of breakdown turnovers.”
The Sharks centre expects a physical contest against a side that also plays with flair.
“They like attacking, running rugby. We need to counter that and play to our strengths.”
