The Sharks will be banking on their fighting spirit to pull them through in their URC semifinal clash against the Bulls at Loftus.
Springbok legend and Sharks loose forward Siya Kolisi says that the fight shown by the Durban side over their end of season run has set them up well for their United Rugby Championship (URC) semifinal clash against the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday evening.
A lot has been said about the Sharks not being at their best over the past couple of months, but they have still found a way to regularly win, including in their URC quarterfinal over the past weekend in a thrilling penalty shootout against Munster, after the teams ended level at 24-all after 100 minutes.
It was the fourth tight result in their last five games for the Sharks, but they have won them all, coming from behind at halftime against Edinburgh and Ulster on the road, while at home they were level with Scarlets at halftime and behind against Munster, before pulling through.
Fighting spirit
That fighting spirit will be incredibly important when they come up against the Bulls, who they have already beaten twice this season, for a place in the URC final.
“It has been good,” said Kolisi about the team’s winning run. “What we have learnt about ourselves as a team is that we can fight in games like that … whereas in previous years we would have lost those games.
“The growth in the team and the squad as well, guys that have come in when others are not playing, they have stood up and fought. I remember the game here at home against the Bulls (in December), a lot of guys couldn’t play, and the guys who came in stood up and fought.
“At the end of the day people will say what they want to about the way we play. But the result is all that matters. Of course you want to play well, but we were able to fight at Edinburgh and Ulster as well and that matters. It’s hard to win away, and we were able to do it not playing our best rugby.”
Focus on themselves
Kolisi admits that the Sharks’ aim this weekend will be on pulling off their own game plan, as the Bulls have too many threats across the park for them to try and focus on, which would disrupt them.
“We are expecting what they are good at. They have scored most of their tries from lineouts, they are a good mauling side. They actually play a lot off the top with strong loose forwards,” explained Kolisi.
“Cameron Hanekom has been amazing this season, that’s why he is one of the contenders for player of the year. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, with how he has been playing, also Ruan Nortje and Marcell (Coetzee).
“As a pack we know up front it is going to be a big challenge and we are going to have to stand up to that.
“Then you have guys at the back, like Embrose (Papier) who has been amazing. Willie (le Roux), who takes charge and directs the attack of the Bulls, and the wingers who can finish. Canan (Moodie) makes great decisions on the outside.
“So there is a lot that we have to look at, and that’s why it is difficult to prepare for them, because there is so much they can do to you. They score off counter and turnovers as well. So for us we are going to have to be at our best with our plan we have for the day and focus on that.”
