Durban – The Sharks have literally paid top dollar to have some of the biggest names in South African rugby on their books and coach Sean Everitt is in agreement that if ever there was a time for the likes of Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am and Bongi Mbonambi to live up to their billing, it is in today’s URC quarter-final against the Bulls.
In the Sharks’ last match, against Ulster in Belfast, the above-mentioned trio were off the pace by their standards and if the written-off Sharks aim to upset the Bulls on their home turf, these seasoned Springboks need to lead the way.
“They need to stand up tomorrow, they have the experience of knockout rugby in a Cup which is the pinnacle of the game,” Everitt said.
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“They can give confidence to their teammates and given their quality and proven ability on the big stage, I am sure they will be on top of their games for this one.”
Everitt said that off the field, too, Kolisi and Co have a major role to play.
“The build-up to the kick-off is very important,” Everitt added. “We are at the exciting stage of the play-offs in one of the top rugby competitions on the planet and it is important that the guys enjoy it. And calmness is vital and needs to be felt by everyone because that is when you focus. Obviously, the senior guys who have done it all before can lead the way.”
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Everitt says his team has digested the fact that few are giving them any chance of toppling the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
“The underdog tag suits us and it motivates us,” he admitted. “The Bulls are a formidable team at home, but fortunately we have had success there (they have beaten the Bulls twice in the URC) and the guys are not daunted by the challenge.
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“When you get to the quarter-finals, anyone from one to eight has an opportunity to win it,” the coach continued. “Knockout rugby is about being in it, and we certainly are and we have played good rugby to get to this point — that defeat to Ulster away in our last game does not make us a bad team all of a sudden.”
The Sharks have had two disappointing results in the URC in which they let themselves down — the defeats to Edinburgh and Ulster, but Everitt says they learnt lessons that are crucial to this quarter-final.
“We learnt the hard way that you can’t afford soft moments on defence,” he said.
“Against big teams and indeed in play-off rugby, it is so difficult to get across the line so you can’t be giving the opposition easy shots. You get no second chances in these huge encounters.”
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