The Sharks will look not to make it a tight affair on the scoreboard when they face Munster in their first home quarter-final of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Too often this season, they had some nail-biting results on their way to the play-offs and if it depends on captain Eben Etzebeth, they will want to steer away from that on Saturday. But he added that those close encounters galvanised the side for what awaits in the knockouts.
Munster will stand in their way of a semi-final and according to Etzebeth, they are eager to get things done. A victory will see them stay in South Africa for a potential semi in Durban or a trip to Pretoria to face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
Etzebeth, who has spent a significant chunk of the season on the touchline due to various injuries, says it’s weird for him to say his body feels fresh ahead of the knockouts.
“I have only played a couple of minutes this year, which has been quite frustrating,” Etzebeth said on Tuesday.
“With the concussion, there is no timeline to return. It depends on your symptoms and how you respond to certain treatments. That was the frustrating part, thinking you’d be back in a week or two and then it is longer.
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“I eventually returned and then picked up a hamstring injury and had to sit out a bit more. It was quite a frustrating time. But I am back, and it was good to get my first 80 minutes under the belt against Scarlets.
“When you play 20 minutes here or 60 minutes there, it’s good but once you finally get that full 80 minutes of rugby, that is when you feel you are back in the mix. Hopefully, I can kick on from here and play a couple of games without any niggles or problems,” he added.
All in 😤
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With the side playing at Kings Park, they will have a proper shot at getting past the quarters for the first time. Munster are former champions, though, and in their winning season, they played all three of their knockout games away from home and eventually won the tournament against the defending champions of then, the Stormers, in Cape Town.
So, Etzebeth and his troops are aware of the prowess of the Irish club and what it will take to knock them out this weekend. During their last meeting in Durban, in round six of the regular season, the home side won comfortably 41-24.
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“This is the first time we are hosting a quarter-final, so it is definitely an advantage. Two seasons ago, Munster played a semi and final away. I am not sure if they played the quarter-finals away as well.
“They are used to playoff success and winning away from home in knockout games, which is important because what you did before does not count (any longer). It is a good opportunity for us to progress further in the competition.
“We have the home crowd advantage and we are doing it in front of our fans, so it’s a massive bonus,” Etzebeth concluded.
