The Sharks have had their two URC “warm-up games”, and now they switch to what is the real business for them – winning the Challenge Cup, starting with a last-16 match against Zebre in Durban on Sunday (4pm kickoff).
We say “warm-ups” because the Sharks have pretty much written off the URC, because they are too far behind to have any hope of making play-off territory (the top eight), so their energy is being focused on the second-tier knockout competition.
Winning silverware is only part of it, and the juicier carrot is the reward of automatic passage to next year’s Champions Cup for the winners.
A few weeks back, coach John Plumtree said the plan was to use the URC games against Ulster and Edinburgh to get his returning Springboks up to speed, as well as a few players who have been out injured.
After winning both those games comfortably, Plumtree reflected: “The plan was to get everyone playing across the two games, and to get the confidence back by winning them.
“We have achieved both objectives, and it is fair to say we are heavily focused on Zebre and building up a head of steam as the Challenge Cup unfolds.”
The Sharks will surely beat the Italian team that have replaced them at the bottom of the URC log, and then they will host a Challenge Cup playoff against the winner of this weekend’s match between Edinburgh and Bayonne.
If they win that quarter-final, they travel to London to “host” a semi-final at The Stoop, Harlequins’ ground, due to competition rules not allowing South African teams to play semi-finals and finals of the Champions and Challenge Cups at home.
If you look at the Sharks’ potential coming games in the cup, they have a good chance of going all the way.
And on Sunday, they have that little bit of extra motivation to put Zebre away by a big score because they lost to the men from Parma soon after the start of the URC.
The Sharks had started their campaign promisingly, with Plumtree back in charge, and a side without the current Springboks made a good fist of tour games against Irish giants Leinster and Munster.
The fastest Hooker you'll ever see: Ethan⚡️⚡️⚡️
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) March 26, 2024
Important win for @SharksRugby ahead of #ChallengeCupRugby Ro16, backing them to turn up? 👀
🎥 @URCOfficial #BKTURC pic.twitter.com/tzGfzJAkQT
In their third match, there was a hiccup against the Ospreys, but they were never expected to lose their tour finale against Zebre.
They lost 12-10 and returned to Durban demoralised. It would take months before they climbed off the bottom of the log.
But a very different Sharks outfit will host Zebre on Sunday.
Even without the injured Eben Etzebeth, the Durban team are bristling with Boks, and they have a healthy sprinkling of youngsters who have come to the party in the last few weeks.
Plumtree has been very impressed with 20-year-old centre Ethan Hooker and former Griquas wing Eduan Keyter, while Aphelele Fassi played a blinder against Edinburgh last week.
Young locks Corné Rahl and Emile van Heerden have also caught Plumtree’s eye.
A weekend PACKED full of knockout action 🤩
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 3, 2024
Who you cheering on?#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/hXujMiuOer
“We have set some goals for the rest of the season, and we’re excited because we’ve got our team back. At last, I’ve been able to pick a full-strength Sharks side, which creates some competition,” the coach said.
“We really want to do well in the Challenge Cup, and I feel we can be successful because for the first time since I took over, we’ve got competition for places.
“Part of my problem this season is that I haven’t had that. Now I have some nice selection issues for the Zebre game.
“That’s how we create an edge in our team, because players have to do well to keep their spots.”