The Hollywoodbets Sharks host Irish side Ulster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park today in a huge Vodacom United Rugby Championship battle that has all the ingredients rugby fans love.
Ulster are fighting their way up the log while the Hollywoodbets Sharks have a point to prove and with a meaningful three months of rugby remaining, this match presents the opportunity to fulfil a number of the team’s goals.
One of which has been to select a full-strength side given injuries, player welfare between the two competitions [URC and EPCR] and Springbok resting protocols.
“We’ve had a bit of a break, we have players back after Springbok resting and we’ve had the opportunity to reset some goals for this season. We know we have three months of rugby left, what we see as a really exciting time for us,” explains head coach John Plumtree.
“This is a team that I’ve probably been wanting to select for quite a while now, so we’re getting our squad back. We feel like we want to get going, put in a good performance this weekend, then next weekend in the build-up to those EPCR games.”
Evaluating the season so far, Plumtree points to the benefits of having a full squad to select from and what they does to create an environment where there is a healthy fight for places.
“We’re looking forward to creating a bit of competition within the squad. I’ve felt that we haven’t really had that, there hasn’t been pressure on players for selection and that makes players comfortable and complacent.
“That’s not a winning formula. We haven’t benefitted from what I see as a competitive enough squad.
“If you look at a full-strength Hollywoodbets Sharks side, there is competition for places and that’s what we want. We need guys to play well or they give someone else a chance.”
An area of focus has been upfront where the coach feels there is the opportunity to grow, and this is something he hopes to see in this match.
“The mauling and physicality side of things hasn’t been a strength of ours this year and that goes back to the calibre of player we have had out of action. We’ve had them back in sprinkles, but not collectively and it’s great to see these guys back.
“We’ve seen the intensity in training lift, but it’s about seeing that transferring onto the field.”
Casting his eye at the opposition, Plumtree says of Ulster, “They’re a typical Irish side, well-organised they build pressure with the ball for long periods of play, so their continuity in attack is really good and we’re expecting a big challenge to our defence.
“They’re had some challenging times this season themselves, but we know this is a tough side. They have been together for a while so there is a lot of experience in this group.
“This is a good challenge for us, a good opportunity.”
With a number of home games left, today represents the opportunity of building a fortress at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
“We want to do well at home, we want to win at home, for our fans. We feel like we owe our fans.
“It’s been a tough season in many ways, certainly one of the toughest I’ve ever faced, but the group is still tight and we’re looking forward to a good three months.”
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: The interior of Kwa-Zulu consists largely of rolling hills from the Valley of a Thousand Hills to the Midlands. These have been the subject of much literature. Alan Paton, in the novel Cry, The Beloved Country, said:”There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg, to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and East Griqualand.”
