Today’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final clash against Toulouse is a massive occasion for the Cell C Sharks who venture into unchartered territory, knowing they will have to lift themselves to even greater heights that they have already accomplished in the tournament to date.
Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell, speaking from the team’s base in France, admitted that the slate is clean and everything they do now requires a huge start and intensity to the end.
“Last week’s victory over Munster was a good win, but we understand that we need to make a step up every game in this competition,” he explained.
“We made a few mistakes last week, and this week is a new start again. We can’t rely on what we did in the Munster game to get us through this one. We will need to build the physicality and energy again, right from the start, and ensure that we do exactly what we plan.”
Getting the players up for this game won’t require any effort from the coaching staff, the occasion is motivation enough.
“We’re at that stage where you don’t need any added motivation, we’re in the knock-outs now,” Powell explained. “The guys have had a really good week, having done most of our prep in Durban on Monday and Tuesday and then travelled Tuesday night, with a recovery day on Wednesday and then a performance session on Thursday were the guys looked really sharp.
“The guys are up for the game, they realise that coming to Toulouse and beating them here is not going to be easy, it’s going to be a massive challenge, but they are ready to take up this challenge.”
The Cell C Sharks are without one of their talisman players, Eben Etzebeth was ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury against Munster last week, and the big lock on the sidelines is a big blow for his team.
“Especially at this stage of the competition, “ said Powell. “He’s a massive loss for us, he’s a big part of our pack and its physicality, so to have lost him before the quarter-final is a blow. But an opportunity for the next guy to come in showing what he’s capable of.
“The unfortunate outcome of the Munster game was also losing Emile van Heerden, so we have lost two locks which makes things tricky.”
Powell confirmed that van Heerden also suffered an injury to his shoulder – the AC joint – and will hopefully be back in the next few weeks. But the sight of the big lock, with his arm in a make-shift sling running from the halfway line to Munster’s 22 to keep the pressure on and make tackles with one arm out of action showed immense courage and bravery.
“That’s exactly the fight and character we’re looking for in our players. He is that type of player and that’s why he’s such a big loss for us.”
“And then also Jaden Hendrikse who is also not available. We would have loved to keep that consistency in team selection and try to take some momentum into this game.”
Today’s quarter-final clash between the Cell C Sharks and Stade Toulousain takes place at the 19 000 capacity Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse, kick-off is at 4pm.
In the other quarter-finals, Leinster defeated Leicester 55-24 on Friday evening, with Exeter Chiefs hosting the DHL Stormers later today and Stade Rochelais welcoming Saracens on Sunday.
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: Cato Manor in Durban once attracted attention from around the world because it was where rioting broke out in 1959 in protest against the city’s beerhalls and the looming prospect of mass forced removals in which the residents would be uprooted from their homes in terms of the notorious Group Areas Act, and resettled in townships. The area was granted to George Christopher Cato in 1865, perhaps as a reward for his years of community service and for the fact that, in 1854, he had become Durban’s first Mayor. The land was sub-divided in the early 1900s and leased to Indian market gardeners, many of whom were either former indentured labourers, who had come to South Africa to work on the sugar plantations, or their descendents.
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