Last week, the Cell C Sharks lost Keegan Daniel before the game and match captain Philip van der Walt in the first minute, which was a massive blow, but the kind of adversity that Cell C Sharks lock Ruan Botha admits they need to learn from to make them stronger, and handle those situations better.
“It was a learning lesson for the young guys in the team,” he explains. “It’s not easy losing your senior players and I think we didn’t step up to the plate after that. As a junior player, if you do lose a senior player, you need to just maintain your focus on the goals set for that week without overanalysing the loss of the player.”
As a relative newcomer to the team he argues the point that his feeling is that the Cell C Sharks aren’t just starting off on a new path with a new philosophy of how they want to play, but rather growing the style.
“I wouldn’t say it’s just starting, I think we’re in the middle of a process towards something that will be great. We have a Super Rugby pack and we’re on the verge of becoming a successful team and a successful union.”
And that all begins again this weekend when they host Eastern Province, knowing that they can ill-afford to lose a third match on the trot, especially with the pressure from the chasing pack.
“In the last two weeks, we dropped ourselves; we feel into a trap of playing their kind of rugby and they set the pace of the game, so one of the major focuses this week was about playing our game, on what we want to do and achieve our goals.”
Coming from Western Province meant a new start with a new team, but one without any major stress.
“It’s been great so far and not difficult to fit in and although there are a lot of senior guys here, I was made to feel welcome from the time I arrived, from the word go,” he explains. “So it wasn’t a big, difficult change, but just becoming part of the family.”
His arrival coincided with an injury which was a frustrating beginning for him, especially as a new player wants to make a statement right away.
“It’s not the ideal start when you come to a new province, but injuries are a part of the job and they happen. So I just had to fight back to the point where I am now.”
With Stephan Lewies out injured, but always the fact that there will be players vying for only two starting spots, he admits that competition for places is a healthy state for a team to be in.
“I’m learning that trying and taking part and the competition that comes with it is actually good for you, it keeps you on your toes. So there are guys who start and those who don’t who are hot on their tracks. That means you need to maintain focus and step up every week.”
As a lock, his primary role is to perform at set-piece time, but with the much talked about Cell C Sharks style of rugby, to play attacking rugby, it does mean adaptations from what he’s been accustomed to before coming to Durban.
“Every Union has different beliefs and ways they want to play, but coming her, it was easy to adapt to the style they play.”
One easy adaptation has been the transition from Super Rugby to Currie Cup, where a pretty similar squad of players has remained in the system which obviously gives the team continuity from one tournament to the next.
“A lot of people will say we’re a young side, but if you take a look at each player and what he’s achieved, there is a lot of experience in the pack.”
The post Time for Learning appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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