The Hollywoodbets Sharks are welcoming the chance to potentially secure a first win over the Stormers in the URC era at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
With the competition resuming this weekend following the international break, the ninth-placed Durbanites are eager to pick up where they left off and add to their run of two successive victories when they face the Capetonians on 13 December.
Siya Kolisi of the Hollywoodbets Sharks (Pic – INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Steve Haag)
The Sharks last beat the Stormers in the Rainbow Cup in 2021, with John Dobson undefeated at the Shark Tank since the 2020 Super Rugby season. This weekend though, the men in black and white are fully focused on putting an end to that unwanted record.
“We know the Stormers’ threats,” said Sharks boss John Plumtree. “They didn’t have a lot of Springboks away [during the international break], they’ve had a couple of injuries, but we know they’ve had a lot of time together as a team over the last four weeks. We know what threats they’ve got in the backline, and also up front they’ve got some pretty tough campaigners.
“We haven’t beaten them in the URC in three seasons. From our side that’s unacceptable. We’ve got a lot to prove, a lot to play for.”
The Kiwi coach has named a near full-strength side for the clash with only Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi MIA. In the absence of Etzebeth, Gerbrandt Grobler is partnered by Jason Jenkins in the second row with the latter expecting another proper challenge against their coastal rivals.
“Any local derby is always tough, it’s always a bit more personal,” said the one-cap Springbok.
“It’s definitely a big weekend for us. We know it’s going to be tough, we know what they bring. We’ve done our analysis and come up with a few plans, so we’re really looking forward to this weekend.
“Preparation has been really good. I think it was nice for everyone to get a bit of a break, especially coming off the back of a tour and then the two weeks at home, so it was nice. We had two weeks off and then we had a really hard two weeks for the guys that were in here, which prepped us well for the number of games coming ahead.
“With the Springbok guys coming back in, they’ve slotted in very quickly. Everyone knows their roles, and obviously it brings new energy in, which is always nice when guys come back in.
“It’s all smiles and a lot of laughing but also a lot of focus and emphasis on detail and quality. It’s always good to have the whole squad back together.”
The game gets underway on Saturday at 17h00.
