Sharks want to keep it going

Coach JP Pietersen says the Sharks need to back up their recent success in Saturday’s Vodacom URC match against the Lions at Kings Park.

After a poor start to the season, the Durban-based side has claimed back-to-back home wins under Pietersen – beating Saracens in the Investec Champions Cup and the Bulls in the Vodacom URC.

Despite that revival, the Sharks are 13th on the URC log and know consistency is now the challenge.

“Two wins do help – they bring energy and they bring the group closer together – but we’re also very clear on the areas we still need to work on, which is important for our growth,” Pietersen said.

“Two wins mean nothing if you don’t back it up. We want to keep it going, keep working hard, and keep making this team better.”

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Pietersen believes Saturday’s opponents present a stern examination of where his side is at.

“The Lions are currently eighth on the log and that shows the way they play and how good they are,” he said. “They’ve got a coaching group that’s been together for a long time, so they have a really good understanding of how they want to play.

“You can see that in their performances – they beat the Bulls convincingly at Loftus and they could easily have beaten the Stormers in Cape Town. So they’ll come to Kings Park full of confidence.

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“It’s going to be a great challenge,” he added. “South African derbies are always physical, so the boys are preparing themselves for a proper physical battle on Saturday.

“The Lions like to move the ball, and that’s something we also want to do – play our rugby. Hopefully we can give the fans a game they really enjoy watching, something entertaining as we head into the new year.”

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Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images