After a plethora of games against South African opposition with a quick trip to Italy to play Benetton in the last round, the Cell C Sharks now look forward to a run of matches against overseas opponents at Hollywoodbets Kings Park which brings new energy and excitement into the camp.
“I said to the team on Monday that people have been hyping up the fact that these overseas teams are coming to South Africa, but now it’s time to put words into action. What’s important for us is to put in good performances at home.
“Scarlets had a great win on Saturday against Glasgow, a top three team, so we are wary of what they can bring.”
The conditions in Durban may have eased off from the brutality of February’s heat and humidity, but that’s not to say they have completely disappeared. Everitt pointed out that this does have an influence on the way the game is played and executed.
“The heat and humidity do affect what you do, we won’t move away from what has worked for us over the last few weeks, but one must be mindful of playing rugby in the right areas of the field is of utmost importance.
“Scarlets are a very attack-oriented team and although they do kick a lot, they do that to try get the ball back to attack. We’re also a team that likes to keep ball in hand and often we’ve played our best rugby away from home, Benetton being a good example because we were able to hold on to the ball for longer passages of play and we did get reward although we didn’t finish all the opportunities we had.
“We’ve had to adjust to differing conditions from week to week, but our game model allows us to play in any conditions because of that. I’d like to think that when the opportunities arise to keep ball in hand, we do so, no matter where we are playing or in what condition.
“Playing in humidity in Durban doesn’t mean you can’t move the ball around – but it is a bit of a horses for courses approach.”
The challenges facing the Cell C Sharks in particular, but generally-speaking, all the South African teams playing in a new competition is adapting to differences in the way the game is played, with Everitt highlighting discipline and a central focal point.
“When I talk about discipline, I’m not talking about giving penalties away, but looking after the ball and defending accurately.
“The discipline from the overseas teams is probably more superior when it comes to holding on to the ball, they are conservative in their approach but they are able to be accurate at the breakdown, with their ball carries and the little detail in the game that sometimes South African teams lack.
“Perhaps it was the way we played Super Rugby where we were probably more expansive in our approach and were able to get the ball back from opposition teams. Playing European teams now, you lose the ball and you won’t get it back for five to 10 phases and if you do in the wrong areas of the field, you end up defending in your 22.”