The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV will be gunning for a result on Friday afternoon when they take on Suzuki Griquas in Kimberley in a Round Four Carling Currie Cup, knowing that they are starting to deliver the kinds of performances they’ve been aiming for.
Carling Currie Cup head coach of the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, JP Pietersen looks forward to the challenge of playing a team like Suzuki Griquas who have been together for some time, building experience together as a team and the cohesion that comes with that.
“They’ve been together all year, so the real challenge is when the game is tight and they rely on their cohesion and the connection they’ve been building,” he explains.
“For us as a group, I believe we’ve taken a step in the right direction, but we always knew it would take time and our focus is on taking it day by day.
“There was a huge improvement from the Vodacom Bulls’ game to the Toyota Cheetahs’ game, and we can positively build on that going into the Suzuki Griquas’ match.
“Growing our attack is definitely something we can build on, last week’s game was low scoring, but it was a very defensive-focused game. So we would love to be better on attack, but that takes cohesion, it takes time.
A new face attracting a lot of interest is Paschal Ekeji who comes in for Yaw Penxe on the wing.
“This is a great opportunity for him,” Pietersen said of the Lesotho-born NFL hopeful. “He’s been with us for three to four weeks, he’s slotted in nicely and trained with the Carling Currie Cup and VURC groups, so we’re excited to see what he can bring. He’s tall, he’s fast and he’s worked hard for a well-deserved opportunity.”
For captain Nick Hatton, the team is certainly growing in the right direction which bodes well for the remainder of the tournament, starting this week.
“Our performance against Toyota Free State, although we didn’t win, was a step in the right direction,” he admits. “I think we did a lot of things right and we’ve been put under pressure this week in training. We just want to build on last week’s performance for this one in Kimberley.”
He adds that getting that first win that will boost confidence and morale, not that there’s a shortage in the camp, but certainly the team is threatening a change of fortunes.
“It’s obvious, we all play to win and we’re doing everything we can to achieve that. We give 100% every day. Although winning is the end goal, we’re focusing on the processes and our performance at 3 o’clock today.
“We are positive, our performance last week helped to build confidence, especially defensively, with the young group we are, we’re all keen on game time and want to make sure we can capitalise on that.
“There’s a lot of excitement and positivity in the group.”