The Hollywoodbets Sharks and Glasgow Warriors go toe-to-toe this evening in the opening round of the 2025/26 Vodacom United Rugby Championship when they meet at Scotstoun Stadium.
The teams have met on four previous occasions in the pool stages of the tournament, with the spoils evenly shared, although both sides have never lost to one another at home, which presents the touring Durban side with the chance to change history.
Coached by South African Franco Smith, the 2024 title-holders are a proud side and play a good brand of rugby.
“From what we’ve seen, they have a certain style of play that hasn’t changed, so we know what we’re walking towards,” explains Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree.
“But it’s how we respond to that, are we going to be good enough to cope with the pressure they’re going to put us under at certain parts of the game.
“They’re a team that play to space, it’s Franco Smith’s style of coaching, and they will want to build pressure by holding on to the ball for long periods of time. When they get the territory they want, they’re dangerous with their driving lineout.
“Our discipline is going to have to be big as well so that we don’t concede the territory battle.”
For Plumtree, it’s not just about playing the game, it’s about playing the game smartly and being able to cope with the pressure they put his team under.
“It’s also around what kind of pressure we can exert when we get our opportunities. The last time we played there, we had a pretty inexperienced team and we played some dumb rugby, particularly around our discipline. But we also went on, after a poor start, to play some really good rugby, but just didn’t come back into it because we couldn’t build enough pressure.”
Starting the campaign on the road is tough, but something the Hollywoodbets Sharks are accustomed to: this is the fifth year in a row that they have a three or four match tour to the UK.
“The pro is that we’ve been able to build some team spirit being away together,” plumtree admits of the challenge his team faces. “Although we haven’t had an opportunity to spend a lot of time outside of rugby together, so it’s going to be nice to spend some time with these boys socially and get to know a few that were brought in a bit better.
“You’re living together for three weeks and if you have some success, it builds really nice spirit in the team.
“The cons are that we don’t get to play in front of our home support and home crowd. Because it’s the start of the competition, you want to be picking up a couple of wins early, which is a challenge when you’re on the road.
“But we’re used to this scenario, it’s not something that’s foreign to us.”
And what of Glasgow?
“Playing a side as good as them, in their own back yard, is a real challenge, they’re right up there with the best teams in the competition. But it’s a challenge we’re really looking forward to.
“The team we’re putting out there is going to really have a go and that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing.”