The Hollywoodbets Sharks have a huge challenge on their hands as they take on the log leading DHL Stormers in Cape Town in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship coastal derby, but so too a wonderful opportunity to build on recent form.
With their top of the log status, the home side are naturally installed as favourites for this match, but for head coach JP Pietersen, this is an opportunity for his team to show their worth as they continue to grow.
“What we look at in our camp is how we can get better and improve from our last game against Clermont,” he said in the lead-up to the match.
“Our prep has gone well, we’ve had a good week of training and the mindset is to go down to Cape Town and give it a full go.”
A strong team filled with Springboks has been named to take on the DHL Stormers, although there’s a young man wearing the number 11 jersey who has been given the opportunity to shine.
“Jaco Williams has worked hard for this opportunity and this is a game that suits him,” said Pietersen. “The contestable aerial battle, speed out wide, decision-making will all be in play. He’s ready, he’s young, but what an opportunity to test yourself against the best and put your hand up.”
In the midfield comes the Springbok pair of Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker who have a big role to play this weekend.
“They bring experience, Andre is our captain and they’ve shown how good they are. But we can’t focus on them, it’s going to take a collective effort. In saying that, they are key because there’s a lot of pressure on them, a lot of transition, a lot of questions will be asked and we need to be composed under pressure, and we’re very confident they can do the job.”
Speaking generally about the player selection from one to 23 with a thought to the impact off the bench, he added that, “If you look at the mix, it’s a good team that starts and a great team to finish off the game.
“But this is a match 23, no more a starting 15 or bench.
“And if you look at the last four results in Cape Town, there were something like five points between the two teams, where we came short in the last four games, hopefully we can rewrite that.”
Pietersen admitted that having never beaten the DHL Stormers in Cape Town in the VURC, this is the perfect opportunity to change that.
“We want to win, but they’re a good side deserving of respect. There will be opportunities given and created and it’s up to us to be clinical enough to take them.
“They have a good set-piece with scrums and mauling, they have individuals who can turn a game for them and if you give them space, they will take those opportunities.
“It’s all about gain-line and go-forward, if we can stop that, we give ourselves the opportunity to be in the game.”