The Leinster Test: Inconsistent Sharks Must Overcome Irish To Be Contenders
The Leinster Test: Inconsistent Sharks Must Overcome Irish To Be Contenders
The Bulls delivered, but can the inconsistent Sharks prove they're true title contenders? With a tough run ahead, their URC season hangs in the balance.
Ah, potential, the promise of success that has yet to be delivered. Does any statement sum up the Springbok-laden Hollywoodbets Sharks any better?
Comprised of a Springbok spine that holds the squad together, the heavily invested in Durban-based franchise on paper has a squad capable of competing with any side in the United Rugby Championship.
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Scanning through Saturday’s team sheet, even without the hulking presence of Springbok icon Eben Etzebeth, John Plumtree’s squad had 12 Springboks in their matchday-23.
Starting in the front row with a trio who could feasibly start big tests for the Boks this year in Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch, the Sharks were stacked to the gills.
Yet as has proven to be the case on far too many occasions this season, the men in black laboured to put away a side who they were heavy favourites to defeat.
To the credit of their visitors, Zebre Parma, the Italian side has been one of the most improved sides in this year’s Championship. Still, for all of their improvements, Zebre currently reside in 15th position on the table.
Taking into account both the Investec Champions Cup and URC, the Sharks have a record of ten wins and seven losses. In the URC, their record of nine wins and four losses with a points differential of just five. On average, the Shark's margin for victory in their nine fixtures to date is seven points, whilst their loss average has been eighteen points.
This swing between winning close and losing heavily is not a recipe for success and shows a clear line of the Sharks walking a tightrope thus far this season.
Returning to this weekend’s action, the Sharks were saved from catastrophe by a clutch touchline conversion from Springbok flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse. An optimist would say the Sharks should be lauded for closing out what could’ve been a banana peel fixture.
For a side who fancies themselves as title contenders however, this clash was an opportunity to lay down a marker. Through the opening thirteen rounds, the top four sides, of which the Sharks are the fourth, have opened a tiny gap on the chasing pack. The issue for the Sharks is that, at present, they appear the most likely of the top four sides to encounter slip-ups in the final four rounds, with a hurting Leinster side coming to town in round 14.
Still reeling from an overtime loss to the Bulls, Leinster will be an altogether different challenge for the Sharks. Win, and the Sharks will set themselves up nicely for a moderately challenging tour where they will face Edinburgh and Ulster. Lose, and that tour takes on another complexion as two must-win fixtures with the likes of Cardiff, Munster, Ospreys and Stormers all still firmly in contention for the top four. Of those sides, Munster and the Stormers would appear to have the most favourable draws with five fixtures in which they will be favourites albeit Connacht and the Bulls may disagree in the case of Munster. Should these two sides, for argument's sake, pick up twenty log points, it would leave the Sharks needing just eleven log points to remain safe in the top four.
This modest number is something the Sharks should feel confident about achieving, but it is far from a guarantee. Clearly in agreement, a visibly frustrated Plumtree spoke after his side’s narrow victory over Zebre, saying his side would take “A good honest look at ourselves on Monday”.
Delving further into his frustration, the Kiwi coach said, “It’s going to take a while to digest that performance, and it just shows you that no matter who you play against, if your skill sets are poor and you can’t build pressure with the ball, win the aerial battles and dominate the kicking game, it’s going to be a long day at the office,”
"The kicking today was poor. We weren’t winning our contestable kicks, and that hurt us. We made it easy for them. Our skills were terrible,e and that nearly cost us the game.”
This area of the kicking game has cost the Sharks dearly in their losses thus far this season, most notably against Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup, where the Sharks found themselves playing deep in their half with just 34% territory in that fixture.
Facing a side in Leinster that prides itself in competing hard in the air with the likes of Ross Byrne, Jordie Barrett and Ciaran Frawley, all possessing pinpoint long-range kicking games. The Sharks can expect another aerial bombardment that will test their backfield.
Scanning their remaining four fixtures post-Leinster, the Sharks, whilst favourites, are no cakewalk and are all firmly in the hunt for playoff spots.
Whilst an EPCR Challenge Cup is nice to have in the trophy cabinet, this Sharks side will be judged against the best sides in the Northern Hemisphere. Having already let slip a crack at the Champions Cup, now is the time for the Sharks to prove they are league contenders with a strong finish to the season. Failure to win the title this season must be seen as much of a failure as it is for Leinster, those are the standards the Sharks are being judged by. Slip out of the top four, and the campaign will almost certainly whittle away before it even really begins.
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