URC playoffs: Sharks eye bigger prize
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The Sharks target a maiden Vodacom United Rugby Championship title with renewed confidence after winning the SA Shield for the first time.
Coach John Plumtree’s team bounced back from a 38-14 drubbing at Ellis Park with a 25-22 victory against the Lions at Kings Park last Saturday — a result that secured another piece of silverware and also closed the gap on the third-placed Vodacom Bulls to two log points and the second-placed Glasgow Warriors to five.
With several key players set to return from injury over the next few weeks – including Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth and fullback Aphelele Fassi – and a relatively favourable run-in to the playoffs, the Sharks are well positioned for a top-two finish and potential home semi-final.
The Durbanites began their 2024-25 URC campaign with two defeats from three matches on tour, before winning four in a row at Kings Park to surge up the table.
While hard hit by injuries, the Sharks achieved a memorable double against the Bulls – who went into both games as favourites – and picked up five valuable log points in Cardiff, a week after getting smashed by Bordeaux in the Investec Champions Cup.
Four of the Sharks’ remaining six URC matches are in Durban and they should expect to win all four, especially if reinforced by returning Boks.
Italian club Zebre are languishing in 15th place on the log, while unbeaten Leinster will be beatable if they decide to rest first-choice players for the trip to South Africa.
And the Sharks will end their league campaign with two matches against Welsh opposition – Ospreys (currently 11th on the log) and Scarlets (10th).
Sandwiched between those home fixtures are tour games against Edinburgh (7th) and Ulster (14th) – two teams the Sharks beat in Durban last season.
Depending on other results, the Sharks may need to win the rest of their home games and at least one tour fixture to finish second behind Leinster.
Otherwise, they may have to settle for a top-four finish, which would still be a huge improvement on last season’s dismal 14th.
Sharks' 2024-25 URC results:
R2: Connacht 36-30 Sharks
R3: Dragons 30-33 Sharks
R4: Benetton 38-10 Sharks
R5: Sharks 28-24 Glasgow
R6: Sharks 41-24 Munster
R7: Sharks 21-15 Stormers
R8: Sharks 20-17 Bulls
R9: Stormers 24-20 Sharks
R10: Cardiff 22-42 Sharks
R11: Bulls 19-29 Sharks
R12: Lions 38-14 Sharks
R1: Sharks 25-22 Lions (rescheduled)
URC PLAYOFFS: Consistency key for Bulls
Sharks' upcoming URC matches:
vs ZEBRE, Saturday 22 March, Durban, 2.45pm
vs LEINSTER, Saturday 29 March, Durban, 7.15pm
at EDINBURGH, Friday 18 April, Edinburgh, 8.35pm
at ULSTER, Saturday 26 April, Belfast, 8.35pm
vs OSPREYS, Friday 9 May, Durban, 7pm
vs SCARLETS, Saturday 17 May, Durban, 7.30pm
Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The post URC playoffs: Sharks eye bigger prize appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
