Depleted Sharks to empty the tank in Cardiff
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John Plumtree said the Sharks "got to be hungry" in Saturday's clash at Arms Park, while providing an update on injured stars Aphelele Fassi, Ox Nche and Eben Etzebeth.
The Sharks will resume their Vodacom URC campaign in Cardiff on the back of a heavy defeat to Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup last week.
Vincent Tshituka returns to action as skipper of a rejigged Sharks lineup that also includes two-time world champions Vincent Koch and Makazole Mapimpi, as well as Jordan and Jaden Hendrikse.
The fifth-placed Durban outfit are looking to get back to winning ways before a two-week break, a period over which head coach Plumtree will hope to receive some good news on the injury front.
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Nche on Sunday joined a lengthy casualty list back home headlined by fellow Boks Etzebeth, Fassi and Andre Esterhuizen, along with the likes of Corne Rahl, Emile van Heerden, Gerbrandt Grobler, Hakeem Kunene and James Venter.
"Ox will be scanned when he's back in Durban, to see the extent of his triceps injury. Fassi, I'm not sure, I haven't had an update [on his knee]; we're on tour and they're at home being treated," said Plumtree during a Sharks teleconference from Wales on Thursday.
"Eben is doing his return-to-play protocols with his concussions, so again it's not a priority for me to know how that's going because it's a concussion thing – I can't say if it's going to be next week or the following week, or the following week."
Needing a win, a draw, a bonus point or a defeat by 27 points or less in Bordeaux to qualify for the Champions Cup round of 16, the Sharks started superbly with two tries in the first eight minutes.
But the hosts fought back to lead 19-12 at the break and ran riot in the second half, scoring another seven tries in a 66-12 rout.
On the challenge this week in Cardiff following the disappointment at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Plumtree said: "We've got to be hungry. We've got a bit of a break coming up and the players have got to empty their tanks here after coming off what happened in Bordeaux.
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"Mentally and physically we've got to make sure our batteries are full for this one. I'd like to think we've got a good plan in place this week, in terms of our preparations.
"For 45 minutes in that contest against Bordeaux we were in it, and when we looked at the game closely it was a lot of our skills sets on both sides of the ball that weren’t good enough.
"After the game the boys were in a little bit of shock; we didn't expect that and don't want that as a club. We've played Sunday and we play Saturday, so it's a short turnaround and what's the plan now?
"We've got to first pick ourselves up mentally, and I've been in this situation a lot as coach – many times I've got a hiding. It's about turning around and saying, 'we aren't a bad side'," he added.
"We've got a few boys coming back into the team who can help us out, obviously Jordan, Mapimps, Vincent Koch. Yes, we did lose a couple but those guys have come in and created a nice bit of energy.
“Now it's about putting a plan together that we all believe in collectively and go about reinforcing the rugby that we can play. We've got to respond; when something like that happens you've got to respond."
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
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