Preview: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Airlink Pumas

07/19/2024 07:57 AM

Carling Currie Cup action returns to Hollywoodbets Kings Park tonight when the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV host the Airlink Pumas in what should be a tense, absorbing match.

Both sides went down last week, the Pumas suffering what would have been a demoralising 75-21 defeat to the Fidelity ADT Lions. What would have irked them even more was that they were playing at home. Given their proud record in recent years as a force to be reckoned with – they've appeared in the last two finals, winning South Africa's premier domestic rugby competition in 2022 – there is no underestimating the team from Mbombela.

Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach JP Pietersen is excited for this match and the opportunity for the team to develop and grow further.

"It's a blessing that the game is in Durban, a great opportunity for us to grow nicely as a group, and a great opportunity to showcase what we've been working on," he explains.

After the team's narrow three-point loss last week, he points out that they've analysed their performance and know what is needed.

"The conversations this week were about being positive and concentrating more on the positives.

"With Griquas, in the second half we had two opportunities to finish off the game and we didn't take them, credit to Griquas for putting us under pressure, what we've been working on is the balance of playing and of game management.

There was a chat this week about how we can control the game better when we're not going forwards or backwards; how we can transfer pressure."

The team shows a number of changes to last week's match 23, necessitated by the return of the Springboks to the national squad. Talking about the changes and transitioning between having Springbok players in and out of the squad, Pietersen doesn't see this as a problem.

"I don't see it as a disruption. If you look at how we played in the first half, at 24-7 up, the Springboks definitely did contribute and helped us. It is what it is, they needed game-time as most of them are in the mix for the test against Portugal.

"We had to do what we had to do to help the Springboks and I thought of it as a blessing. It's really cool to see the Springboks sharing their knowledge with their team-mates."

A late change to the team announced on Thursday sees Tiaan Swanepoel replacing Lionel Cronje at flyhalf. The Namibian international is renowned for his massive boot and has been playing at top franchise level since 2020.

After missing much of the last season due to injury, Muller du Plessis has an opportunity to play and Pietersen is excited to see how the Commonwealth gold medallist and dual World Rubby Sevens series winner goes.

"It's great to see him on the field, he's an exceptionally talented player, he has so much speed and so much skill. From me as a coach. It's about giving him as much game-time as possible so that his body gets used to playing rugby again. He's still a young man who's developing into a grown-up.

"I'm super happy for him that he's playing some good rugby and he gets another opportunity in this game."

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