Lukhanyo Am says a unified Sharks team are putting all their energy into capping a difficult season with silverware in the Challenge Cup. DYLAN JACK reports.
On Saturday, the Sharks will take on French side Clermont in the Challenge Cup semi-final at Twickenham Stoop in London.
While at the beginning of the season the second tier of EPCR competitions may have been regarded as an unnecessary sideshow as John Plumtree returned to the Sharks, it has now become the major driving force for the men from Durban.
Left with nothing to gain in the Vodacom URC, with a top eight finish out of reach, the Sharks have pooled their full focus into the Challenge Cup, becoming the first South African team to progress to the semi-finals of an EPCR competition.
While the underperformance in the URC has been a disappointment, Am said that the Sharks would count the season as a win if they were to go all the way in the Challenge Cup.
“It would definitely be a success,” Am said. “Next season, we do want to win more silverware. From where we started, to where we are right now, we have grown tremendously as a team and a squad.
“With the new coaching staff coming in, with new players coming in, this was almost our first season together as a group. We are in a good position now. We are happy with where we are, even though we had ambitions for both competitions.
“This is the game of rugby. Sometimes things do work out and sometimes they don’t. All our energy right now is in the EPCR playoff.”
The Sharks are on an upward trajectory, winning five of their last six games in all competitions, a run that started with a hard-fought victory over Ulster in Durban on 23 March.
Werner Kok, who will be looking his chapter with the Sharks on a high ahead of a move to Ulster next season, explained how they have turned it around at Kings Park.
“It was a few mindset changes in the camp and the culture change as well,” Kok explained.
“Inside the camp, that most people didn’t see, was quite a bit of change. Everyone is aligned towards one goal and that makes a massive difference.
“You can see things are falling in line at the moment. The Sharks are on the way to a proper place.”
With London a popular destination for South African tourists and expats, Am is hoping that the Stoop can be turned into a stoep on Saturday.
“London weather has been really good to us this week. We’ve really enjoyed it,” Am said.
“We hope this weekend a lot of people come out and support the Sharks, making the Stoop our home away from home. Hopefully there will be a lot of numbers.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
