Today’s return leg Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Emirates Lions should produce all kinds of fireworks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
After falling to the Emirates Lions last week, the Hollywoodbets Sharks have every opportunity to use home ground advantage to their benefit as they welcome back stalwarts to the team that should bolster their stocks even more.
“It’s massively important for us to win our home games,” explains head coach John Plumtree. “Looking back to last week’s game, it wasn’t so much that we lost, as how we lost, and that upset us the most. What’s important is the effort that goes into the performance and that’s what we were most upset about.
“Playing at home in front of our fans is really important to us, we haven’t been at home since the Toulouse game, like six or seven weeks, so it’s good to be home. The marketing team has done a great job of making sure we get good support here and the boys are looking forward to that.
“If the Emirates Lions didn’t capture our attention before last week’s game, they have certainly captured it now. It’s up to us to us to put in a good performance in front of our home crowd.”
There’s more to this game than pride and playing for the fans, although those are incredibly important. There’s also the not small issue of the South African Shield to play for. A win by a margin of 22 points, or a bonus point win, will ensure that the Hollywoodbets Sharks leap-frog the DHL Stormers and end up as the champions of South Africa and another trophy to display in their cabinet.
“Winning the South African Shield would mean a lot,” Plumtree admits. “Not often in life you get second chances and we have one this week and if we take that, it would be great. But we have to get through 80 minutes against a side that is playing with a lot of confidence and belief in what they do.
“They’re not scared of us and we know we’re going to have to earn this win. Clearly we weren’t in the right space last week and we have to make sure we’re in the right mental and physical space to earn the right to hold that shield up.”
No doubt there were disappointments after last week’s match, but this week has been about making sure there isn’t a repeat.
“When we get our game going, we’re a dangerous side and a big focus this week has been on our own game – on discipline, defence, our kicking game, our set-piece, and on our mindset – making sure we nail our prep and transfer that into our game.
“We have a few forwards back – Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Emile van Heerden and Siya Kolisi – which is good, and then there’s James Venter coming off the bench, so we have some really good reinforcements back.”
A new face in the team sees Henry Immelman run out at fullback, with injuries to Aphelele Fassi and Siya Masuku necessitating drawing from outside the original squad.
“His inclusion just highlights the number of injuries we’ve had here, we have a squad of 46 players and we still have to go outside to get other players (including Scarra Ntubeni and Deon Slabbert, also on loan) and how deep you have to go in every position to make sure you have enough cover for a brutally long season.
“Henry has spent a couple of weeks here already and got to know the boys. He brings a wealth of experience, so he’ll have a calm head. Will he make mistakes, yes, possibly he will, but at the end of the day, we’re backing him and really believe he can do a good job for us.”
Today’s match kicks off at 2pm.