The Vodacom United Rugby Championship now takes a three week break before resuming business on Valentine’s Day weekend, with week one of the Six Nations kicking off this weekend and VURC teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy contributing their international players to the tournament.
For the Hollywoodbets Sharks, a long campaign stretching over some months of almost unbroken rugby takes its toll and the injury situation in the camp has played a big role in continuity as the Durban side negotiate twin competitions, the VURC and the Investec Champions Cup – the latter one of the toughest franchise competitions in World Rugby.
Speaking after his team’s five try, 42-20 bonus point victory over Cardiff Rugby in the VURC on Saturday, Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree was thrilled with the way his team closed out the match.
While injuries are all part of a contact sport as intensely physical as rugby union, the Hollywoodbets Sharks have had more than their fair share, particularly to big name players whose contributions are massive in the bigger picture.
“Losing Manu Tshituka and Nick Hatton early in the game put a lot of stress on our forwards, but I thought Deon Slabbert coming off the bench, having only been with us for a few days, did really well,” said Plumtree.
“Jason Jenkins adjusted well in the lineouts and getting the job done with losing two forwards early in the game was pleasing.”
On the flip-side of the disappointments of losing players to injury is the emergence of promising young players into real starting contenders, and when a game needs to be finished off when the result still hangs in the balance, the replacements have a vital job to do.
“I loved the way we closed out the game with the two late tries, but it could have gone either way. I thought Cardiff were excellent, they had a full house at the stadium and had great support.”
With a big break before heading to Loftus Versveld to take on the Vodacom Bulls in Round 11, the Hollywoodbets Sharks now have the opportunity to welcome back players who have been forced to watch from the sidelines as their bodies heal under the watchful eyes of the medical team.
Some are long terms, but there is every possibility that two weeks will provide enough time outside of the competitive arena to gain the services of some welcome returnees.
For now, the Hollywoodbets Sharks can take great comfort, not only from the way they pulled off an away victory over the top Welsh side in the competition, one they had never beaten before in the history of the competition, but also taking their place on the overall log with the five-pointer that sees them go into this short break in fourth place on the overall log, with a game in hand over the non-South African teams.
“It was a good away win for us,” Plumtree said on reflection. “We always hoped to get them over here and so were really pleased with the win.”
Now to rest and reset.