Sharks seek solace in final two games of the season
· Citizen
There will be some consolation, though little, for the Sharks if they can secure wins in their final two United Rugby Championship matches.
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Lying 10th and 11 points adrift of a play-off spot, the Durban union’s home matches against Italian sides Benetton and Zebre Parma over the next two Saturdays will be their last of the season.
It comes on the back of a decent, though still often criticised, 2024/25 year where the Sharks won their maiden URC South African Shield, and reached the semi-finals for the first time after finishing third on the table with 13 wins.
The Sharks again crashed out of the Champions and Challenge Cups poorly this season. But with six wins, they are looking at a maximum of eight victories in the URC.
They already have the unenviable record of not winning a single game in Europe, something they at least achieved when they finished 14th in 2024.
Honeymoon period ends
Overall, the Sharks have won eight out of 19 games across European competition so far.
Seven of those victories were under new coach JP Pietersen, whose appointment sparked something of a revival at the proud union, reflected in a run of five wins out of seven games that better showcased the union’s incredible potential.
But the honeymoon period ended. Pietersen now has a record of seven wins and seven losses since taking over from John Plumtree.
The Sharks are on a three-match losing streak. After inspiring wins against Munster and Cardiff, they lost 29-12 to Connacht in their Challenge Cup last-16 match in Galway despite holding a lead at half-time.
Then they lost 21-17 to Ospreys in Swansea and 33-28 to Edinburgh in Scotland.
Sharks still have to pull through on the day
A win against 13th-ranked Benetton will not be so cut-and-dry.
The Italian side come from a win against defending champions Leinster in Treviso, and have won two of the last four contests against the Sharks – one at home and one away.
In 2024, Benetton beat the Sharks 25-244 at Kings Park. Last season, they won 38-10 in Treviso.
The Sharks at least have a good record against Zebre, having won four of their five matches against them in all competitions. They also won the last two encounters, both played at Kings Park.
But the last game went to the wire. Fifteenth-ranked Zebre almost stunned the Sharks in Durban, scoring two converted tries and a penalty kick in the second half to take the lead.
In the final 10 minutes, however, Zebre prop Muhamed Hasa was shown a yellow card and the Sharks were able to score an overlap try. Jordan Hendrikse slotted a difficult conversion to snatch the win.