Sharks look for two in a row

Durbanites know better than to tempt fate when it comes to their beloved Sharks, but there is a strong hint from Kings Park that the old glory days are on their way back.

This evening, the Sharks host their archrivals from Cape Town, the Stormers, in a United Rugby Championship fixture that has caught the imagination of Sharks fans after their team comprehensively beat the same Stormers on their home turf last week.

The Sharks were hardly fancied to win that game, considering they were in a lowly 14th place on the URC points table, and the Stormers — unbeaten in the competition — were top of the table. But the Durbanites were magnificent in toppling the Stormers off their perch in front of 53 000 silenced Capetonians.

Now the Stormers are in Durban for revenge, but they will find the going tough as Sharks fans turn the Shark Tank into a deafening fortress — the word from the Sharks ticket office is that tickets are selling fast and areas of the stadium that have not previously been open this season will be because of supporter demand.

The man credited with the turnaround in fortunes at the Sharks is JP Pietersen, one of Kings Park’s favourite sons when he was a player for the Sharks and the Springboks. Now he has turned his hand to coaching after long-serving coach John Plumtree stood aside late last year.

“Our performances are improving — we’re getting the results,” Pietersen said. “Andre Esterhuizen is leading the team well, and we have a good leadership group that inspires week in and week out and in training. I must give a massive compliment to the leaders in the group for keeping up the standard.”

Pietersen said that while the great result in Cape Town last week suggests a turning point has been reached for the Sharks, he has told his players that one swallow does not make a summer.

“I’ve told the guys that it is good and well that we beat the log-leading Stormers last week, but it will count for little if we can’t back it up a week later, and against the same team.

“And we are on the green grass of home. It is going to be hot, sweaty and slippery, but we train in the Durban heat. The Stormers don’t, so hopefully that will give us an advantage.”