Sharks closer after defeat
Defeat is character-building and a great teacher, so they say, and Sharks wing Kobus van Wyk (above) is warning that their heartbreaking last-minute loss to the Hurricanes last weekend has brought the team closer together and made them more determined and more dangerous.
The Sharks will be desperate to repeat their performances of the last two weeks in New Zealand when they take on the Bulls in a massive Super Rugby derby at Kings Park on Saturday, just to prove that the play-off stage is not out of reach just yet.
“Four weeks away is always tough on the body and mind and we struggled in our first two games. But we stuck to our guns and now I think we’ve turned our season around. We were down in the gutter after getting nearly fifty points from the Rebels, but we went into a room, talked a bit and turned things around. Now that we are back home, we are ready to go again.
“It’s always tough losing in the last two minutes like we did last weekend, but we learnt a lot from it and can only grow. We want to give it a full go because we think we can go all the way to the quarterfinals. We’ve definitely set new goals, we want to finish top of the SA Conference and have a home quarterfinal,” Van Wyk said.
The former Stormers regular is also wary of the Bulls, however, and says there is a similarity in their styles of play.
“We have similar styles, both teams don’t want to kick all the time and the backline and forwards want to express themselves. The Bulls are playing very well, they throw the ball out wide, they have flair, it’s a new-look team and we expect anything from them. But we’ve also got the guys and the flair to throw the ball around and we look forward to playing that way again.
“The Bulls have also used that little flick-on ball to get their big runners into space, which makes their backline’s life much easier. They’ve got the understanding of whether to grasp the ball or tip it on,” Van Wyk said.
It’s always tough losing in the last two minutes like we did last weekend, but we learnt a lot from it and can only grow. Kobus van Wyk on the loss to the Canes