Sharks look to end slump

It has been a season of contrasting fortunes for the Sharks in the two competitions they are playing in, with a dismal showing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) thus far, while they have enjoyed a superb showing in the Challenge Cup.

Overall it has not been a good season at all for the Durban franchise, who should be doing a lot better on all fronts, but their form in the Challenge Cup has been their saving grace and the question is whether they can transfer that form into the URC.

In the URC the Sharks are rock bottom on the 16-team log, having picked up just one win against eight losses in their nine games in the competition, showing just how poor they have been.

However, in the Challenge Cup the Sharks finished top of their pool after winning three of their four games with bonus points, while their sole loss was against the Cheetahs where they were edged 32-29, with them still picking up two bonus points in that game.

They have secured a home last-16 clash and a home quarterfinal should they get there, and they have the perfect opportunity to gain some revenge in the play-offs.

They will be taking on Zebre in the last-16, who they lost to in Parma in November last year, which snapped a 28 game losing run for the Italian side, so the Sharks will be desperate to set the record straight on home soil.

But it is the URC that should be a major worry for the Sharks and that is where their full focus should be over the coming months.

They are unlucky in the sense that they can’t really build on the last two weekends, big Challenge Cup wins of 38-7 at home over Oyonnax and 29-9 away against Dragons in Wales, as their next URC game is in mid-February.

They will also be facing the in-form Stormers at home, likely without their Bok stars due to resting protocols, which will make the match even tougher.

But the next two URC games, against the Stormers in Durban and against the Lions in Johannesburg, will be crucial if they are to pull themselves out of their slump.