Buthelezi: Sharks can move big Bulls pack around if we play our rugby

MOST rugby folk reckon the Bulls are certain to lift the Currie Cup at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday for the second time this year, but Sharks captain Phepsi Buthelezi emphatically begs to differ.

The young No 8 says that if the Sharks stick to their brand of rugby and avoid getting sucked into an arm wrestle, they are capable of an upset.

And he points to a certain game the Sharks played on that same ground not too long ago when the British & Irish Lions were in town.

“We are not paying much attention to what people are saying, because we know what we can do if we go out there and perform to the best of our abilities and express ourselves,” Buthelezi said.

When the Sharks did exactly that in their second match against the Lions, at Loftus, they were a sight to behold and stunned observers when they were level at 26-26 with the Lions at half-time.

It was a different story in the second half when they had to play with 14 men after Jaden Hendrikse was red-carded, but Buthelezi points to how well they played up until that point.

“If we can get to that level against the Lions, we can get to it against the Bulls,” the captain said defiantly.

“This week, the message has been very clear: we want to play our brand of rugby, and everyone at the union – players, admin staff, the coaches – believes that we can go out and win this.”

Much of the outright backing of the Bulls is due to the contrasting performances of the Sharks and the Bulls in their semi-finals.

Western Province were blown away in Pretoria, but in Durban, the Sharks laboured to a narrow defeat of Griquas.

Buthelezi, though, says that a tough semi was a blessing. Having to battle their way to the final has kept the Sharks humble.

“If I was to choose, I would definitely go the route of the difficult semi we had, because this week in training, we have been really sharpening up on areas where we struggled a bit against Griquas. It is good that we were tested all the way to the end of that game.”

In January, the Sharks lost to the Bulls in extra-time in what was effectively the 2020 Currie Cup final, and they were criticised in some quarters for what was seen as a conservative game plan. Buthelezi hinted that the Sharks may play differently this time ...

“The Bulls have a big pack, but we can move them around if we play our rugby. When they have possession, we simply have to stop their momentum – when you do that, after two or three phases, they don’t know what to do and often kick the ball away. I have full confidence we can do that.”

The 22-year-old added that squeaky clean discipline was non-negotiable for the Sharks.

“Discipline is a huge focus … When the Bulls get on top of teams, it often starts with penalties. That gets them into your 22, then they maul you, then they use their strong runners, and next thing, it is a try. It is momentum, momentum, try.

“Like I said, we have to stop their momentum.”