We'll keep fighting and turn it around, says coach Plumtree

The Sharks return home from their winless URC tour in 13th place on the points table, but coach John Plumtree is determined to turn things around.

The Sharks lost 35-19 to the Glasgow Warriors in their first match, drew 17-17 with the Dragons, and at the weekend finished with a heavy defeat to Leinster, 31-5.

For Plumtree’s men, the tour finale was always going to be a tough ask. Leinster had lost their first two matches in South Africa, and a backlash was inevitable, especially as the Dubliners were fortified by the return of most of their British and Irish Lions players.

Still, the Sharks were fielding their strongest combination of the tour — Springboks Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, Vincent Koch, and Bongi Mbonambi were back in service — and the scale of the defeat has disappointed their fans.

This week, the Sharks host Ulster, who at the weekend thumped the Bulls in Belfast, and next week they play the Scarlets in Durban before the URC takes a month’s break for the November internationals in Europe.

Plumtree is certain to bring back the balance of his Rugby Championship Springboks, and they will make a big difference — Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams, Ox Nche, and André Esterhuizen are influential Boks.

There is also a possibility that Eben Etzebeth could be involved. The big fellow’s wife is due to give birth to their second child this week. Last week, Plumtree said he would talk to Etzebeth when the Sharks returned to Durban to gauge his frame of mind.

“I will see what his mindset is like. Having a new baby in the family is a massive occasion,” Plumtree said. “If he wants to play, it is important that his mind is on the job. If it is not, then he won’t play.”

Regarding the loss in Dublin, Plumtree said: “Obviously, it is really disappointing. We weren’t good enough, and we’ve got a massive job ahead of us the next two weeks.

“It was a tough night for us. We knew the start was going to be hugely important. They came out fast, and we just didn’t get the contestable kicks in terms of regaining the ball in the air.

“We had a few soft moments defensively that allowed them to build that scoreboard pressure early. In the last 10 or 15 minutes of the first half, we got back into the game, but it was really a case of catch-up rugby. In the second half, we did our best, but their defence was just too good.

“Once we gave them that lead, it just gave them that confidence to defend really well, and we just didn’t fire enough shots.”

Plumtree said it is not all doom and gloom.

“It is still early days. That’s the message to everyone: we’ll keep fighting hard and make sure we get it right over the next fortnight.

“We’ve got a couple of home games, and we’ve got to work really hard and get into this competition.

“The team’s disappointed, and collectively we’ve got to take responsibility to be better over the next two weeks, and that’s what we’ll do. It was always going to be a pretty tough tour for us, with a lot of disruptions, but there are no excuses now. We’ve got to get back to South Africa and play really well in front of our fans.”