Plumtree: Sharks have to be strong in Stormers battle

The Sharks will have to dig deep and find their strength so they won’t be bullied in the set piece by the Stormers when they clash on Saturday at Durban’s Kings Park (5.05pm) in the United Rugby Championship.

John Plumtree, the Sharks’ coach, has observed that teams have been targeting them in the scrums and the mauls this season.

  Indeed, the Sharks have been pushed over by their local rivals in the URC at scrum time. When they played against the Stormers in the festive period, where they lost 16-15, the Stormers had the upper hand in the scrum, with prop Sti Sithole proving to be the destroyer.

The Sharks have received a timely boost to their pack, as hooker Bongi Mbonambi and loose Vincent Tshituka have returned to the playing team after recovering from their respective injuries. 

‘Must be strong in that department’

Knowing the Stormers will look to assert dominance in the set piece, Sharks mentor, Plumtree, has called on his players to be strong in the scrum and mauls.

“We concede upfront, whether it’s scrum, whether it’s stopping a maul, that’s where sides are targeting us. We have to be really strong in that department,” Plumtree said this week.

“We have to be really strong upfront, whether it’s at scrum time or mauls, we know we have a strong pack but I haven’t yet been able to put that pack out onto the park because of injuries to key players which has been probably my biggest frustration,” he said.

Plumtree is confident his side will be able to withstand any pressure from the Stormers when put under siege.

“When we played the Stormers down in Cape Town, it was a really gutsy performance built around pressure, aerial game and big defences, and we really stood up in that department,” he said.

“We are taking it seriously”

The Stormers, who are seventh on the log, declared the encounter against the as important for their playoff aspirations, while the Sharks, who are bottom of the table need a win to kick-start their campaign.

Plumtree has welcomed the Stormers’ strong intentions of going to Durban for a win.

“It’s good they are taking it seriously, we are taking it seriously too,” Plumtree said.

“The Stormers are a really good side; they have been playing consistently really well for a good number of years now. They are a little bit ahead of us, but I’m hoping we can catch up soon,” he said.