‘If Sharks can beat Ulster the momentum will follow,’ says Etzebeth

In what can be described as a stern statement, Sharks lock Eben Etzebeth says there’s no excuse for the poor season the side from Durban have had in the United Rugby Championship.

For far too long, when facing the media, the Sharks management have tip-toed around their URC woes that have seen them drop to the bottom of the points table after 10 losses from 11 games. Etzebeth did not sugarcoat his assessment of the Sharks on Tuesday.

‘No excuse’

“We haven’t had a good season so far, to be honest, there’s no excuse really,” said Etzebeth in an engagement with the press.

“We just need to take a hard look at ourselves as a collective and as individuals. I do think we work hard, and there are plans in place but somehow we are not executing them, which is disappointing.

“We have tried a couple of things that haven’t worked and that’s why we are probably at the bottom. It’s not a player or coaching thing, it’s us as a union. Everyone needs to step up and needs to be better,” said the back-to-back SA Rugby Player of the Year.

Etzebeth said the team are determined to finish the season strongly in both the URC and the Challenge Cup, a competition the Sharks see as a way to return to the Champions Cup.

“We’ll be looking to rectify it for the rest of the season, we have a few home games (in the URC),” he said.

“We’ll target that and the Challenge Cup, and see if we can go far in that competition and see if we can make the last bit of the season a successful one,” said the enforcing lock.

Momentum

The Sharks’ URC run-in starts with an encounter against Irish province Ulster on Saturday at Durban’s Kings Park (3pm). Etzebeth believes the game against Ulster can help with the team’s efforts to build momentum.

“We can only get the momentum if we win, our first priority will be to get a win under the belt against Ulster. Hopefully from there on we can run with that momentum,” Etzebeth said

“This season has not been consistent. We have got three home games in a row now, but we are not looking past the Ulster game. I think the momentum will take care of itself, we just need to get this one out of the way,” said the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.