Sharks skipper Lukhanyo Am confident they can climb up URC points table

Sharks captain Lukhanyo Am is confident the team can climb up the United Rugby Championship points table should they be able to pull a string of good results together.

The woes of the Durban franchise in the URC have been well documented; the performances have not been good on the field, they have lost eight out of their nine games that have left them rooted at the bottom of the table.

The second half of the URC feels like a clean slate for the Sharks as they get a fresh start without any expectations.

Of the nine remaining games they have in the season, the Sharks will play six of them at home at Durban’s Kings Park, with the first of those on Saturday against the Stormers.

‘We want to win every game’

Beating the Cape-based team can help revive the Sharks’ URC campaign and ignite their mission of moving up the table, according to Am.

“The position that we are in is not ideal,” Am said this week.

“But the intention won’t change. We will still go out there to do our best, and we’re continuously working on our game to improve. I think it’s definitely showing, I think there are parts of our game that are really improved.

“I think for the rest of the games that are left, the mindset is to try and get the win for each game, the points and climb up that ladder,” he said.

Looking for consistency

Sharks mentor John Plumtree knows his team can put in a solid shift on their day as they have good players in their ranks, but he wants them to be consistent for 80 minutes in their performances.

“The first half against the Lions was probably the best rugby we have played all year and the second half was the worst,” said Plumtree.

“So, how we perform, we just haven’t found that real consistency that we need. That’s the Achilles heel of our team at the moment.”