Can the Sharks reboot?

The URC regular season has ended, and with it, the Sharks’ 25/26 season comes to a close too. It’s not the first time they haven’t made the playoffs, but it is the first time they are the only South African team not to feature in the top eight. Obviously, it’s disappointing. For the fans, but even more so for the players and coaches. No one will be feeling the heavy weight of expectation, and the frustration of not living up to that, more than them. So, if you’re hoping for a hatchet job on this team, this probably isn’t the article for you.

I’ve never pretended to be anything other than an ardent Sharks supporter. I also don’t see the point of constantly tearing any team, player, or coach down – it’s simply not constructive. I have never understood what the keyboard warriors hope to achieve, other than perhaps to make themselves feel better. At the same time, I’m also not going to pretend that everything is sunshine and roses. Objectively, the Sharks had their second worst URC season since the competition’s inception.

Naturally, this is concerning, especially after the dramatic improvement we saw between the 23/24 and 24/25 seasons. To go from finishing 14^th on the log to finishing 3^rd was a remarkable turnaround, and I’m sure everyone involved was hoping that this was an indication of the team changing their fortunes. Clearly, however, there is work still to be done. What’s interesting for me is that when you dig a little deeper into the numbers, they scored more tries than they ever have before, and more points overall than last season, with a better points difference than last season too. That points difference, however, was still quite low when compared with the top four teams, who all had points differences in the triple digits – the Sharks had some big wins, but they also had some big losses. They also, interestingly enough, scored more tries than four of the teams who finished in the top eight (Connacht, Cardiff, Munster and the Stormers), and scored more points overall than the first three of the teams mentioned. According to the URC’s stats, the Sharks had the best lineout performance overall (when considering lineout success and steals) and the most successful scrum of the competition, as well as the best discipline of any of the teams during the regular season. Of course, none of that helps when you aren’t also winning games, and in a competition as tight as this year’s URC, winning only 8 out of 18 simply isn’t going to get you there. So, where did it all go wrong? The Sharks won the fewest turnovers of any team (82), again according to the URC’s stats, and lost 278 turnovers – only the Bulls lost more turnovers during the season – so perhaps there is some work to be done at the breakdown. They also made the lowest number of tackles, with 1822 (Connacht made the most, with 2906) and had the lowest tackle success rate, for what it’s worth, at 75% (the  Dragons topped that stat, with an 83% success rate). Do we then look at the stats and say that the problem was defence? No, it’s a lot more nuanced than that. For starters, there were fewer tries scored against them then last year, when they made the semis, so clearly something was working. And while numbers like these can be important, they don’t always paint a complete picture.

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In truth, it would be impossible to look at this season’s results without considering the absolutely insane list of injuries the team endured. I eventually lost count, but at one point there was well over 20 players on the list of those unavailable due to injury, with some issues that saw those players out for weeks if not months. We could all speculate on the reasons why the team has been plagued by injury (diving Welshmen notwithstanding), but at the very least, the fact that South African players are not getting sufficient rest time due to the endless calendar has to be a factor. Either way, when so many members of the team are unavailable, and when the coach is unable to create stability and a cohesive style of play by selecting the same team consistently, it is obviously going to have an impact on results. That’s not an excuse, it’s a simple fact.

Moreover, it has, in general, been a disruptive time for this team. It was initially announced that John Plumtree would step down at the end of the season, after the team got off to a shaky start with three losses, one win, and a draw in the opening rounds. Then, a little over a month later, and with another loss under their belts, that end of season departure became effective immediately, and JP Pietersen was announced as interim head coach. While we can probably all agree that the move was for the best, a change in coach while in the thick of a season is challenging for teams. And while making that coach an interim appointment at first may make sense in terms of ensuring that the right person is found for the job, it also serves to create more uncertainty and fear of potential future change among team members and coaching staff alike. JP has done extremely well since he took the reins – so well that the interim position was made permanent two months later – but it’s no easy feat to pick up a team mid-season, in the midst of all that turmoil, and completely turn the ship around, even for a coach with extensive senior experience, which JP did not have. It takes time.

It also takes the opportunity for him to fully put his own stamp on things. We are already seeing that, and I believe strongly that we will see it even more next season. I even joked to a friend that there’s a silver lining in the Sharks not making the top eight – the players get to rest and recover after a rough season, and JP gets the opportunity to completely reset, as he sees fit. Of course, sometimes we laugh so that we don’t cry, but there is still truth in that little deflection. It’s been a tumultuous time. But JP’s passion for this team is palpable, and his desire to shake things up a bit by truly backing young talent is evident. With players like Zekhethelo Siyaya, Vusi Moyo, Jaco Williams, Lili Bester, and others in the mix, alongside the impressive experience we already have at our disposal, I’m really excited about what’s possible next season. The coaching line up will also have a bit of a refresh, with former player Scott Mathie, who has coached with the Griquas, the New England Free Jacks, and Edinburgh, taking on the role of attack coach next season. Dave Williams will be stepping into a new role as general manager. Most importantly in my opinion, JP very clearly has a deep understanding of what it means to be part of this team, and he has the backing of the players. It’s no secret that an apparent lack of identity has been one of the biggest talking points around the Sharks in recent years. JP, though, is a Sharks man down to his very core, and I suspect that with him entrenched at the helm, it is only a matter of time before the team finds their way back to that identity and culture.

So, yes, it has been a disappointing season, but there’s little value in wallowing in misery and recriminations at this stage. The players and coaching staff have an opportunity now to reflect and reconnect, to rest, and in many cases, to fully recuperate, before preparing to start afresh. With the 26/27 fixtures already announced, they know exactly what they are working towards. And with the announcement of those fixtures comes a welcome revelation – for the first time since the inception of the URC, the Sharks will start the season at home! In all previous iterations, they have played abroad for the first three or four rounds, but in 26/27, they start with two home games and an away game still on SA soil, before heading to Cardiff. Now, one could argue that it all evens out in the end, so it makes no real difference – everyone has the same number of home and away games, after all. But I am very keen to see how they get on when they have an opportunity to start strong at home, instead of playing catch up after a tough trip abroad. All in all, things are looking up, and the season hasn’t even begun yet… The time for a reboot is now.