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Eben’s frustration is over and he wishes same for Sharks supporters

rugby27 May 2025 14:33
By:Gavin Rich
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Eben Etzebeth © Gallo Images

It has been a frustrating time for Eben Etzebeth over the past few months, but he achieved a breakthrough when he got through 80 minutes and earned himself the official Man of the Match award in the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ final Vodacom URC league game against the Scarlets.

Adding to his frustration in the time he spent off the field after initially suffering concussion in an Investec Champions Cup game against Exeter Chiefs in early December and then picking up a hamstring injury was the way he suffered along with the team’s supporters while relegated to watching proceedings from the sidelines.

It’s not that the team has gone through an unsuccessful period, for that is not the case, as testified to by the Durban team’s highest finish in four seasons of the URC, but rather the expectations that get bred by seeing a team of stellar achievers play together.

Rule No 1 at modern day Kings Park is not that the Sharks win, but they do it in style - and that hasn’t always happened.

For instance, getting home through the boot of fullback Aphelele Fassi, with the game effectively being a case of four penalty kicks against one drop-goal, against the Scarlets was beneath the overall expectation - including that of the players and coaches.

“I understand the fans might be a bit frustrated, because sometimes players and coaches are too,” said Etzebeth.

“But this is the highest the Sharks have ever finished in the URC, with only Leinster and the Bulls above us. We have a home quarterfinal and we know if we win it we will stay in South Africa for a semifinal, whether it’s at the Shark Tank against Edinburgh or at the Bulls.”

WON THE TIGHT ONES THIS TIME AROUND

Many of the Sharks’ detractors appear to have forgotten where they were this time last year, but Etzebeth hasn’t.

“Last season we lost the tight matches and finished 14th on the log. This season we’ve won those tight games and that’s the difference. A couple of points more and you have a home quarterfinal. We’re used to playing those tight games, and that experience will help us in the playoffs if it is tight. History shows that the playoffs are usually tight but hopefully we don’t have to make it too tight.”

The chances of the Sharks winning with something to spare are significantly improved when Etzebeth, who is very much a talismanic presence as well as being the designated captain of the team, is present.

And on that score there’s been a significant upturn in Etzebeth’s fortunes in the last few weeks.

“It was obviously frustrating with the concussion. With concussion there’s not really a timeline on it, it’s a case of wait and see. It’s all about your symptoms and how you respond to certain treatments. So I’d be thinking ‘maybe I’ll be back in a week’s time’ and then it turns out to be a bit longer.

“And then when I felt the concussion was over I picked up a hamstring and had to sit out a bit more. So it was good to get that first 80 minutes against Scarlets under the belt. It’s good when you play 20 here or 60 there, but when you finally get a full game in, that’s when you really feel like you’re back in the mix.”

OCTOBER WIN OVER MUNSTER SEEN AS IRRELEVANT

The Sharks comprehensively outplayed Munster last time they were in Durban.

In fact, the 41-24 win scored in Durban in late October sounded the death-knell to Graham Rowntree’s winning stint as Munster coach, a tenure that was highlighted by the 2023 win over the DHL Stormers in the URC final in Cape Town that broke a long trophy drought.

“That game feels like it was a long time ago, a week is a long time in rugby and that game was over half a year ago so it will be a completely new game,” said Etzebeth in reference to the October clash.

“The knockouts are the most important part of the season. When they arrive what happens before that doesn’t matter and it becomes irrelevant. Right until the last week of the URC we didn’t know who we’d be playing, for a long time we thought we’d be playing the Stormers. But Glasgow lost a few games and so now we are playing Munster.

“We know they are a quality side and we know they have a history of playing well in knock-out games. We are very aware of that, they are at their best in knock-out games, even away from home. But we are not looking too much into past results.

“If you look back there were a few results we were not happy with, but this season was our best URC yet in terms of where we finished (on the log). We ended third, so in that sense it was a successful season, but what you did before doesn’t count. What we know is that we have a great opportunity as if we win we will be staying in South Africa for the semifinal.”

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