Plumtree says Sharks will win ugly if they have to

Sharks head coach John Plumtree said his side will prioritise getting across the line over playing attractive rugby as they take on Munster in their United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Kings Park on Saturday (kick-off 6.30pm).

The match tees off just an hour earlier than their game against Scarlets did two weeks ago, which saw chances spilled on either side and the scoreline end a meagre 12–3 to the Durban hosts. But getting the win was all that mattered to the Sharks, who slotted all four penalty chances to claim momentum.

Plumtree said the groundsman was doing his best to ensure there would not be as much dew that led to the mistakes that night, but discipline would be key again as they hoped to win their first URC quarter-final.

Sharks not out to entertain

“Without being horrible, we are not out here to entertain anyone. We are here to win a game of rugby and just keep progressing. If we have to win ugly, then so be it,” the Sharks coach said.

“There’s enough pressure on the team without me going out there and saying we have to score more tries. We have to get the job done, however that looks.

“We’ve set the team some goals around what we are trying to achieve, and none of them are around scoring 20 or 30 points, trust me on that.”

He said to ensure the victory they would need to compete well in set-pieces, defend well and take whatever opportunities they could create.

“But whatever we dish up we just want to be as accurate as possible. Our skillsets, when the ball is a little wet and there is pressure from the opposition, are always going to be slightly compromised.

“However, if we do get the territory that we want and we get the possession that we want, the fast ball that we want, we want to be able to nail some of those moments. We want to be on top of the scoreboard but there are other parts of the game that we need to dominate to finish on top.”

The Sharks are no strangers to tight wins. They have won by fewer than seven points in eight of their 13 victories in the URC.

Munster will be motivated with the departure of stalwarts

Plumtree said he respected Munster as a proud team that can win away knockout games, as they did in all three play-offs that were away from home when they took the 2022/23 title.

Now, with Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer leaving in the coming months, Plumtree knew they would be motivated to provide a strong send-off.

“I know them personally and they’ve played 700 games for their province. That’s the fuel that will drive Munster. Ultimately, it will come down to the side that wants it the most and I guess takes those opportunities.”