'It’s going to be a sad loss seeing him go to the Stormers. But he’s still got a job to do for us until the end of the season.'
Sharks interim coach JP Pietersen said he was pleased to see André Esterhuizen turn in huge performances since taking the captain’s armband, while outgoing captain Siya Kolisi continues to lift his teammates’ spirits.
Pietersen has secured four wins from six games since taking over from John Plumtree, lifting the team from 14th to 11th on the United Rugby Championship table and leading them to two wins in the Champions Cup pool stage – one more than last year.
‘Sharks old boy’
After ending the Stormers’ eight-match URC winning streak with a 30‑19 win in Cape Town, Pietersen was asked what changes had boosted the Sharks’ confidence after two and a half seasons under Plumtree.
He said his first move was naming Esterhuizen captain. He said the centre is a “Sharks old boy”, knowing Durban inside out and having played there since 2013/14, aside from a five-year stint in England.
Kolisi, though having spent as much time at the Sharks, comes from the Stormers and will return there at the end of the season.
Vincent Tshituka, preferred by Plumtree as stand-in captain for Kolisi, joined from the Lions. Nick Hatton, who has captained under Pietersen, has only ever played for the Sharks.
Pietersen challenged Esterhuizen to encourage teammates and fight for each other. “It showed the character, André leading well. He challenged the group and you can see when he plays well, he plays well. I just love the way he carries the team,” he said.
“It was my first speech: make the jersey proud by not talking but doing. There’s a lot of things that happened, just keeping it simple and aligned with André so players can express themselves on the field.”
Kolisi still has a job to do at the Sharks
The coach said he is still dealing with the same Springbok availability dilemma that Plumtree faced, making cohesion difficult.
Still, he benefitted from having the same group together since the international season ended, though several Boks were still out due to rest protocols.
On Kolisi’s return against the Stormers: “I think he was huge when he came on in the second half. We lost the last four games because of not enough experience and not managing the game. He makes people around him better.
“It’s going to be a sad loss seeing him go to the Stormers. But he’s still got a job to do for us until the end of the season. You can’t coach leadership, and he was born with it.”
