Vincent Tshituka says the Sharks are feeling confident they can turn their season around after their last two wins.
Loose forward Vincent Tshituka says back-to-back wins have boosted the Sharks’ confidence ahead of their United Rugby Championship SA derby against the Lions on Saturday afternoon.
The teams clash at Kings Park with the Sharks hoping to defend their first-ever SA Shield title, won by just one point last season.
After a dismal start to the campaign, the Durban union secured a 28-23 win over Saracens and a 21-12 victory over the Bulls, both in Durban, under new interim coach JP Pietersen.
The Lions, meanwhile, have lost three games in a row – to Benetton, Newcastle and the Stormers.
They lead the SA shield table by one point, but could be replaced by any of the other three unions after Saturday. But that will only be the mid-point for the Lions, with three SA derbies to follow.
The Sharks have the edge over the Lions historically in the URC, winning five out of their eight clashes.
Last season, the Lions beat the Sharks 38-14 in Joburg before the Sharks beat the Lions 25-22 in Durban.
SA derby buzz
“This week has been quite nice regarding the buzz of playing an SA derby,” said Tshituka, who made his Springbok Test debut in July.
“It’s always a big one against the Lions. It’s always a spectacle. So, we expect nothing less than that. We feel confident and ready from the training that’s happened so far.”
He said the mood in the Sharks camp was good, with players believing they could turn the season around.
“We’ve had two good wins after a rough start to the season. It’s helped us build a little bit of momentum and confidence that we needed.”
The Sharks will need that boost, sitting 13th on the URC table with two wins from seven games, and fifth in their Champions Cup pool after one victory from two matches.
“JP has really challenged us from going good to great. It’s lifted our standards in everything we do.”
Raising their standards
Tshituka said players were now taking responsibility for their own performances and lifting their standards.
“There has been a lot of buy-in over the last couple of weeks. We’ve got all the potential, everything we need (to win).”
After the Lions fixture, the Sharks play two Champions Cup pool matches over the following two weeks: away to Sale Sharks and at home to Clermont Auvergne.
