‘We were gutted after losing at home to Toulouse,’ said Sharks loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi. Photo: Steve Haag Sports
The Sharks have arrived in Bordeaux at the peak of the French winter, but loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi is fizzing with excitement ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup encounter (3pm SA time kick-off) with the red-hot home team.
The Sharks have to get log points out of this game to stand a chance of making the playoffs, and must pull themselves together after being outclassed 20-8 by Toulouse at Kings Park last week.
But Buthelezi is not fussed.
“We arrived on Tuesday and it was minus-two degrees. which was a shock to the system because it was unbelievably hot in Durban when we left,” Buthelezi said from France yesterday.
“There could not be a bigger contrast in conditions from last week’s game to this one, but we are in a good space.
“Our goal for the week is simple and straightforward,” the 25-year-old said.
“We want to qualify for the last 16. We know we have our work cut out for us, because Bordeaux are a quality side and are doing well in the Top 14 and the Champions Cup.”
That is something of an understatement. Bordeaux lead the Top 14 and are unbeaten in the Champions Cup.
In their last match, they put 69 points past the Exeter Chiefs in England.
Interestingly, the Bordeaux attack coach is Noel McNamara, the Irishman, who spent three years at the Sharks before the arrival of John Plumtree for his second tenure in Durban.
Also among the assistants is forwards coach Yannick Bru, the former French international who spent time coaching at the Sharks, and Shaun Sowerby, who captained the Sharks in the Kevin Putt era.
Sowerby went to Bordeaux from Durban in 2002, and has never left.
“Last season, Bordeaux came up short in the Champions Cup, and they want to rectify that,” Buthelezi continued.
“They are a team that scores a lot of tries. In their last five or six games, they have not scored less than 35 points. We know that defensively we have to roll up our sleeves.
“The mood in the camp is very good. We were gutted after losing at home to Toulouse.
“We do not like losing at home. We do not like losing in a Sharks jersey full-stop.
“But we felt that we had enough opportunities to put that game away, and we have travelled with confidence.
“We have turned over a new page, and are looking forward to getting stuck into training.”
The No 8-cum-flank said the team trained yesterday, will train today and will have a day off tomorrow.
Our 28- man touring squad for the #InvestecChampionsCup and @vodacom #URC matches 🦈
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) January 13, 2025
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They have their captain’s run on Saturday and kick-off is at 4pm French time on Sunday.
“We are looking forward to making our supporters proud, making ourselves proud and making sure we get that knock-out qualification for this organisation.
“It is an important week for the club, and the province, and we are geared toward achieving that goal.”
The Sharks travelled without injured Springboks Jordan Hendrikse, Eben Etzebeth, André Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Vincent Koch and Makazola Mapimpi, but on the plane were some able replacements.
The livewire Grant Williams will make a difference at scrumhalf and, at flyhalf, this is an excellent opportunity for Siya Masuku to prove a point after he fell behind Hendrikse in the pecking order.
Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am is also back, and his clever marshalling of the defence will be crucial against a Bordeaux backline that includes sizzling stars in Maxime Lucu, Matthieu Jalibert, Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. | Independent Media Sport
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