John Plumtree pleads for patience after Sharks win another nailbiter

The Springbok-laden Sharks squad returned from their two-match tour North with eight points in the bag, making it a successful mission. However, given the manner of the victories and inconsistent play, it could be argued that the star-studded squad is underperforming.

The Sharks needed an 81st-minute try from Makazole Mapimpi to edge Edinburgh by one point a fortnight ago, then a last-gasp penalty kick from Jordan Hendrikse saw them beat Ulster by three on Saturday.

Speaking to the Sharks' website this week, Plumtree was particularly proud of the win over Ulster in Belfast, where no SA side has won before.

"We were the first South African side to win there, it's a difficult place to visit, it was wet, the crowd was pretty tribal and the intensity was up there, so we were pretty happy to come away with a win," said the Kiwi.

"The big thing for us is that we know how difficult it is to win URC games away, it's shown in the results. We might have come in for some criticism, but we're always looking to improve, whether we win by one point or 20.

"People need to be a bit patient with us, it's been a difficult season with injuries, there have been challenges around continuity in selection, but we have players coming back at the right time, and if you compare us to a Hollywoodbets horse, I'd say we won by a nose, but we know the Kentucky Derby is in a few weeks time and we want to win that race!

"We want to build, get that horse fitter, train it hard and get across the line where it wins by four or five lengths, and not by a nose."

The Sharks host Ospreys on Friday 9 May and Scarlets the following Saturday in successive matches at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. They are currently in fourth on the log, five points behind the Bulls and eight points ahead of the high-flying Cardiff.

"We know we need to win the last two games if we want to push hard for a top two spot, but you narrow that down to winning every day and then winning on the weekend and getting the job done," continued Plumtree.

"We have our goals, we have our strengths but we also have some weaknesses and it's all around wanting to be better every week. So it doesn't matter if we win by one or 20, our desire is always to be better.

"There have been difficulties around preparing the team, it hasn't been the easiest season having players injured at crucial times of the year. But we're here, we have the team we want and it's really up to us to make sure we go out there and perform and get the win. That's all we focus on."

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