Sharks captain Nick Hatton staying grounded after impressive start to the season

The tide seems to be turning for the Durban franchise. Under new coach JP Pietersen, the Sharks have won five of their six matches so far, with their only loss to the brilliant Stormers in Cape Town.

The Sharks recently returned from a three-week tour of Europe, where they managed to come away unbeaten despite adversity. Tied against a quality Lyon side in the Challenge Cup, they scored an 82nd minute try to snatch victory in France.

Then in the first minute of their United Rugby Championship clash against Cardiff, they lost talismanic captain Andre Esterhuizen. But they rallied to earn a bonus-point victory. Finally, the Sharks earned their first-ever win over Irish giants Munster in Limerick, even keeping them try-less.

"The confidence of the boys just grew, and we enjoyed our time together on tour, and we worked hard in the week," reflected Hatton, one of several leaders in the Sharks' setup.

"Against Cardiff, we had quite a few unexpected setbacks through injuries to key players, obviously our captain, Andre Esterhuizen, in the first minute, and a few others. The way we stuck together and managed to pull that through pretty much gave us more confidence.

"Against Munster, we knew we had to just buckle up and defensively be physical and tight, which we were. The fact that we didn't concede a try summed up the way we wanted to play that game."

The Sharks now find themselves in fourth place on the URC table and in a good position to move into the Round of 16 in the Challenge Cup.

But it's early doors. Waiting for the Sharks when they return after the international break is a string of bruising derby matches, starting with the Stormers in Durban on 5 December. As such, Hatton warned against complacency.

"We've had three good wins, but we haven't won anything yet," quipped Hatton.

"There's no trophy at the Sharks, and we haven't made a playoff or anything like that; it's still early days.

"There isn't really a reason in my mind to get complacent. We've got some tough SA derbies around the corner. The Stormers got one over us in Cape Town, and they're our next game. Like I said, we haven't won anything yet; there's still a long way to go, and there's nothing to be complacent about."

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