'We haven't won anything': Sharks get reality check after European success
INTERVIEW: The business of rugby is ruthless, and you’re only as good as your last result.
One week, a team can ride the high of an unbeaten run, only to face three consecutive defeats, and heavy criticism from the public and media alike.
The former applies to the Sharks, who are currently enjoying an impressive run of form after winning all three matches on their European tour last month.
Under the tutelage of JP Pietersen, the Sharks defeated Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup in France before securing back-to-back victories in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against Cardiff and Munster, respectively.
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The three away victories took the Sharks’ tally to five wins in six matches as they headed into the November international break.
One of the players who has been instrumental in the Sharks’ recent success is young loose forward Nick Hatton, who has taken on an important leadership role within the side.
The 23-year-old has reflected on the tour and how it strengthened their bond as a team.
“Winning overseas in our competition, from what I have experienced, is really not easy,” he said.
“The winning is not to be taken for granted in this league. No game is easy, whether it’s at home or away.
“We really targeted this tour to perform better overseas, especially coming off the back of last year’s disappointing results.”
Having fought their way to a dramatic victory over Lyon, the Sharks carried that momentum into their remaining fixtures against Cardiff and Munster.
“The confidence of the boys just grew, and we enjoyed our time together on tour, and we worked hard in the week.
“Against Cardiff, we had quite a few unexpected setbacks through injuries to key players, obviously our captain, André 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 November international break could prove to be both a blessing and a curse for the Sharks.
They won’t want to lose their momentum but will also use the time to work on certain aspects of their game before returning to action against the Stormers in a highly anticipated South African derby in early December.
While he acknowledges the hype surrounding the team, Hatton understands that they haven’t achieved anything and will be judged on their final body of work.
“We’ve had three good wins, but we haven’t won anything yet,” he added.
“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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