A downward curve for Bok-laden Sharks
URC RECAP: The 2022/2023 season is set to go down as a failure for a Sharks squad boasting several top Springboks in their camp and a strong bank balance courtesy of their owners.
The Sharks failed in their quest to secure a top-seven finish over the weekend with a 22-all draw with Munster in Durban, which means their chances of competing in the Champions Cup season are very slim.
They will now need to win this season’s United Rugby Championship to be awarded a Champions Cup place ahead of the lowest-ranked non-Shield winner, which is Connacht.
A quarterfinal in Dublin against Leinster awaits Neil Powell’s side and there will not be many fans and pundits giving them a chance in that fixture.
The Sharks have also lost key players to injury in the form of Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Jaden Hendrikse recently.
Captain Siya Kolisi also looks set to spend some time on the sidelines with a knee injury and there is also concern over flyhalf Curwin Bosch who suffered a suspected rib injury.
The 2022/2023 season was supposed to be one where the Sharks kicked on with their squad depth and financial backing, but there has been a downward curve in terms of their ranking in the URC.
Last season, they finished fifth with 11 wins from their 18 games and a points tally of 57.
This season, they finished the regular season in eighth spot with 48 points after nine wins, eight defeats and one draw.
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You also have to take into account that Sean Everitt was given the boot as head coach in November after a string of poor results with Director of Rugby Powell, who has little experience coaching in the XV-man, taking over the coaching responsibilities.
Whoever gets that head coach role ahead of next season, will have a big job building an identity and winning culture at the Sharks.
Looking at the other SA teams, the Stormers showed some more consistency despite finishing one position lower this season.
As they did at the end of the 2021/2022 season, the Stormers finished with 12 wins, four losses and two draws. They even managed to accumulate seven more log points this season.
The Bulls finished two places lower this season in sixth with 53 points after 10 wins and eight defeats from their 18 games. Last season they had 58 points and 11 wins.
The Lions had a slight improvement this season, finishing in ninth compared to their 12th place last season.
They also finished the season with the same number of wins as the Sharks and they were just four points away from a top-eight finish.
@rugby365com
