Connacht star rates Sharks chances in URC race
REACTION: There is no reason why the Sharks can not win the United Rugby Championship.
The man making this bold statement is Connacht flank Conor Oliver.
The Irish province, Connacht, concluded their two-week South African trip with a 21-41 loss to the Sharks at the weekend.
Connacht were already out of playoff contention, while the result made sure the Sharks booked a place in the last eight.
The Sharks are currently third on the standings with 56 points, the same as second-placed Munster – only trailing on points differential.
A win for Sean Everitt’s men against Ulster on May 20 will guarantee them a quarterfinal in Durban.
Speaking after the defeat, Connacht flank Conor Oliver had nothing but praise for the Sharks team and revealed that the South Africans have the quality to claim the URC title.
#SPOTLIGHT: ‘It’s a real shot in the arm for the tournament’ #URC #Stormers #Sharks #Bulls #Lions https://t.co/YlVNzLF5wT
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 1, 2022
“They are a team capable of winning this [the URC], no doubt,” Oliver said.
“They are 100 percent physical and there is not much between the Sharks and the others in the top four.
“They have big bodies in the pack and speed in the backline which is a nice balance.”
Oliver added: “Their power game is hard to contain.
“Once their forwards get past phase three, it is really difficult to stop them and I cant see why they can not win the tournament.”
#SPOTLIGHT: Something for Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus 👇#URC #SHAvCON https://t.co/Y4YaIeMrsO
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 1, 2022
Second-half implosion
The Irish side, at the back of a win over the Lions, was unbeaten against Southern Hemisphere opposition this season.
And they certainly looked like keeping that record intact when they took a 21-10 lead at the half-time break.
However, they failed to build on their impressive first-half lead – earned through tries from Gavin Thornbury and Caolin Blade and 11 points from the boot of Conor Fitzgerald.
Instead, the Sharks produced an incredible performance, scoring 31 answered points in the second half
“We thought at half-time we had put together a reasonable 40 minutes,” Connacht coach Andy Friend said, adding: “The message was to stay in the physical contest and up the ante because we could see their power starting to come through.
“But then came some loose kicks from us and when you give the Sharks’ back three that type of ball they will cut you open and that is what happened,”
He added: “Their fullback [Aphelele] Fassi counter-attacks brilliantly and he was allowed to because of a poor kicking by us.”
Connacht will face Zebre in the Final Round of the URC on May 21.
@rugby365com
#REACTION: Sense of disappointment inside the @THESTORMERS camp admits boss
🗣️”The best team in the competition was Leinster, and the second-best team was Leinster B.” #rugby #news @leinsterrugby @URCOfficial https://t.co/evoQmJynNj— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 1, 2022
