VIDEO: Lukhanyo Am - 'It was never a lack of leadership'
SPOTLIGHT: Lukhanyo Am says the Sharks are “growing and learning” and that it won’t be long before they are “very dangerous” as a few of their World Cup-winning Boks returned to training this week.
John Plumtree’s side are currently sitting at the bottom of the United Rugby Championship standings after losing their first five games.
Four of those games have been on tour before they went down to Connacht in Durban last weekend.
Am made his first appearance of the season in that match against the Irish side and the Bok centre revealed that energy levels increased this week with players like Ox Nche, Eben Etzebeth Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse back in camp.
Makazole Mapimpi returned to training with Am last week.
Am believes the winds of change are slowly blowing through the Sharks’ squad as they try to build a new culture under Plumtree.
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“Coming back from our national duties, rejoining the boys with so much energy, it has been really good and I think for me individually playing my first game after a long-term injury was such a bonus for myself.
“I think it was never a lack of leadership at any stage. How we want to play and how we want to grow as a group was the thing that we focussed on the most.
“Once we get the individuals to sharpen up and execute this style of play that we want to play, I think we will be very dangerous.
“It’s the beginning of the season and the season only ends in May or June, so we still have quite some time to sharpen up and to catch up.
“It [slow starts] has happened in the past with Munster and the Stormers, if I am not mistaken, so it is still early for us to just throw the kitchen sink.
“We are definitely working on something bigger than us, so we are looking forward to the rest of the season.”
‘The right direction’
Am said the players will be soaking up all the knowledge they get from the returning Boks.
“We are going in the right direction. We are a growing team and a learning team,” Am added.
“It’s another one at home [against the Dragons] and we got certain players back from national duties in terms of prep and sharing their experience with the rest of the group.
“We are definitely in the right space and I am really looking forward to this game.”
The two Springboks that will definitely not be in action are Vincent Kock and Bongi Mbonambi.
The Sharks confirmed that Mbonambi will be out of action for six months after he had surgery on his knee, which he injured in the World Cup Final against the All Blacks.
Koch (knee) will be on the sidelines for three months.
Meanwhile, Sharks attack coach Dave Williams also noticed a change in energy levels in training with the World Cup winners present.
“We’ve used this this week to sort of celebrate their achievements with them and they brought a huge amount of energy to the organisation, which has been great for us as a collective,” said Williams.
“The coaching staff fully believe in what we are trying to do and I think just looking at the players and seeing that confidence in training today [Tuesday].
“In terms of players available for selection, anyone who is fit will be available.”
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