The Hollywoodbets Sharks squad is filled with Springboks, and that creates excitement over their ability to compete for trophies, but the long-term plan that involves young, talented players being introduced into the system and earning their stripes bodes well for the future.
There are numerous young players who have made the step up from the junior ranks into the senior side. One is Jurenzo Julius, who earlier this month turned just 21 years of age, but looks set for a bright future, both at franchise level an,d what many believe, on the international stage too.
When looking back at his season in review, he admits that it surpassed all expectations. “From a personal perspective, it was more than I expected,” he says
“The progress has been smooth, and I wouldn’t want it any other way, and for me, the growth was amazing. I rose through the ranks, not just thrown into the deep end, starting with Carling Currie Cup and ending in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, so I felt the steps I took were good growth for me and looking back, it helped prepare me for the URC.”
While the growth was demanding and never let up, he admits that it was all worth the hard work and the results that came from that dedication.
“I found that every step of the way had a new level, always testing you, because your best at junior level isn’t necessarily your best at URC level. So the growth has been a big positive for me in my career so far.”
From a tournament point of view and the team’s overall growth, he acknowledges that there was a huge improvement, and while the season didn’t quite go as far as their ambitions wanted to take them, they certainly have a lot to be proud of.
“As a team, we did really amazingly, we stood up together, saying ‘we want to be better, we want to do better’, and we did so much better than last season when we didn’t even make the quarter-finals, we didn’t make the top eight.
“So this year we made it to the semi-final, not as far as we had hoped, because we thought we had the capability to go all the way.
“But taking it season by season, as a team and our goals, I think we can be really proud of ourselves and where we are at the moment.”
Finding ways to win was a hallmark of the team’s performances this past season, where in previous years they might have come out on the wrong side of a tight encounter, something he feels is a big feather in the squad’s cap.
“There was definite growth with this, the players knew the hardships we went through last season, but we came together and decided as a group, as coaching staff and players, that we wanted to do better.
“I think we found the pieces of the puzzle that we might have missed last season to win those close games.
“In terms of criticism we got, I think people would like to see a different style of rugby that we played, but when you win games, it doesn’t kind of matter how you play.
“Obviously, it was a bit sloppy at times where we could have played better, and one or two times we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Besides that, we did really well.”
With a season of growth behind them, Julius admits that the future looks bright as they negotiate their way through the trials and tribulations of the VURC, knowing what has worked, or failed – in the past, and making sure they embrace the challenges ahead.
“It wasn’t always easy, because the majority of the senior players and the backbone of the team are Springboks, so we don’t have as much time with them as we do with the rest of the group; in saying that, we can and should be better.
“Despite the Springbok resting protocols and their playing requirements, and not always having them, I think we did really well.
“And we are in a good place for next season, we have the confidence that we can win those games and that we know how to. With that being said, we can only get better and hopefully we’ll do better than we did this season.”
