Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt was a happy and proud coach following his team’s 30-16 Vodacom United Rugby Championship victory over the Vodacom Bulls at Jonsson Kings Park to bring to a satisfying end this busy rugby year.
Everitt paid tribute to his forwards for the way they stood up in this match. The scrum is where a lot of the game is won and lost and not only measuring yourself against a team renowned for their physical dominance but besting them, provides a huge amount of satisfaction for the Cell C Sharks pack of forwards and the work they’ve put in.
Indeed, scrum penalties and dominance at the crucial set-piece certainly set the team up perfectly for victory on Friday evening.
“We all know that the set-piece is one of three things you need to win rugby games and our set-piece certainly functioned, Everitt said after the match.
“I’m very happy that the boys did well in that department. We have been under the pump in our set-piece in probably the last 18 months, so this was a really good turnaround and the returning Boks made a big difference.”
The Cell C Sharks coach also felt that the contribution of the returning Springboks showed the true professionalism of these players, not taking the foot off the pedal after their international duties.
“They came through really well, Lukhanyo Am got the Man of the Match award, and what was most pleasing about the Boks coming back is the attitude they showed. It was a smooth transition having them return to the fold, which is exactly what you’d expect from Springbok rugby players.
“What Rassie and Jacques have created at the Boks is something special and we look forward to these guys rubbing shoulders with the youngsters and teaching them the right way.”
While set-piece dominance forms one part of a triumvirate that dictates success, Everitt felt his team more than ticked the boxes with all three.
“The other two are territory and defence,” he pointed out. “We won the territory stats although we weren’t as clinical as we would have liked to be in the first half, I thought we were a bit unlucky at times.
“Then stopping the Bulls’ momentum was something we spoke about all week, the battle of the gain-line was something we won as well, so we’re very happy with the way the game went. Particularly all the effort we put into the first half without reward, but the guys stuck to the plan.
“Sometimes when things don’t go your way, people tend to go on their own individual plan and our guys just stuck to the task, they were amazing. The team was well led and all credit to the leaders in the group: Thomas and Lukhanyo.
“We knew what we needed to do to beat the Bulls here at Jonsson Kings Park and we certainly did that, so all credit to the players and coaching staff.”
For now, the Cell C Sharks players can enjoy a break from rugby, having played their last game of the year. And what a busy year with barely a minute to pause and breathe between tournaments. Having worked through the last couple of months without a number of players – both Springboks and those carrying injuries – the prognosis, should Covid allow it, is for the emergence of the strongest Cell C Sharks side possible in the competition.
“My understanding is that our next game is only in January, Sikhumbuzo Notshe is starting to return to training, Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams return to training this week and the only guy who will be out long-term is Thaakir Abrahams. We’re also looking forward to seeing what our new signing Eduan Keyter can do, he should be training with us in early January.”
With match action now over, the players who were involved in Springbok duties over the last eight months will be given time off while the rest of the squad continues training for two more weeks and into the early part of the following week before enjoying a two-week break over Christmas before returning on 27 December.