Vincent Tshituka, the Hollywoodbets Sharks' Springbok loose forward, has praised the impact of interim head coach JP Pietersen ahead of their United Rugby Championship (URC) South African derby against the Lions on Saturday, at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban at 15:30 (SA Time).
Tshituka mentioned that the players have responded positively to Pietersen's methods, and there has been a lot of "buy-in" from the squad.
“JP has really challenged us on going from good to great, and that’s lifted our standards in everything we do.”
“There are a lot of players taking personal responsibility and driving those standards. There’s been a lot of buy-in over the last couple of weeks, and it’s been great.”
Following a rough start to the season under former coach John Plumtree, the team has built “a bit of momentum and confidence” with back-to-back wins under Pietersen.
“It’s obviously been a really exciting time at the Sharks. We’ve had two good wins after a rough start to the season, and I think it’s helped us build a bit of momentum and confidence that we needed.”
According to Tshituka, Pietersen has “lifted our standards in everything we do,” leading players to take more personal responsibility.
Tshituka expressed his belief that the Sharks have the ability and potential to turn their season around, despite their current 13th-place standing in the URC.
“There’s quite a buzz around training and lots of excitement playing an SA derby, it’s always a big one against the Lions, a spectacle, and we expect nothing less than that. The guys are really looking forward to the challenge.
“We’re all excited and believe we can turn this season around.”