Sharks prepare for a serious test against Leinster in the URC

Four franchise clubs from South Africa—Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, and Lions—intend to maintain their flawless start in the United Rugby Championship (URC). Although the tournament is viewed as a marathon rather than a sprint, the upcoming weekend will be crucial for these teams to confirm their initial victories and remain undefeated in the competition.

In the first round of the new season, all four teams secured wins: Stormers won 29-15, Sharks 41-24, Lions 27-26, and Bulls 47-13. Only the team from Johannesburg failed to secure a win with bonus points at Ellis Park stadium.

This success gives the South African quartet significant confidence heading into the second round, but it also creates added pressure as the teams strive to gain early momentum in the URC. Specifically, Stormers and Bulls want to demonstrate that their first away wins were not coincidental.

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

Stormers, playing against Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday (match starts at 20:45), noted their performance in Galway, but assistant coach Rito Hlungwani pointed to the need for improvements, especially when the team is close to the opponent's try line. In Galway, Stormers lost Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen due to injuries on the 4G surface. Hlungwani confirmed that the forwards have been sent home for assessment of their injuries. He also did not disclose information regarding the possible participation of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in the match against Edinburgh.

In an online press conference on Monday, Hlungwani stated: 'We got quite effectively into the 22-meter zone of Connacht, but we will have to improve our conversion rate.' He added that they liked how they reached the 22-meter zone in various ways—kick, run, or maul—and that now they need to polish this conversion rate before facing Edinburgh. He also noted that the team was satisfied with how they gained advantage in the maul, which, in his opinion, affects the opponent's psychology.

Despite losing one Springbok player, Stormers can strengthen their squad with three others. Kolisi is training with the team alongside forward Ben-Jason Dixon, and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu from Cape Town has joined. However, Springboks players who participated in the match against Australia will not play in the UK.

Bulls earned deserved five points in Parma, but they face a different challenge in the match against Munster on Saturday evening in Ireland. Head coach Johan Ackermann insists that the team needs to improve its scrum play. They will face a serious test in securing possession against the Irish giant. It will be harder for the Bulls to reach that height if they want to play twice in a row, and the battle at Thomond Park will be an early indicator of their away form against stronger clubs.

Although a convincing victory over Zebre started the campaign, Munster presents a real obstacle that must be overcome before returning to Pretoria. The team cannot afford a slow start against former champions, as happened in Italy, and must be extremely precise from the first whistle if they want to remain undefeated.

On South African soil, Lions intend to face Ospreys, who lost in Durban in the first round. The Johannesburg team failed to earn five points against the relatively young Leinster, losing 27-26, and barely avoided defeat in the first match. Lions have many areas for improvement, especially in defensive play, as Leinster scored four tries, limiting the hosts to three points.

After winning with bonus points in their first URC match in Kings Park, Sharks hope to continue their success and achieve a double victory by hosting Leinster. The defending champions will aim to conclude their tour with a win after being close to surpassing the strong Lions.

Sharks might receive support from some Springboks players who participated in the match against the Wallabies. However, changing a proven game plan could prove counterproductive for the Durban team, and they risk losing the momentum gained in the first match.

The era at the Sharks club where all responsibility for the professional rugby club's leadership rested on one captain is coming to an end. Ahead of the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season, coach JP Pietersen introduced an updated leadership structure that distributes duties between players on the field and those responsible for maintaining standards off the field.

South Africa's national team center, Andre Esterhuizen, remains the captain of the Sharks, which was expected after he was named Player of the Year by the players at last season's awards ceremony. However, he will now be supported by three deputies: Emil van Heerden, Nick Hatton, and Vincent Tsikuta. In the event of Esterhuizen's absence due to national team commitments or unavailability, Van Heerden, Hatton, or Tsikuta will take over the captaincy role.

Furthermore, another significant change has occurred: South Africa national veteran prop Vincent Koch and Fepsy Buthelezi have been appointed Club Captains. Their functions extend beyond game day and cover the training ground, gym, and locker room.

Sharks Leadership Structure

Pietersen believes that this structure ensures that leadership will no longer be concentrated in the hands of a single player but will become a collective responsibility. He noted: 'Andre was an outstanding leader, and I am absolutely confident that he will continue to set that standard on the field.' He added that the specialty of this group lies in squad depth: 'Emil, Nick, and Vincent Tsikuta will share this responsibility as deputies, while Vincent Koch and Fepsy Buthelezi will work alongside Andre and our coaching staff to raise standards.'

The Sharks coach has placed discipline, accountability, and respect at the core of his high-performance culture and wishes for every player to have a leader monitoring adherence to these norms. Pietersen emphasized: 'Every player in this squad has a leader next to them. This means that all of us—players and coaches—are accountable to each other. No one is above the standard; everyone adheres to it equally. This is the culture we will promote.'

Esterhuizen's role essentially corresponds to the traditional function of a captain: managing the game, making decisions under pressure, demanding discipline, and setting the physical level for teammates. The club captains carry a much broader mandate. Koch and Buthelezi will be custodians of the environment in which the Sharks prepare for games, helping to set standards in the locker room, gym, and training ground, acting as a link between the playing squad and the coaching and management groups. This is a deliberate attempt to ensure that the Sharks' identity does not depend on a single voice.

The new system also empowers two senior players with the responsibility of preserving team traditions while helping to define what the next generation of Sharks should inherit. For Pietersen, the message is clear: leadership is no longer the job of one person wearing the captain's armband. The Sharks will begin their URC season with a home match against the Ospreys on Saturday, September 26.

The Sharks have unveiled their 67-man squad for the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship season. Head coach JP Pietersen has formed a significantly more balanced team, utilizing lessons from past campaigns and a player recruitment strategy aimed at ensuring deep squad depth for the ten-month marathon tournament.

Unlike his predecessor John Plamontrie, Pietersen was able to conduct a full three-month pre-season with the majority of the squad available. This represents a significant change following recent disruptions. Plamontrie's preparation was often complicated by player unavailability, as the Sharks sometimes lost up to a dozen athletes due to international commitments.

Now, the number of such players has been reduced to six current Springboks: Thomas du Toit, Andre Esterhuizen, Eben Etzebeth, Ethan Hooker, Ox Nche, and Edwin van der Merwe. This means the Sharks will be less reliant on the Springboks, who are likely to miss significant portions of the season.

Instead, the team possesses a substantial pool of internationally experienced players who are no longer playing at the highest level and are therefore expected to be available for most of the URC campaign. This group includes Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, Bongani Mbonanti, Makazole Mapimpi, Jason Jenkins, Jayden Hendricks, Jordan Hendricks, Fepsy Buthelezi, and Ivan van Zyl.

Furthermore, there are players on the cusp of the Springboks but unlikely to be immediately called up, including Vincent and Manu Tsituku, Wusi Moyo, Jurenzo Julius, and Jaco Williams. The most interesting part of the squad may be the rising generation, which includes Springbok juniors such as Sekxetelo Siyaya, Rambo Kubheka, Patu Ganyane, Mnebelele Esethu, Matt Romao, Litelile Bester, Luan Gillium, Liam van Wyk, and Seano Everson.

The inclusion of these young talents reflects the Sharks' desire to develop their own next generation rather than relying on signings for success. Although Gillium will join the Bulls on January 1, 2027, his inclusion in the initial squad demonstrates the depth of talent passing through the system.