It’s a new coach but the same old selection shenanigans, and poor results, at the Sharks.
Let’s go back to better times. Two years ago, in 2023/24, John Plumtree had just joined the club and thanks to a major cash injection, they started buying up Springboks and top players.
Despite a poor United Rugby Championship, the Sharks finished top of their Challenge Cup pool and went on to beat Zebre, Edinburgh and Clermont in the play-offs, and Gloucester in the final, to win the second-tier title.
The Sharks had selected their top players for these matches, and it paid off.
Where it went wrong for the Sharks
Last year, Plumtree focused on the URC, and was rewarded with a first-ever semi-final finish and first-ever SA shield title.
But when it came to the Champions Cup, which is regarded as a tougher and more prestigious tournament, the Sharks seemed far from their best. They finished the pool stage with just one win and a poor points difference of -87 after four games.
They dropped into the Challenge Cup round of 16. The expectation was that Plumtree would focus on defending the title. Instead, he made wholesale changes, fielding a second-string side that lost poorly to Lyon.
After a poor start to this season, and a similar 56-19 thrashing by Toulouse against another second-string Sharks in the Champions Cup, Plumtree resigned and JP Pietersen took over.
Pietersen brought several Springboks back for their second-round match against Saracens, and they beat the tricky English side with a bonus point. Things looked up with another win against the Bulls in the URC.
The Sharks lost to the Lions by one point the next week, but could be proud of fighting to the end against a Joburg side known to be at its best against South African opposition.
Then came a return to the Challenge Cup, and apparently a return to old ways. Pietersen dropped 13 Springboks in his matchday squad to face Sale Sharks in Manchester.
The young side led by 22-year-old Nick Hatton deserves credit for making Sale work for their 26-10 win, and Pietersen praised them for their effort. But it seemed like the addition of a few more experienced players might have been the difference.
The Sharks will almost certainly need to beat Clermont on Saturday to progress to the Champions Cup round of 16. Pietersen’s selection will determine whether they’ve learned their lesson from past mistakes.
