Former Sharks coach gives his verdict on what they need to do to reach their potential

Former Sharks head coach Sean Everitt believes the Durban-based outfit should reach their potential as soon as they have a settled environment.

On Saturday, Everitt was back at his old stomping ground, Kings Park, with his new team, Edinburgh, to face the Sharks but it was not a happy return for the 54-year-old as the home side sealed a 23-13 victory.

Improved performances

It was the Sharks‘ second successive triumph in the United Rugby Championship (URC), after their win over Ulster the previous week, and it is only their third victory out of 13 matches played in the competition this season.

The team’s recent performances are a far cry from their form during the rest of the campaign as they have already lost 10 matches, with their only other victory – prior to the Ulster one – registered way back in November last year against the Dragons.

It has been difficult to put the finger on exactly what the cause of the Sharks’ poor form was as they have several current Springboks in their ranks and experienced head coach John Plumtree calling the shots.

After the Sharks v Edinburgh game, Everitt gave his thoughts on his former side’s struggling season and what they need to do to continue on their current upward trajectory.

“It’s a difficult one for me because I haven’t been here and intimately involved in the team (since he left),” he said. “For me, I think this team needs to settle from a recruitment point of view and coaching point of view.

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“I read the other day that the Sharks have had over 40 coaches over the last ten years; you can’t build consistency regarding that.

“The team that the Sharks put out week to week is good and is a team that can win and a team that can play. If you look at a guy like (Aphelele) Fassi today, he put us under huge pressure with his kicking game and counter-attacking ability.

“They do have a set-piece that operates well and we all know that winning teams have good set-pieces. It’s about them sticking together and putting together some good performances going forward.”

In the firing line

Everitt was in the firing line after Edinburgh’s defeat to the Sharks with some television pundits in Scotland calling their performance the worst they had seen and claiming they looked like a team that cannot play rugby.

“It’s very hard to play rugby when you’re jammed in your own half for most of the game, so I disagree with that,” said Everitt. “I wouldn’t say we are a team that can’t play rugby. It’s a team that struggled to get territory.”

Both the Sharks and Edinburgh will be in action in the Challenge Cup’s round-of-16 this weekend. Everitt and his troops will be hosting French side Bayonne at Hive Stadium while the Sharks face Italian outfit Zebre Parma at Kings Park in Durban.

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