IN OUR HANDS

WORDS: ALBERT HEENOP

Although not perfect performances, by any stretch of the imagination, the Cell C Sharks have gained enormous confidence from their last two inspirational outings, against Toulouse (in the Champions Cup) and Benetton. Neil Powell’s charges are now gunning for URC glory, and know exactly what is required…

As things stand, the Cell C Sharks have won nine of their 17 games played in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and are placed eighth on the table.

As such, Siya Kolisi and co are guaranteed of neither a spot in either the URC quarterfinals, which will be contested during the first week of May, nor next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.

Winning their final game of the regular season against Munster today is therefore non-negotiable.

That, however, provides a supreme source of inspiration for the boys in black.

“The beauty of this is that it’s in our hands,” says Neil Powell, Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby.

“We know what is required and how to approach this game.

“No doubt, Munster will be tricky. However, we have played them three weeks ago, and, like them, we have learnt from that experience.

“We aim to deliver a far better performance than the one against Benetton last weekend.”

Whereas the Cell C Sharks’ lively 43-33 bonus-point win against Italian outfit last Friday was precisely what they needed to keep their URC hopes alive, Powell felt that the victory wasn’t as clinical as they had wanted it to be.

The Cell C Sharks endured a particularly shaky start, with Benetton racing to an early 14-0 lead after only seven minutes.

“That meant that we were instantly on the back foot,” Powell observes.

“It was one of those games where we made life difficult for ourselves. There were just too many soft moments, which was frustrating.

“If we had just been more clinical and done the basics well, it would’ve been a different game.

“The guys nevertheless showed good composure towards the end of the first half to pull it back. Our goal was to get five points, and in the end we got exactly that.

“It was a short week, though, and therefore difficult to get the balance right in terms of proper preparation and conserving enough energy for Benetton. The match against Toulouse really took a lot out of the players, and against Benetton there was a bit of cohesion, a bit of synergy lacking.”