Former Sharks coach Hugh Reece-Edwards believes the ailing team could benefit from the presence of more players knocking on the Springbok door, to complement and cover for the plethora of Boks in John Plumtree’s squad.
The Sharks suffered a shock defeat against Irish visitors Ulster on Saturday that leaves them languishing near the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table, still searching for a first win after four rounds of the campaign.
They are under growing pressure to deliver results despite boasting one of the most star-studded rosters in the competition.
For Reece-Edwards, the Sharks’ solution lies in recruitment that looks beyond marquee names to those who can grow into Springboks.
“You need that depth. It’s not just about numbers. If Eben Etzebeth is away, you want a player who’s a real stalwart stepping in, with a youngster learning from him. Right now, we don’t have enough of those players who are next in line,” he told Independent Media Sport exclusively this week.
“We’ve got a number of Springboks, and I was looking at the squad and saying, who are the next guys who are going to become Springboks?
“Besides young Ethan Hooker, there aren’t people who are knocking on the door. And that’s really what you want.
“You want to say that we’ve recruited players who are there and thereabouts to becoming the next best. You want those number twos … and I don’t think we have that. I don’t even think we have number threes, necessarily.”
But would those players who are next in line be willing to bide their time at the Sharks when they could be starters elsewhere? Reece-Edwards doesn’t think so.
“You know that the Springboks are going to be away for a number of fixtures, so that opens doors straight away,” said the former Springbok full-back.
“There’s also this restriction of 30 games a year, so we won’t be able to use all the players all the time, and obviously a number of them are going away again in November, so there are going to be gaps,” he explained.
The potential benefits seem obvious — improved quality in depth, fewer dips in performance when the Bok players aren’t around, and the ability to rest and reintegrate players.
Reece-Edwards pointed to the Bulls as a model of smarter recruitment, noting how they have successfully brought back proven players who have matured overseas but still have plenty to offer.
“A classic example is bringing back a guy like Marcel Coetzee, and there are a number of players who have played a bit of Test rugby, gone overseas, done really well, come back again and still really put their hand up for their team. That sort of player is invaluable to a team,” he said.
Some may regard the imminent arrival at the Shark Tank of celebrated Bok prop Thomas du Toit from French club Bordeaux as a step in that direction.
With Plumtree’s side facing the winless Scarlets this weekend, the former coach warned that the Sharks must not only win but do so convincingly to restore belief after failing to click at the weekend.
“They’re under massive pressure now, and it suddenly means whoever we put in that game, it’s probably going to be the top side again. You’re not resting your players for the weakest challenge,” Reece-Edwards said.
“Even if they beat Scarlets, the sceptics will say they only beat the bottom side. So, they’ve got to perform well this week — and again the following game.”
