Siya Kolisi, the captain of the Springboks, has candidly addressed the Sharks' inability to secure a spot in the United Rugby Championship knockout stages as he prepares for his final games with the Durban-based team. This season has proven challenging for the Sharks, marked by a rocky start and the eventual departure of head coach John Plumtree. Under the interim leadership of club legend JP Pietersen, the team experienced a brief resurgence, clinching victories against traditional rivals. However, their campaign faltered, missing out on advancing in the Investec Champions Cup and suffering key losses in the URC, compounded by an injury crisis.
Kolisi, who will soon don the Stormers jersey once again, expressed his disappointment over the team's performance. "It’s been a tough week for us with not making the Top Eight," he admitted. "We are really disappointed, especially with the group that we have. We definitely should have qualified for that. We have no excuses." The Sharks face Italian teams Benetton and Zebre in their final matches of the season, with only pride at stake.
"We want to make sure that we finish strong for the season. It hurts us the way the fans have been supporting us so much and we couldn’t deliver for them, for the club itself."
The scrutiny has been intense on the Sharks, a team brimming with talent from the Springboks yet repeatedly failing to meet expectations. As the season draws to a close, Kolisi highlighted the immediate challenge posed by Benetton, who recently upset Leinster. "We should be doing better than we did this season, but yeah, we’ve got a big challenge this week with Benetton," he remarked. "They are a great team and have beaten some big teams this season, so we want to finish our year strong, and hopefully the guys can build going forward with these last two games."
On a personal note, Kolisi shared his sentiments about leaving Durban, a city that welcomed him warmly after his stint with Racing 92. "I’m going to enjoy the last two weeks and enjoy the city and KZN as much as I can," he reflected. "Thank you to the people here, thank you to the Sharks for everything they’ve done for me and for supporting me in everything, and for understanding how important family is – not just saying it, but helping me get closer to my kids."
As Kolisi prepares to bid farewell to the Sharks, his legacy within the team and his impact on the community remain indelible. "It’s been tough. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to the boys. It’s been a special place," he concluded. "Thank you so much to the people of KZN for welcoming my family and me. My kids love coming here; they really enjoy supporting the team, they love the city itself, and they love the people here."
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Siya Kolisi, the captain of the Springboks, has candidly addressed the Sharks' inability to secure a spot in the United Rugby Championship knockout stages as he prepares for his final games with the Durban-based team. This season has proven challenging for the Sharks, marked by a rocky start and the eventual departure of head coach John Plumtree. Under the interim leadership of club legend JP Pietersen, the team experienced a brief resurgence, clinching victories against traditional rivals. However, their campaign faltered, missing out on advancing in the Investec Champions Cup and suffering key losses in the URC, compounded by an injury crisis.
Kolisi, who will soon don the Stormers jersey once again, expressed his disappointment over the team's performance. "It’s been a tough week for us with not making the Top Eight," he admitted. "We are really disappointed, especially with the group that we have. We definitely should have qualified for that. We have no excuses." The Sharks face Italian teams Benetton and Zebre in their final matches of the season, with only pride at stake.
"We want to make sure that we finish strong for the season. It hurts us the way the fans have been supporting us so much and we couldn’t deliver for them, for the club itself."
The scrutiny has been intense on the Sharks, a team brimming with talent from the Springboks yet repeatedly failing to meet expectations. As the season draws to a close, Kolisi highlighted the immediate challenge posed by Benetton, who recently upset Leinster. "We should be doing better than we did this season, but yeah, we’ve got a big challenge this week with Benetton," he remarked. "They are a great team and have beaten some big teams this season, so we want to finish our year strong, and hopefully the guys can build going forward with these last two games."
On a personal note, Kolisi shared his sentiments about leaving Durban, a city that welcomed him warmly after his stint with Racing 92. "I’m going to enjoy the last two weeks and enjoy the city and KZN as much as I can," he reflected. "Thank you to the people here, thank you to the Sharks for everything they’ve done for me and for supporting me in everything, and for understanding how important family is – not just saying it, but helping me get closer to my kids."
As Kolisi prepares to bid farewell to the Sharks, his legacy within the team and his impact on the community remain indelible. "It’s been tough. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to the boys. It’s been a special place," he concluded. "Thank you so much to the people of KZN for welcoming my family and me. My kids love coming here; they really enjoy supporting the team, they love the city itself, and they love the people here."