The Sharks are the biggest losers of the Vodacom URC quarter-finals, based on current form and not historical assumptions, writes MARK KEOHANE.
John Plumtree’s charges line up against Munster on Saturday at Kings Park, where victory is a must to advance to the semi-finals for the first time.
The Vodacom Bulls also have the luxury of home-ground advantage against Edinburgh at Loftus, after the Stormers tackle defending champions Glasgow Warriors on Friday night.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane predicts two South African wins but argues that, despite a team packed with World Cup-winning Springboks, the Sharks have consistently underwhelmed at home, lacking the cohesion and intensity expected from such a high-quality squad.
He backs the Bulls to edge Edinburgh in a tight contest and the Stormers to upset Glasgow in a one-point thriller.
Keohane notes that the Sharks’ reliance on Durban’s humid conditions as an excuse no longer holds weight. He questions why they, as the home side accustomed to the environment, continue to struggle while visitors adapt and sometimes outplay them.
In contrast, he praises Munster’s gritty style and playoff credentials, referencing their 2023 title run which included away wins in Glasgow, Dublin and Cape Town.
“Ordinarily, the Bulls at home against overseas opposition would be seen as a gimme,” Keohane writes. “The Sharks, filled with World Cup-winning Springboks, would be a definite in Durban, more so when playing against a team that has travelled across the ocean.
“The obvious call then is two home wins, for the teams who finished second (Bulls) and third (Sharks) in the league.
“The obvious hard luck story would be the Stormers playing the defending champion Warriors in Glasgow, Scotland on a Friday night and on a 4G pitch.
“From what I have seen the Sharks, collectively, are not playing well enough to beat Munster. I have the lads who play out of Limerick and Cork to win in Durban.
Which is why I have the Stormers to win by a point in Glasgow at a venue where they have never won and where they have been beaten three times by an average score of 11 points.”
