The Sharks

John Plumtree head coach of Sharks during the 2023 United Rugby Championships match between Sharks and Dragons at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban on the 25 November 2023 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Plumtree rues Sharks’ set-piece woes

Head coach John Plumtree said the Sharks paid the price for a lack of execution at lineout and scrum time in a nail-biting loss to the Cheetahs on Sunday.

The Cheetahs celebrate victory over the Bulls in their 2023 Currie Cup semi-final

Cheetahs will ‘be up in Sharks’ faces’

Buoyed by an impressive Challenge Cup opener, assistant coach Izak van der Westhuizen said the Cheetahs are champing at the bit to face the Sharks on Sunday.

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 28: Hawies Fourie, Head Coach of Toyota Cheetahs during the SA Rugby Preparation Series match between Toyota Cheetahs and Eastern Province Elephants at Toyota Stadium on March 28, 2021 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images)

Cheetahs primed to pounce on Boks

Head coach Hawies Fourie is excited for the Cheetahs to test themselves against a Springbok-powered Sharks lineup when the local rivals clash in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 25: Eben Etzebeth of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between Hollywoodbets Sharks and Dragons at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on November 25, 2023 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)

Sensational Sharks pummel Pau

Lukhanyo Am and Eben Etzebeth scored two tries apiece as the Sharks launched their maiden Challenge Cup foray with a bonus-point mauling of Pau in Durban on Saturday.

Euro cups: Here we go again!

South Africa’s second assault on European club rugby kicks off this weekend, with all five top franchises involved in the Champions and Challenge cups.

State of the URC: SA teams break on a high

The SA revival continued in round 7 as the Bulls, Lions and Stormers clinched important home wins heading into a two-week pause in the competition. @Vodacom #URC

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 25: John Plumtree (Head Coach) of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between Hollywoodbets Sharks and Dragons at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on November 25, 2023 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)

Sharks boss slams ‘rusty’ Boks

John Plumtree has lamented a lack of cohesion and dysfunctional set-piece performance from the Sharks in their heavy defeat to the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday. @Vodacom #URC

Red-hot Bulls roast Sharks

Akker van der Merwe and Stedman Gans scored two tries apiece as the Vodacom Bulls hammered the Sharks in the Vodacom URC in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.

RWC-winning Boks add sparkle, fizz to URC

The one consistent among South Africa’s trio of Vodacom URC coaches in Jake White, John Plumtree and John Dobson, was the size of their smile in welcoming back their World Cup title-winning Springboks.

Plum: It’s Sharks, not Boks, versus Bulls

John Plumtree said that having a bevy of World Cup winners at the Sharks won’t matter if they don’t gel as a team when two Bok-powered sides clash in Pretoria on Saturday.