AUDIO: The Sharks welcomed back Springbok captain Siya Kolisi with open arms and his positivity has already rubbed off on his coach John Plumtree.
Plumtree said it was easy to incorporate Kolisi back into the Sharks fold after his short and uneventful stint in France.
Upon his arrival at Kings Park this week the team showed a highlights reel of Kolisi in a Sharks jersey and was made to make him feel welcome from the outset.
“I think he is really enjoying being back here.
“He is just a pleasure to have around. He keeps everyone on edge, similar characteristics to Eben [Etzebeth] and Bongi [Mbonambi] and he’s got such a lovely nature,” Plumtree said after the victory over Glasgow in Durban on Saturday.
“I am really looking forward to knowing him better. He is just a fun guy to have around. Real comfortable around the boys, and he mixes with all the cultures and it is such a pleasure to watch,” the coach shared.
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Plumtree was banking on his Springboks to bag as many points as possible but it was touch and go at stages on Saturday as they disposed of title holders.
The Springboks returned last week but only had two training sessions under the belt before they headed into their United Rugby Championship clash at home after they’d been so badly beaten by Benetton in Treviso the previous week.
And while the big names might have been slow to get into top gear, their experience allowed them to ease into the game and take control, albeit only at stages, but it was enough to grind out the win.
Plumtree conceded that it was a nervous week ahead of the Warriors game as he was expecting the Boks to be a bit rusty while it was always a challenge to integrate them back into the Sharks setup.
“It’s been a pretty nerve-wracking week with our first training session on Wednesday,” the coach said.
“Obviously the Boks were a bit rusty after three weeks off, and at the same time, we wanted to give some of the guys who were on tour a break.
“We just tried to bring everyone together and get the balance right.
“We’ve got to have confidence without the Boks.
“The Boks should already perform much better next weekend (against Munster), which will enable us to dish out good play for longer periods.”
The Sharks were in control for large parts of the game and maybe took the foot off the pedal when they were leading 21-12.
This allowed Glasgow to retaliate and score two crucial tries in the last moments, thus bagging two crucial bonus points.
Some of the Boks were more dominant than others with Aphelele Fassi the cream of the crop.
Eben Etzebeth and Makazole Mapimpi also had their moments and kept the opposition busy.
The Sharks’ slow start allowed Glasgow to have an early upper hand, something Plumtree acknowledged.
“Glasgow always offers formidable opposition and tests you in every facet of the game,” Plumtree noted.
“At times, we built up nice momentum and looked impressive, but at other times we were definitely a bit rusty.
“You can’t underestimate how good Glasgow are. They’re a true champion team and put you under pressure throughout.”
The Sharks host Munster in their final URC game before the November international window.
