Sharks up against it again in the URC

2026-03-17 - 10:51

The Sharks have it all to do in the crunch part of the season, their last two defeats dropping them from ninth to 11th on the United Rugby Championship (URC) table and six points adrift of a play-off spot. After new head coach JP Pietersen rallied the side after a poor start to the season, the Durban union lost 34-22 to the Lions at Ellis Park, and then were thumped 41-12 by the Bulls at Loftus. The last result occurred despite bringing six Springboks back into the starting XV, and featuring a total of 10 past and current Boks in the starting line-up. The Sharks only needed to win one of those games to secure their second-ever SA Shield title, but instead produced probably their poorest performance under Pietersen, to take his record to five wins and four losses since taking over in December. No more room for losses Now the Sharks have just four wins out of 12 this URC. Even if they win their six remaining games, it will only take them to 10 victories, three less than the 13 they had last year. Captain André Esterhuizen said it felt like they needed to win those final six matches just to stand a chance of reaching the top eight, and a play-off position. “We don’t have any space for losing any more,” he said. “The middle part of the log is so tight.” The Sharks probably have it hardest first, hosting sixth-placed Munster and then fifth-placed Cardiff over the following weeks. The Irish and Welsh sides are not in the best form either, Munster losing five of their last seven games and Cardiff losing four of their last eight. But these have done better over the course of the season, both with eight wins out of 12 in the URC. The Sharks have only once failed to reach the URC play-offs, finishing 14th on the table in 2023/24, though that was the season they won the Challenge Cup. Sharks in the Challenge Cup Speaking of, after Cardiff, the Sharks travel to Connacht for the Challenge Cup last 16, a formidable Irish side on a three-match winning streak. If they win, they will play in a quarter-final the following week. Then the Sharks return to the URC away against Ospreys (18 Apr) and Edinburgh (24 Apr) before returning home for their last regular-season matches against Benetton and Zebre. Wherever they look, the Sharks have games they almost certainly have to win.