Sharks eager for second bite at Edinburgh

09/04/2024 08:17

Sharks head coach John Plumtree is champing at the bit for the return of Edinburgh to Durban, where the teams lock horns in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Plumtree's charges put seven tries past Italian minnows Zebre Parma in a 47-3 victory at Kings Park last week to progress to the last eight of the competition for the first time.

The Durbanites are on a three-match winning streak that includes a gritty result against Edinburgh in round 13 of the Vodacom URC a fortnight ago, and Plumtree has emphasised the magnitude of the clash between the sides.

The Sharks are up to 13th on the URC standings but out of the race for playoffs, and winning the Challenge Cup will secure safe passage back to the Champions Cup next season.

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“It’s always a plan to do well in this four-match block and we’ve got three out of three [so far]," Plumtree was quoted in the media after Sunday's mauling of Zebre.

“There’s a good opportunity for us [this week] going into this quarter-final and that’s going to be huge.

“Both teams will be desperate to progress through to the semi-final, so it’s going to be a tough match.

“We know the quality side that Edinburgh is. It’s going to be a good game and we’ve played each other just recently.

“We know each other in terms of strengths and weaknesses, so it feels like a second Test.”

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