Phepsi: Sharks haven't won any cups yet

25/04/2024 07:22

Sharks loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi has insisted that beating Scarlets on Friday night is just as important as next week's historic Challenge Cup clash in London.

For the first time, a South African team will contest a semi-final in the European club tournament when the Sharks and French Top 14 club Clermont Auvergne lock horns at Twickenham Stoop next Saturday.

Winning the Challenge Cup will secure safe passage back to the Champions Cup next season for John Plumtree's charges, who are out of the race for a playoff spot in the Vodacom URC.

Defeat at the Glasgow Warriors last week has left the Durbanites in 13th spot on the overall standings, and they have now travelled to Wales for a round 15 showdown with Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets.

MORE: Bulls rearing for URC playoff charge

Speaking in a Sharks conference on Wednesday, Buthelezi emphasised the importance of this week's match in the context of the team's preparations to face Clermont while highlighting the threat posed by their Welsh hosts.

“We are 100% focused on the Scarlets. What is waiting after that, we will deal with next week," he told reporters.

“It doesn’t matter what everyone says, we want to put in a good performance against the Scarlets this week.

“A win would mean a lot to us and would give us good momentum. We would like to show that we are better than the scoreboard shows. We want to seize our opportunities and raise our standards.

“In the last five or six weeks, our confidence has grown a lot. Once you start winning, the belief in a group grows.

“We haven’t won any cups [this season], but we work hard every week to fix that.”

“[Scarlets] is a team with a lot of international players in its midst. There are some experienced toughs up front and we also have to be careful because the backs kick very well tactically," he added.

Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images

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