Phepsi Buthelezi says it was rewarding for the Sharks to kick off the 2026-27 season with a win, but Saturday’s clash against Leinster is a real chance to “match fire with fire”.
The Durbanites launched their URC campaign with a confidence-boosting 41-24 victory over the Ospreys last week, and head into round two in second place on the table.
JP Pietersen’s men finished 10th last term after the former Springbok took permanent charge in February, and Buthelezi said the Leinster fixture was key to gauging the club’s progress.
“We’ve worked hard during our pre-season, and to get off the mark in the way that we did was really rewarding for the group,” the 27-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.
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“We had a good look at our performance, and we felt we could have done better in certain moments of the game. But overall, it was a really positive start and everyone is happy.”
He said the team has had “hard and honest conversations”, with the loose forwards especially wanting to measure themselves against the defending champions.
“This week is a very important one for us as a group. It’s more important because it shows us how far we’ve come as a group,” the one-Test Bok added.
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“As a player, you obviously want to be up against the best. We want to play against the best loosies Leinster have to offer, and we’ve got to match fire with fire. We really feel we’ve been well prepared.
“We’ve got good coaches around us who have given us all the information we need to go out there and perform.”
Skipper Nick Hatton and flanker Manu Tshituka scored two of the Sharks’ five tries last week. Buthelezi said attack is an area the KZN outfit have keenly worked on, with Scott Mathie’s return helping drive that improvement.
“As a loose forward, it’s always nice to get involved with the ball and score some amazing tries,” he noted. “I thought that was positive, and something we’re going to keep working on.”
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Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post Phepsi thirsty for more appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Phepsi Buthelezi says it was rewarding for the Sharks to kick off the 2026-27 season with a win, but Saturday’s clash against Leinster is a real chance to “match fire with fire”.
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