Kolisi rallies Sharks after Connacht mauling ahead of busy December

It was a weekend to forget for the Sharks after a disappointing 44-17 defeat to Connacht, and the returning Springbok contingent will likely be without Eben Etzebeth for some time.

Etzebeth was red-carded at the end of the tour finale against Wales, and the Sharks will feel the impact of his suspension for eye-gouging, with the Boks not playing again until June next year.

But there is good news for the embattled Durbanites: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has sounded a battle cry as he turns his attention to his club. After leading the Boks to one of their most successful seasons in history, Kolisi says the Sharks deserve similar fortunes after their underwhelming results in recent years.

Kolisi told online rugby news site Rugby365 that he will take a short break, while the Sharks are in Toulouse for a Champions Cup clash on Sunday (kick-off 5.15pm) but will be raring to go thereafter.

“I’m going back to Cape Town to to visit my kids,” Kolisi said. “And then, yes, definitely.

"We need to go back with the same mentality and the same attitude to our unions. But I want to make sure that I take next week off completely and then go back, because we have some big games.

“And honestly, with the squad we have at the Sharks, we shouldn’t be where we are. It’s really embarrassing for me as a player, to be honest.

"You can blame coaches all you want. Coaches can just do so much.

“There are players who are playing well and trying. But to be honest, all of us as a group, with the number of Springboks that we have, that’s not the standard we should be setting.

“I put myself first. I haven’t been the best in the past two games that I played there. So, I hope to take all of this back and bring it forward, showing who we are.

“Because at the end of the day, we are Springboks, no matter where we go. And we have to play that way. So, hopefully we can bring better energy than we did in the past two games.”

Kolisi and the Sharks face a busy December after this weekend's match. Next week they host English giants Saracens in the Champions Cup, before a huge SA URC derby against the Bulls in Durban, followed by a January 3 derby against the Lions.