Home crowd will give Sharks bite, says Etzebeth

Home-ground advantage will give the Sharks a huge boost when they face Munster in a winner takes all United Rugby Championship quarterfinal in Durban on Saturday, lock Eben Etzebeth says.

The giant lock is raring to go at Kings Park Stadium after injuries kept him on the sidelines for extended periods during the Sharks’ bid to lift silverware.

An added incentive for the Sharks is that victory will earn them a crucial semifinal on home soil.

Etzebeth said the Sharks’ big 41-24 win over Munster in a league clash during October will count for nothing when the teams scrum down on Saturday.

“This season I have been frustrated by injuries,” Etzebeth said.

“With the concussion, there is no timeline to return. It depends on your symptoms and how you respond to certain treatments.

“That was the frustrating part, thinking you’d be back in a week or two, and then it is longer.

“I eventually returned and then picked up a hamstring injury and had to sit out a bit more. It was quite a frustrating time. But I am back and it was good to get my first 80 minutes under the belt against Scarlets.

“When you play 20 minutes here or 60 minutes there, it’s good, but once you finally get that full 80 minutes of rugby, that is when you feel you are back in the mix.

“Hopefully, I can kick on from here and play a couple of games without any niggles or problems.”

Etzebeth said it will require a supreme effort from the Sharks if they want to advance to the next round.

“This is the first time we are hosting a quarterfinal, so it is definitely an advantage,” he said.

“Two seasons ago, Munster played a semi and final away. They are used to playoff success and winning away from home in knockout games, which is important because what you did before does not count [any longer].

“It is a good opportunity for us to progress further in the competition.

“We have the home crowd advantage and we are doing it in front of our fans, so it’s a huge bonus.”

Sharks centre André Esterhuizen believes his team’s razor-sharp attack holds the key to victory against the Irishmen.

“We have a lot of confidence going into this game with four good wins in a row,” he said.

“We haven’t played our best rugby, but we know how to win ugly, especially at a wet Kings Park.

“It doesn’t look wet, but the dew sets in quickly. It’s like the field’s been sprayed before kickoff.

“We never want to grind games out. The Sharks want to win them comfortably, like we know we can.

 “We’re getting better every week and we’re confident we’re close to clicking. Our defence shows how much we care. We’ve been solid and we want to explode on attack now, and maybe spoil the party.”

Meanwhile, former Sharks wing Thaakir Abrahams returns to Durban for Saturday’s showdown.

Abrahams made 23 appearances for the Sharks in 2020-24, while having a stint with French club Lyon in 2023-24.

The speedster then joined Munster on a two-year deal and has started seven URC matches this season.

Munster squad:

Forwards: Tom Ahern, Stephen Archer, Diarmuid Barron, Lee Barron, Tadhg Beirne, Gavin Coombes, Ronan Foxe, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Jean Kleyn, Jeremy Loughman, Michael Milne, Jack O’Donoghue, Peter O’Mahony, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Fineen Wycherley, Josh Wycherley.

Backs: Thaakir Abrahams, Tony Butler, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Tom Farrell, Mike Haley, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Conor Murray, Alex Nankivell, Calvin Nash, Seán O’Brien, Paddy Patterson, Rory Scannell, Andrew Smith.

URC quarterfinals:

Friday: Glasgow Warriors vs Stormers (Glasgow).

Saturday: Bulls vs Edinburgh (Pretoria), Leinster vs Scarlets (Dublin), Sharks vs Munster (Durban).