Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree admitted that team owner Marco Masotti “won’t be happy” watching from New York after the Sharks suffered a defeat to Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.
Despite fielding several Springbok stars who recently helped South Africa win the Rugby Championship — including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Grant Williams, Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, and Andre Esterhuizen — the Sharks still could not secure their first win of the season.
Jordan Hendrikse also made his first appearance of the campaign after recovering from injury, but his return wasn’t enough to inspire a turnaround as the Durban-based side suffered their third loss in four matches, in what was their first home game of the season.
The defeat leaves the New Zealand-born coach under increasing pressure, with the Sharks yet to find consistency despite a squad stacked with international quality.
“We just have to look in the mirror, come up with a different mindset, and try to get back into this tournament,” Plumtree said after the match.
“It’s four games in a row that we haven’t won, and it’s not a great start. We’re working for a guy in New York [Masotti] who is very passionate about this group — he’ll be disappointed.”
Masotti, a New York-based lawyer and investor, has previously spoken about his ambition to turn The Sharks into a global rugby brand.
Plumtree was also asked whether the return of so many Springbok players, after a long international campaign, disrupted the team’s rhythm. However, he dismissed the notion of using that as an excuse.
“We knew it was going to be ugly,” Plumtree admitted.
“Last week, we came back strongly against the Glasgow Warriors and put in a good performance. We can’t go into that space of saying it’s too soon to bring the Boks back — we have to be hard on ourselves and look at the reasons why.
“We need to get better, and that starts with our preparation. We’re all coaches here, everyone. But that was a bad loss for us… it’s really tough right now.”
Meanwhile, the Sharks have confirmed a major boost for next season with the return of Springbok prop Thomas du Toit from Bath Rugby in the English Premiership.
The 30-year-old, who left the Sharks in 2023, has been instrumental for Bath, scoring 21 tries in 52 appearances and earning a nomination for Premiership Player of the Season.
Du Toit, who has 30 Test caps for South Africa, made his debut against Wales in 2018 and went on to win both the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2025 Rugby Championship. He will rejoin the Sharks when his Bath contract expires next summer.
“It’s a good signing for us,” Plumtree said. “To get those sorts of characters back in the jersey is really positive for the team.”
The Sharks will aim to bounce back when they host the Scarlets at Kings Park Stadium next weekend, as they continue their search for a first win in this season’s United Rugby Championship.
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