The Sharks finished last season with back-to-back victories, but still ended in 10th place, and there is a huge onus on JP Pietersen’s team to enjoy a better campaign considering all the resources at their disposal.

Last season, the Sharks averaged four tries per game and were particularly effective from lineout attack, with 34.7% of their tries coming from this source – the highest proportion among the teams in the competition.

The coastal team will also hope for a home ground ally after losing just once in their last eight URC matches at the Shark Tank.

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For captain Nick Hatton –

Read the full article from The South African Rugby here.