Coenie Oosthuizen says the Sharks can still achieve their goals, despite suffering two successive Vodacom Super Rugby defeats.

The Sharks will be looking to get their campaign back on track when they take on the Rebels in Durban on Saturday, after losses to the Vodacom Bulls and Stormers halted their early momentum.

Oosthuizen told the Sharks website that the bye the team enjoyed in round five has given them a chance for introspection and rejuvenation.

‘A loss like we suffered against the Bulls is something we take very personally, it obviously wasn’t what we wanted and it weighed on our minds,’ the prop said. ‘But the beauty of rugby is that each week is a new one and an opportunity to prove yourself again.

‘We made a few mistakes and silly errors at scrum time in our last two games, but we are growing as a pack and we’re getting towards where we want to be. But there is still a lot of stepping up we as the forward pack need to do, and we all know we have so much more to give. The competition still has a long way to go, and hopefully as a pack, by the end, we as the forwards can say we have achieved our goals.

‘We were outplayed and made unnecessary errors, but mentally, the mindset was the same as it was in the first two games. I think we’re getting there, we had two slip-ups, but it’s nothing to start panicking about.’

Oosthuizen expects the Rebels to have some extra motivation after the Australians conceded 28 second-half points to lose to the Lions in Johannesburg.

‘Like every team, they will learn from their mistakes, and that was obviously a massive mistake,’ says Oosthuizen. ‘But we aren’t going to meet the same Rebels side that played in the second half [at Ellis Park].

 ‘The Rebels are on fire, and you make a huge mistake if you underestimate them. They were undefeated until they lost to the Lions, we know it’s going to be a massive challenge, they’re the team to beat at the moment.’

Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix