On Sunday, the Sharks endured a crushing 66-12 defeat at the hands of Bordeaux in France during the Champions Cup. This loss saw them relegated to the EPCR Challenge Cup, where they will now compete in the round of 16.

Adding to their struggles, the reigning Challenge Cup champions also fell short in their last URC outing, losing 24-20 to the Stormers in Cape Town.

The Bethlehem-born-and-bred Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi, a leader in the Sharks squad, acknowledged the gravity of the week ahead.

“We have a tough task ahead of us, especially after the defeat in Bordeaux,” said the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.

“We know there is a lot of work to be done to ensure we come back home with a win on this tour.”

‘We need to prepare thoroughly’

Mbonambi stressed the team’s resolve to shift their focus to the URC following back-to-back losses against French opponents in the Champions Cup.

“It’s definitely going to be a big one against a quality side. Cardiff is a strong team, and we need to prepare thoroughly. The training week has been a bit different because we landed here on Monday night. 

“We trained on Tuesday, took Wednesday off, and will train again on Thursday to ensure a solid session before our captain’s run on Friday. The match is Saturday night against Cardiff.”

‘They’re a quality side with some excellent players’

Reflecting on the Bordeaux loss, Mbonambi added, “It was a disappointing result, but we’ve put it behind us. We learned valuable lessons, and now our focus is solely on the URC. 

“Cardiff has been performing well, and they’re a quality side with some excellent players. We need to do our homework and come up with a plan that will deliver the result we need.”

The Sharks face Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park this Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 19:15.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh