New coaches make immediate impact in Durban

SPOTLIGHT: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt was full of praise for the new members of his coaching team ahead of their clash against Western Province in the final round of the Currie Cup on Saturday.

The Durbanites are sitting in second place in the standings and they have a chance of finishing on top if they beat the Capetonians and the Bulls lose to the Cheetahs in Pretoria.

Everitt's team got in that position after winning their last three games, which included a 56-14 win over the Lions last weekend.

A new coaching structure in Durban was announced not too long ago with the likes of Noel McNamara (attack coach) and the experienced John McFarland (defence) joining the Sharks.

McFarland, who is a former Springbok assistant coach, is in charge of the team’s defence until the arrival of Springbok Sevens head coach Neil Powell.

Powell will join the squad after the Sevens World Cup in 2022.

"Noel McNamara arrived last week Tuesday and he has had an immediate impact on the team," said Everitt.

"He is a different voice and a different person with different ideas, which is always motivating for the youngsters.

"We are happy with where we are as far as that is concerned.

"Although he hadn’t been here, Noel and I have been in discussions over the last few months."

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A magnificent effort

Everitt believes McFarland's impact can be seen in the stats.

"He [McFarland] has done a wonderful job for us defensively.

"At the moment we have conceded the least number of points per game, so we are really happy with that.

"To keep the Lions to only two tries on the weekend was a magnificent effort from the team and from John.

"Hopefully, we will grow from strength to strength in this department," Everitt added.