Sharks' URC woes: Why Lukhanyo Am has 'hope for the future'

SPOTLIGHT: Sharks captain Lukhanyo Am is hoping his side can carry their Challenge Cup form over to the United Rugby Championship as they prepare to face the Stormers at Kings Park on Saturday.

John Plumtree's side will enter that match in last position in the overall URC standings with just one win from their nine matches.

However, it has been a different story in the Challenge Cup where they won their pool and progressed to the last 16 as top seeds, setting up a home tie against Zebre Parma.

Am feels they can use that cup form as a springboard as they look to turn around their fortunes in the URC.

"Unfortunately, it has been a slow start for us in the league, but I am really happy with where we are at the moment," said the 35-cap centre.

"I think the Challenge Cup can definitely kick-start our season. Our confidence is growing.

"We haven’t been doing really well in the URC, but we could almost zoom in towards the Challenge Cup. It was a new competition and a fresh focus.

"Our energy towards it has been massive. We are targeting it and we want to go all the way.

"We will take a lot of confidence out of how we have performed in that competition.

"There is definitely hope for the future. There is massive improvement.

"Even in the league games that were not going our way, we were displaying good performances. It’s just we didn’t get the results.

"Now it is starting to stick, we are starting to convert, we are starting to grow as a team. It’s really looking good for us. Hopefully, we will build and get more wins under the belt."

They will be looking to do just that when they take on their South African rivals from Cape Town at Kings Park.

"Hosting the Stormers at home will be very big for us. We are looking forward to it," said Am.

"There should be a big crowd for that one. All derby games in South Africa are quite massive."

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On the personal front, the 30-year-old is happy to be back fit and playing again.

Having been a key figure in the Springboks winning the 2019 World Cup, he looked certain to take a similarly pivotal role in their bid to defend the trophy, having been the first choice No.13 for last year's Rugby Championship.

Yet, as fate would have it, he wasn’t to play a single minute in the global tournament out in France as the Boks retained their crown.

After suffering an untimely knee injury in a warm-up game against Argentina in August, he missed out on squad selection.

The door re-opened when he was called up as a replacement for the sidelined Makazole Mapimpi after the group stage, but he wasn’t to be involved in any of the knockout games, with Jesse Kriel having nailed down the outside centre berth in his absence.

Yet he is still able to look back on the World Cup triumph with fond memories and to the future with real optimism.

"Being part of it was special," he says.

"I was playing a different role, preparing the boys, which was really good.

"I definitely enjoyed watching us win the World Cup. It was very special for the team and for the country.

"But I am really happy being back on the pitch, being fit and able to perform for the Sharks.

"I am feeling really confident with my knee, with my fitness and my game. So I am really happy with where I am at.

"I am looking forward to building and I think I am in a good space.

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