Sharks are still in a fantastic position despite their disappointment.

Coach Sean Everitt of the Cell C Sharks was understandably frustrated after losing a game that might have gone either way in his team’s final tour encounter, but it would be a mistake to dismiss the Durbanites as Vodacom United Rugby Championship contenders based on their log position.

The Sharks have only five log points from their four-match tour, with one win over the Ospreys and a losing bonus point against the Cardiff Blues, and are currently in 14th place on the log. However, you must account for the influence of international call-ups on the Sharks’ roster composition more than you must for any other team.

The Sharks were virtually fielding a second string side on tour due to the absence of 12 key players. They’ll find out how many players they’ll get back for the first home leg of the tour on November 27 when the Springbok squad is announced later on Tuesday, but with the Boks due back in South Africa the week before, they should be significantly strengthened regardless of Jacque Nienaber’s selections.

Even if they aren’t, and most of their players are still missing, they showed enough on their overseas tour to suggest they should beat Scarlets, who were thrashed by Leinster this past weekend, and Zebre in Durban if the squad stays the same. The Sharks made enough progress on their tour to suggest they are on the right track; they just need to be more composed in their decision-making and finishing than they were in their disappointing 23-17 loss to the Blues in Cardiff.

Coach Sean Everitt believes the tour provided opportunities for learning and improvement, and he is confident that some of the lessons learned from the Cardiff game can be applied and corrected in the six weeks before the Scarlets arrive at King’s Park.

“We were unhappy with the outcome of the last game, but the South African franchises all improved significantly throughout the tour.” “It was quite difficult to play away from home, and I learned a lot,” Everitt remarked.

“At this level, we understood the value of being clinical.” When it came to that, we didn’t perform as well as we could have. The guys, on the other hand, have matured as a unit. We provided a lot of young people the opportunity to experience rugby in Europe, and they will greatly benefit from it. It will be beneficial to us in the future.”

Indeed it should, and that is a big plus for the Sharks – the under-strength nature of their tour has forced them to develop depth, and after a tour in which they should have won two of their four games, Everitt should be returning to Durban with good back-up strength in most positions.

A Sharks team featuring Lukhanyo Am, Sbu Nkosi, Makazole Mapimpi, and Aphelele Fassi providing X-factor and experience out wide, as well as Ox Nche, Siya Kolisi, and Bongi Mbonambi bolstering their resources up front, will be difficult to beat. With Sikhumbuzo Notshe also expected to return from injury soon, Everitt’s biggest challenge going forward may be integrating his players into the team, particularly in the back row, where soon-to-be Scottish international Dylan Richardson enhanced his already-impressive reputation on tour.

The Sharks have strengthened one area of weakness and now look well equipped to compete with even the best opposition, with Ruben van Heerden and Hyron Andrews doing well once they were returned to the team ahead of the second row pair that impressed at the end of the Currie Cup, Le Roux Roets and Gerbrandt Grobler, and Reniel Hugo also in the mix.

It will be interesting to see how beneficial the Durban humidity is for them when they play at home in the first week of November and the first week of December. The temperatures should be difficult for the Welsh players to adjust to as they arrive from a northern autumn, but the slippery ball and the possibility of rain at that time of year can act as a leveller, and northern players are used to playing rugby in wet weather.