Siya Kolisi says Neil Powell’s voice means a lot at Sharks

Sharks star player Siya Kolisi says the arrival of Neil Powell as the new director of rugby has helped to ease pressure on coaches at the Durban-based franchise.

Powell joined the Sharks in September after he left the Springboks Sevens, where he spent almost a decade as a coach.

In the Sharks’ first home game of the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season against Glasgow Warriors, Powell was seen in the coaches’ box at Kings Park Stadium working side by side with head coach Sean Everitt.

The Sharks claimed an emphatic 40-12 victory over their Scottish rivals and will be hoping for another positive result when they host Ulster on Saturday (6.15pm).

Kolisi said Powell has an important voice at the Durban-based franchise.

“Coach Neil is amazing and he is really experienced in the Sevens rugby circuit. I think his voice means a lot because of what he has achieved,” Kolisi said.

“Some of us have known him since we were 19-year-olds. We have worked with him before. It’s great to have him and I think it relieves a lot of pressure from the coaching staff because we know he can manage anything off the field.

“Coach Sean and others can focus on rugby. It’s great to have him here, speaking to us and giving advice.

“He gets involved in the training sessions and gets stuck in with the boys. He is an honest man, a direct man and very understanding,” Kolisi said.

Kolisi and other Boks players will play their last game for the Sharks before they head to camp ahead of the national team end-of-the-year tour in Europe.

The national team skipper has challenged his Sharks teammates to step it up against Ulster, who come to Durban after back-to-back wins against South African sides in the Bulls and Lions.

“We can’t doubt ourselves. We have experienced guys who need to step up at the weekend,” he said.

“Whatever team is picked, we are going to make sure we back each other. We want to make sure we work hard around the park and every one of us needs to make sure we are up for the challenge.”