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Sharks' Am continues to impress

Durban - Lukhanyo Am may have scored a dramatic last-second try to seal a memorable victory for the Sharks against the Brumbies this past Saturday, but his performance in that match was about far more than that. 

Experiencing a breakthrough season in Durban, the 23-year-old centre is in the process of making a serious name for himself having spent the 2016 Super Rugby season on loan at the Kings. 

In Saturday's 27-22 win in Canberra, Am won three turnovers - more than any other player on the pitch. 

Of course, the headlines that followed were all about the try, but Am proved on Saturday that he is more than just an exciting player with ball in hand and that he is capable of doing the dirty work on defence. 

"I think we've got a good defence as a team. The system just puts us in the right position to go for the steals and make those hits," Am said from Durban on Tuesday.

On the try, the Border Bulldogs product was equally humble. 

"All we knew was that we needed to score points and we've got an understanding as a team," he said.

"Everything just went to plan and luckily I was the one who scored the winning try."

Possession, says Am, played a major factor in the Sharks managing to secure what could prove to be a crucial win. 

"Against the Reds we didn't have much ball in hand and we didn't keep possession," he said.

"Going into the Brumbies that was the plan ... to keep the ball, put more phases together and give the ball some air."

Am spent last year on loan at the Kings in Super Rugby, but he returned to Kings Park for the 2016 Currie Cup season where he impressed coach Robert du Preez and worked his way into the Super Rugby set-up. 

"Going to the Kings was a learning curve for me. I gained quite a lot of experience there playing Super Rugby and I too that forward to the Currie Cup," Am says. 

Up next for the Sharks is Saturday's clash against the Waratahs in Durban. 

The Australians were hammered 55-36 by the Lions in Johannesburg in round two, but Am says the Sharks are reading nothing into that result.

"We know the Waratahs are a quality side and we're expecting anything from them," he said.

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