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Durban - They may have had the easiest of fixtures compared to the three other South African sides this weekend, but the Sharks would have welcomed their 50-22 win over the Sunwolves at Kings Park on Saturday.
Coach Robert du Preez's men were the only South African side to emerge victorious in round 4, and it was also the first win of the season for the Durbanites after a loss to the Lions and a draw at home to the Waratahs.
"It’s always about the result … I don’t care about the performance, as long as we win," Du Preez said after the match.
Securing a bonus point and claiming five valuable log points was 'job done' for the Sharks, and they now turn their attention to a gruelling four-match Australasian tour.
The Sharks will take on the Brumbies, Rebels, Blues and Hurricanes over the next four weekends.
With the Rebels seriously improved in 2018 and with both the Blues and Hurricanes securing big wins over the weekend, the tour looks a potentially ominous one from a Sharks perspective.
Du Preez, though, has simplified the task at hand.
"We want to go and win all four games in Australia and New Zealand," he said.
"The Rebels are not surprising at all … they’ve got a very good team and there will not be any easy games.
"We still have to go to Canberra first and beat the Brumbies."
While he was happy with his side's overall display against the Sunwolves, Du Preez knows that there will have to be constant improvement throughout the season if the Sharks are to challenge for top honours.
"We need to build on what we did today," he said.
"We saw some glimpses of what this team can do, but we’re far from the finished product. If we get better every game then that will give the players confidence."
The Sharks are currently second in the South African Conference, seven points behind the Lions, who have played a game extra.
