Sharks coach chuffed to have super midfielder Am back: 'We missed him'

The Sharks showed they could live without their crack Springbok midfielder Lukhanyo Am, but their coach Sean Everitt said they were chuffed to have him back.

The captaincy for Friday's crucial United Rugby Championship game against Ulster in Belfast will remain with prop Thomas du Toit, but with the playoffs looming, there's no better time to have your best back returning.

Everitt said they missed Am in every aspect of the team set-up. Am, whose contract with the Sharks will end in 2025, was in Japan for a short stint.

"We're very happy to have Lukhanyo back and he's a key member of our team," Everitt said.

"We missed him while he was away. It's not just about what he brings when he's on the field, but his leadership off the field."

The South African teams last played in Europe at the end of February. The Sharks and the Bulls brushed aside the Italian teams, while Stormers and Lions fell to Connacht and Leinster respectively.

URC log standings

They then embarked on a home run that levelled out their poor start to the competition in Europe, even though the Sharks didn't turn up in their 21-5 loss to Edinburgh on 26 March.

Everitt said they're a different bunch as compared to what they were at the start of the competition and have found a way of rugby that works for them.

"All the South African teams struggled at the beginning of the competition, but we have a different team now as compared to that time," Everitt said.

"We've done well to build cohesion. We've come on nicely as a group and we play an all-around brand of rugby.

"This group has become tighter with the more time they've spent together, with the fortune of being able to pick the same squad each week has helped."

With the northern hemisphere transitioning into summer, it