Sharks flank Siya Kolisi says his side is wary of Ulster but is confident they can match the Irish side ahead of their United Rugby Championship (URC) encounter this weekend.

The Sharks won their third URC game with a 40-12 win against the Glasglow Warriors at Kings Park last week.

And this weekend, the Durban franchise host Ulster on Saturday with emphasis on the participation of Springbok teammate Duane Vermeulen.

The Irish side are one of the top teams in the competition and their second place on the log adequately underlines the danger they pose.

Kolisi says his side will identify the set-piece battle as one his team would like to really perform well in.

“The set-piece is going to be very important because Ulster have a strong pack and they use their maul effectively,” Kolisi told the club’s official website.

“They also target the scrum as an area to force penalties and it’s somewhere we do want to improve. We gave away one penalty, got one back and earned a tighthead last week so we’re going to have to be really strong in the scrums and mauls. They’re also very good at the breakdown with their loose forwards.

“In general, they’re a gain line team, they want to get over the gain line, so the contact area is going to be important.

“But we have a good pack too, experienced guys who know they need to stand up each weekend. We know there’s no place to hide so we need to go flat out and every one of us needs to make sure he’s up for the challenge and set the standard from the word go.” 

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The Sharks welcomed back several of their Springbok stars for the Glasgow game after some were given a rest after the conclusion of the Rugby Championship. 

Kolisi admitted that it was just about being on the field and, along with his fellow Boks, playing his part.

“We were excited, we were just happy to be back and join this group after what the boys did on tour,” he explained.

“We just wanted to add value after a week off [after the Springbok commitments] and then a week of integration with the squad which was good and I really enjoyed the game.

“Whatever role we have to play coming in and fitting in with the group is something we will happily take because it’s not about us at the end of the day, but the Sharks.”

Play on Saturday is at 18:15.