The clash between the Sharks and the Blue Bulls is the headline sports event this weekend. John Plumtree’s team will host the men from Pretoria in their Currie Cup semifinal at the Shark Tank in Durban tomorrow.

East Coast Radio caught up with Sharks’ winger JP Pietersen and loose forward Marcell Coetzee and chatted about the home crowd advantage, their game strategy, coping with fame – and social media.

It’s obviously a big game this weekend. How important is the home advantage?

JP Pietersen: I think home advantage is what we play for the whole tournament. It’s just going to be amazing on Saturday, we always play our best rugby when we are at home. It’s going to be tough beating the Bulls because they are a very good side [but] I think home advantage will definitely pull us through.

Marcell Coetzee: As we learnt in Super Rugby this year, home advantage counts for a lot. You’ve just got the crowd and the support behind you, and it just drives an extra energy in your body. Playing here at Kings Park for the semifinal and maybe, God willing, a final – would just be awesome, it would definitely count in our favour.

Do you have a Plan A and a Plan B? We were talking to your coach [John Plumtree], and were asking him what happens in the change rooms halfway through a game. We want to hear from you; he says he doesn’t shout – he says he just talks to you guys, he’s very chilled, one-on-one. Is he lying?

JP Pietersen: [Laughs] Well, I think, depending on the situation, if the game isn’t going the way we planned it, we might switch to different tactics, but one thing about the Sharks – we’re always organised. We’ll see the situation and we’ll analyse it. If we don’t do well, I won’t say Plum doesn’t scream – he shouts a lot! But he’ll quickly get us together.

Rugby players in South Africa are the real rock stars, and for good reason – you really are national treasures. With the advent of social media, where you can hear every single comment from every single fan, how has that affected you?

JP Pietersen: When I started playing way back in 2006 and 2007, it gets you touchy when you’re not used to it. But it’s also nice when the fans give you those comments when you’re doing well – but it’s also not nice when the fans tune you when you’re not doing well. That’s the hard part of professional rugby, everybody has got an opinion, what he wants you to say and what he wants you to do. But for me personally, I just grow mentally stronger, and I respect each person’s opinion and I just get on with it. The next day I am a champ, the next day I am a hero, the next day I am not. But that’s life, I take it on the chin. For us, it’s part of life and we have to socialise with the people and put a smile on our faces. I was also [once] a little boy and wanted to have signatures and run after rugby players, so for me it’s a small thing that I can give back to the people who support me.

If someone sends you an SMS or a tweet or a Facebook message that’s not nice, because sometimes they get very personal, are you tempted to respond?

JP Pietersen: You do get tempted to respond, but then you hold yourself back and just think about it; don’t let your anger get [the better of you]. For me, mostly I just ignore it and I just get on with my life and not let small things like that get on top of me.

Marcell Coetzee: My life has changed a lot in this past year, when it comes to social media and people’s opinions. In the beginning, like JP said, when people text you and say well done and we’re proud of you, you tend to take it to heart  but when someone bites your head off, I wasn’t familiar with that – but it helped me grow as a person, and mentally as well. Not taking the negativity, rather the positives, and just focus on the main prize at hand.

Any last words for your fans?

JP Pietersen: From the team side, we just want to thank them for their loyalty, for all the games they’ve been at – even the wet games, they’ve come out in hundreds. This weekend we want thousands to come down to Mr Price Kings Park, so I am excited for Saturday and I think the whole team is excited.

Marcell Coetzee: Thanks to every last Sharks supporter, we appreciate it a lot, this year you’ve carried us through the whole Currie Cup and we ask you for more support for this weekend.