Hollywoodbets Sharks star centre Jurenzo Julius says his team are giving Zebre the respect they deserve ahead of their matchup at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in the URC on Saturday.
The 20-year-old was last week named 2024 Junior Springbok Player of the Year after his impressive performances for the SA U20s, something he says took him a bit by surprise.
“It was never something I really had in my sights,” said Julius.
“The main goal was always to become a Junior Springbok and then take it from there. Winning the award was just an honour, I think I worked hard, I put in the work and things like these come around.”
With a rugby-centric family, the talented youngster, who grew up idolising two All Blacks greats, was seemingly always destined for a career as a pro.
“Back in the day my dad played semi-professional alongside my uncles. So I think it was always there [the passion for the game], I was just lucky enough to get the opportunity to play on a bigger stage.
“Looking up to people like Ma’a Nonu, Sonny Bill [Williams], I think those guys, watching them growing up, they sort of did it for me.”
Julius’ Hollywoodbets Sharks side are sitting pretty in fourth place on the URC log ahead of their showdown with 15th-placed Zebre, a team usually regarded as competition whipping boys but who have this season improved markedly and will arrive in Durban off the back of an unprecedented three-match winning streak.
Said the Paul Roos Old Boy: “We’re expecting a fight, a physical battle. The Italian teams are always physical. They’ve beaten quite a few big teams. They’re only [four-points] away from making the top eight, so we won’t take it lightly at all.
“Everyone is focused and ready to go.”
As the season comes to its climax, this weekend’s game marks the first in an important string of fixtures for the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
URC leaders Leinster, unbeaten across all competitions this season, arrive in Durban next week before John Plumtree’s men look to defend their EPCR Challenge Cup title in their round of 16 clash at Lyon seven days later.
Aside from a potentially ensuing quarterfinal, the side then travels north for more URC action at Edinburgh and Ulster on the weekends of April 18 and 26 respectively, before completing their round robin campaign at home against Ospreys (9 May) and Scarlets (17 May).
From here on out, the priority for the SA Shield winners will be solidifying their standing in the top four of the URC, and potentially even reeling in second-placed Glasgow Warriors.
