In scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba, the Sharks have a gem of a match-winning halfback.
He's only a game into his Sharks Super Rugby career, but his late try that helped the Sharks beat the Bulls 23-15 at Kings Park on Friday helped snap a nine-match losing streak dating back to 2014.
The last time the Sharks beat the Bulls in Super Rugby, Nohamba was still at Durban High School while Curwin Bosch, who's deft cross-kick set up S'busiso Nkosi's try, was at Grey High School.
It's the players who weren't burdened by the baggage of history who gave the Sharks a priceless advantage before they start their four-match overseas tour this week.
Sharks coach Sean Everitt said the Nohamba try was a team one, but it also explained why Everitt kept tabs on Nohamba since his DHS days.
"This little kid is special and I've known Sanele for many years. I followed his rugby career through DHS and I watched him with a smile when I had a chance to watch him on the Saturday afternoons when I had a chance to watch schoolboy rugby. That was a team try though and it wasn't Sanele's brilliance, though he finished it off," Everitt said.
"It was a really good scrum from the bench that came on. We've been working on continuity and in that try, it paid off and Sanele finished it off. Look, he's a special boy."
The Sharks generally go on tour in the middle of the season, but on Friday, their tour starts with the Highlanders in Dunedin before moving north to play the Hurricanes the following week.
They fly over the Tasman Sea to play the Rebels and the Reds before returning home in the first week of March.
The Sharks often get their team and season groove going when on the road, regardless of who has been their coach.
They've pulled off some famous wins like their 30-25 triumph against the Crusaders in Christchurch in 2014.
That win remains one of only two SA successes in Christchurch in the 25 years of Super Rugby.
There's no Crusaders for the Sharks, but being in New Zealand in February, the Sharks will escape the worst of Durban's heat and that is a good thing for Everitt, along with the result.
"I think the guys will enjoy the conditions there. We're at the Highlanders and we'll be playing under cover. There's going to be times where we need to kick and we'll be sorting that out. I hope the guys will find it refreshing but the first week will be tough because of one training session we're going to have on Wednesday.
"All the pre-season preparation will come in handy and the fact we've got no injuries from this game is a blessing. We'll be taking this game in isolation and we're happy with the result."
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