Sharks owner’s hilarious post ending feud with Springboks legend John Smit
John Smit was critical of the Sharks' form.
It appears as though Marco Masotti’s feud with the legendary John Smit is over following his latest post on social media.
The Sharks owner hit back at the former Springboks captain, who described the Durban outfit as being like a Ferrari without a gearbox.
There are a plethora of South African internationals in their squad but their performances have been underwhelming this season, hence Smit’s comments.
He said: “They have a magnificent-looking team. It’s like walking through a parking lot and seeing a Ferrari, but as you peer through the window, it has no gearbox. That’s the reality.”
Improvement in form
Prior to the win over Ulster, the Durban outfit had only claimed a single victory in the United Rugby Championship and resided at the bottom of the table.
They have since secured triumphs over the Irish province and Edinburgh, lifting themselves above Zebre Parma, Scarlets and Dragons and into 13th.
Ahead of that success against the Scotsmen, Masotti responded to Smit on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “I am grateful for the comparison to a Ferrari. A Ferrari is always a Ferrari. A gearbox will eventually be fixed.”
He then appeared to compare Smit to an “old Toyota Corolla from the past,” before later qualifying his message and revealing his great respect for the ex-Bok.
“Just because I enjoy the occasional rugby banter does not mean I intended to criticize @JohnSmit123. He is an absolute hero of mine and I am grateful for all of his advice,” the Sharks owner wrote.
“Not all decisions have worked but he understands it is a journey and shares our goal of turning @SharksRugby into the best. We now have shareholders prepared to work on our Ferrari for the long term. Go Sharks!”
Latest post
Following their latest victory, the Sharks boss has once again turned to social media, hilariously photoshopping him and Smit in a Ferrari with the caption: “Back on the road @SharksRugby!”
Back on the road @SharksRugby! #rugby pic.twitter.com/7bGXnfrd3V
— Marco Masotti (@MarcoMasotti_) April 1, 2024
The owner is evidently happy with their recent wins, with the Durbanites producing performances which suggest that they have finally turned a corner.
They now head into the Challenge Cup round-of-16 action, facing Zebre on Sunday, April 7 for a place in the quarter-finals, which are a week later.
The South African side will then return to the URC with five rounds remaining in the regular season. John Plumtree’s men are away to Glasgow Warriors and Scarlets before they finish with three home matches against Benetton, Cardiff and Bulls.
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