Thomas du Toit was one of the standout perfomers when the Sharks took down Cardiff in the URC in the their second tour match last Friday night.

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Thomas du Toit knows what awaits at Thomond Park, but he believes the Sharks have the confidence to withstand the Munster furnace and continue their winning run.

The Sharks have bounced back from their 39-22 defeat to the Stormers with consecutive victories over Lyon in the Challenge Cup and Cardiff in the URC. Du Toit scored one of their six tries in last week’s impressive 36-21 win at the Arms Park, but knows Munster will present a different challenge.

The 31-year-old had a brief stint in Limerick in 2016-17 and understands the intensity of the occasion.

“It’s a very proud city and a proud rugby club with an unbelievable history,” Du Toit said on Tuesday.

“I’ve played here at Munster, so I understand what it’s all about; they live and breathe Munster, and that uplifts the players.

“The other thing is that they’ve got a group of players that’s been together for a long time, so they’ve got unbelievable continuity. The kind of brotherhood … it makes them a very tough customer to deal with.

“We understand the challenges that lie ahead and we are excited for it.”

While the Sharks have rediscovered their winning touch under coach JP Pietersen, their scrum remains a work in progress.

The Stormers exposed the Durban side’s set-piece struggles three weeks ago, dominating a much-anticipated front-row contest. Stormers coach John Dobson subsequently admitted he had not expected the scrum battle to be so one-sided.

That remains the Sharks’ only defeat this season, and there have been encouraging signs of improvement against Lyon and Cardiff. But Du Toit, who returned from Bath this season, says building a formidable scrum requires more than assembling a collection of quality players.

He has linked up with fellow Springbok prop Ox Nché, Vincent Koch, promising youngsters Phatu Ganyane and Hanro Jacobs, and hookers Ethan Bester and Eduan Swart.

Although he has played alongside Nché before, the combinations around them are still developing.

“The interesting thing about scrumming is it always starts from zero at the start of the season,” Du Toit said.

“Although I’ve played with Ox, I haven’t played with any of the hookers really that we have here at the moment. That new combination takes time, unfortunately.

“It doesn’t matter how many training sessions you do and how many building blocks that you do in the scrums. Time in the saddle is what’s needed.”

The Sharks are working hard to improve, with Du Toit confident that familiarity and time together will help the pack deliver the dominance expected of it.

“There are so many different aspects to the scrum. It will take time to get used to each other. I’m excited to play with each and every one of these guys.”

The prop has also been encouraged by the changes Pietersen has brought to the team since taking over during the previous season.

Having returned to the club where his professional career developed, Du Toit says the environment feels natural and familiar, and believes the team’s identity is beginning to take shape.

“You can see the change, and that is evident in the way that we all play,” he said.

“The important thing for us is to add to that culture and style of play, and keep winning.”

The Sharks will aim to make it three consecutive victories in Limerick, although Du Toit insists recent success cannot become a reason for complacency.

“To come to Cardiff and get a win like that, that’s quite special,” he said.

“There’s a lot of confidence, but everyone is trying to get back to that normality of, ‘you have to start from zero again’.”

For Du Toit, the tour also comes with a significant personal sacrifice. His youngest daughter is just three weeks old, and he has spent barely any time with her before heading overseas.

“I’ve got a wife and three kids. My youngest daughter is three weeks old, and I’ve known her for a week. It’s incredibly difficult,” he said.

The demands of professional rugby mean missing precious family moments, but Du Toit sees his role as a provider as powerful motivation.

“Everyone’s got their different ‘why’, and mine is providing for my family,” he said.

“For me, this is as important. It is a privilege to do what we do. Trying to stay focused on that is important.”