Sharks head for showdown in Kimberley
The Sharks are a competent side and their heavy defeat against Western Province two weeks ago does not make them a bad unit overnight.
With 21 points, they are still second on the log behind the unbeaten Western Province (25) and a win against Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday will ensure that the Durban-based side host a home semifinal.
The Sharks will know who they are to face in the semis after the clash between the Pumas and the Lions in Mbombela on Friday but Sharks tighthead prop Thomas du Toit said their Griquas date is important.
The Sharks are assured of a playoff place but their loss against Western Province was a timely reminder not to drop their guard.
“The Western Province defeat was a very good wake-up call for us because I feel we’ve become tighter as a team‚” Du Toit said.
“The feeling in the camp is definitely better than it was in the previous weeks just because of the defeat. We realised a few errors that we made and the problems we need to solve.
“This game is as important as any other game because it’ sa must-win for us but they’ve got nothing to lose and we’ve got a lot to gain as well.”
Winger Lwazi Mvovo has experienced many ups and downs with the Sharks in his long career with the union. He was not part of the 2017 side that dominated the group stages‚ only for them to fall in the final but knows what to do when it comes to the business end of the season.
It was Western Province who not only beat them in their last round-robin game‚ but also upstaged them in the final the Sharks hosted two weeks later.
Mvovo said the loss against Western Province two weeks ago came at a good time for them and reminded them of the work they still need to put in.
“The loss in Cape Town was a blessing in disguise. We kind of thought that everything was fine
and Cape Town showed us that things weren’t like that.
“We’ve fixed that because in this competition we’ve learnt that we can’t give away possession‚” Mvovo said.