Sharks warned a wounded Bulls can be a dangerous foe

SPRINGBOK and Sharks tighthead prop Coenie Oosthuizen says the change of mindshift from Test match to Super Rugby could be their biggest obstacle ahead of their clash with the Bulls tomorrow evening.

The Sharks contributed a fair number of players to the Springbok and the South Africa ‘A’ cause and a lot of them distinguished themselves.

It hasn’t been the same for the Bulls‚ whom the New Zealand teams wiped the floor with along with the Stormers‚ Cheetahs and Lions also claiming their piece of Pretoria pound.

While Oosthuizen acknowledged the Bulls are in a bad place‚ the blockbusting tighthead prop said the Bulls are at their most dangerous.

“Some of the players in the Bulls side have featured for the Springboks and the South Africa ‘A’ side and once they pitch up physically‚ they’re going to be the most dangerous side‚” he said.

“It’s a South African derby and those are one of the toughest games to deal with. It’s a challenge that we need to embrace.

“What your results say don’t necessarily speak to how the camp is run. There are times when things don’t go your way.

“The Bulls are a hell of a good side and the players they have are very good. It’s as easy in that mindshift to win a rugby match.

“It’s a new challenge‚ especially after the international break.

“It’s about getting back into the structure and understanding the game plan and doing a mindshift in terms of preparation for the Bulls.”

Having lived with the misfortune of being in the same conference as the Lions has spurred the Sharks to collect points elsewhere to ensure their playoff spot.

They’ve gone about that business in a quiet manner where they have collected more points (42) than the conference one leaders the Stormers (30).

There’s also the small matter of the Sharks losing lock Ruan Botha to a three-week suspension for a blatant act of foul play in Friday’s South Africa ‘A’ game against the French Barbarians in Soweto.

André Esterhuizen swaps with him from the naughty bin but the Sharks haven’t missed the burly inside centre.

Oosthuizen knows the Bulls backs haven’t fired but they have enough quality as individuals to give teams sleepless nights.

“They’ve got some workhorses and when you look at the calibre of players they’ve got like Jesse Kriel and Jan Serfontein‚ those are players who’ve showed their dominance in South Africa.

“If you don’t stop them‚ it’s going to be a long day for you‚” said Oosthuizen. — TMG