Sharks look to Boks to show Lions their bite
Crucial clash may define season
THE Sharks have struggled for consistency all season and their clash against the Lions at King’s Park today would be the best time to find it.
The Sharks need to win their remaining three matches if they are to get into the play-off positions.
While their fate may still be in their hands‚ they have been their own worst enemies this season, with their excruciating inability to produce the same performance on different weekends.
Sharks coach Robert du Preez is confident that his charges have shrugged off their performance problems and will find form at the right time.
“Throughout the season‚ there’s been a lack of consistency‚” Du Preez said.
“We’ve played some great games and, in some‚ we’ve been mediocre, but that’s all in the past now. This is it and this is finals rugby for us.
“The fact we’ve got 14 Springboks in our match-day 23 tells you how incredibly hard the guys have worked.
“We’ve played some great rugby and this is it. It’s coming down to this weekend and this weekend only.”
Du Preez has made two changes to the side that lost to the Jaguares in Beunos Aires at the end of May.
Lwazi Mvovo makes way for Makazole Mapimpi at left wing, while Cameron Wright swaps with Louis Schreuder at scrum-half.
The Sharks looked like the only South African team that could beat the Lions if they are judged on how they asserted themselves against the New Zealand teams.
However‚ the Lions and the Sharks met very early in the competition and a lot has changed since then.
The Lions muscled their way to the top of the South African conference despite losing more games (six) in one campaign than they did in 2016 and 2017 (five) when they were losing finalists.
Du Preez hasn’t bothered himself about what the opposition does, but he has been like that the whole season.
“We’re going to stick to what we’re going to do.
“We know the Lions’ style of play, but it’s all about us and what we want to do‚” Du Preez said.
“All the boys who didn’t gain significant game time are raring to go.
“They have worked hard with the guys in the Bok set-up so it’s not like they haven’t been doing anything.”
15 Curwin Bosch‚ 14 Sbu Nkosi‚ 13 Lukhanyo Am‚ 12 André Esterhuizen‚ 11 Makazole Mapimpi‚ 10 Robert du Preez‚ 9 Cameron Wright‚ 8 Daniel du Preez‚ 7 Jean-Luc du Preez‚ 6 Phillip van der Walt‚ 5 Ruan Botha (c)‚ 4 Tyler Paul‚ 3 Thomas du Toit‚ 2 Akker van der Merwe‚ 1 Beast Mtawarira. Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle‚ 17 Juan Schoeman‚ 18 Ross Geldenhuys‚ 19 Hyron Andrews‚ 20 Jacques Vermeulen‚ 21 Louis Schreuder‚ 22 Marius Louw‚ 23 Lwazi Mvovo
15 Andries Coetzee‚ 14 Ruan Combrink‚ 13 Lionel Mapoe‚ 12 Harold Voster‚ 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi‚ 10 Elton Jantjies‚ 9 Ross Cronjé‚ 8 Warren Whiteley (c)‚ 7 Cyle Brink‚ 6 Kwagga Smith‚ 5 Franco Mostert‚ 4 Marvin Orie‚ 3 Ruan Dreyer‚ 2 Malcolm Marx‚ 1 Dylan Smith. Subs: 16 Corne Fourie‚ 17 Jacques van Rooyen‚ 18 Johannes Jonker‚ 19 Lourens Erasmus‚ 20 Hacjivah Dayimani‚ 21 Marnus Schoeman‚ 22 Nic Groom‚ 23 Courtnall Skosan —