Sharks looking to hit play again
AFTER finishing off May with an impressive 22-10 win against the Stormers, the Sharks had to hit pause while the June international break saw a host of their players off to the Springboks, Junior Boks, and the SA “A” team. The Bulls are in town this Friday evening, and there is still plenty that need to be done.
It is tricky for the Super Rugby season to run around an international break, and it is something that is being addressed next year, but for this last instalment of this occurrence, the Sharks will be looking to hit the ground running.
They are qualified for the play-offs, and cannot be caught, but they can still work their way up into seventh spot, instead of eighth, and face a probable trip to Johannesburg, rather than Christchurch.
For seventh to become a reality, the Sharks will need to be aiming for two bonus point wins in their last games against the Bulls and Lions, but there are plenty of permutations.
“Obviously we want to win, and keep our record at home, which has been good,” assistant coach Ryan Strudwick said at the resumption of Super Rugby training this week.
“We have not lost at Kings Park since the Crusaders last year, but we need two bonus points over the next two games to really make a significant difference to end in seventh, or we need results to go our way. As it stands we have qualified, but it depends who we meet in the knockouts.”
The Sharks are busy piecing back their team together after they dispersed to play across the country, and the world. Strudwick happily confirms that everyone has had at least one run in this break, with those who were not selected for the national sides getting a game in the SuperSport Challenge.
The Sharks also welcome back Andre Esterhuizen who has served his ban, and played two games since it expired, as well as Jeremy Ward who has recovered from a broken nose.
The men from Durban will be without Ruan Botha however as the tall lock was hit with a three-week suspension after his red card against the French Barbarians in Johannesburg.
The Bulls will be in a similar boat as the Sharks, in terms of trying to get back into the swing of things, and although they have not been at their best this year, Strudwick feels they won’t be a pushover in Durban. “The Bulls have not been playing well,” Strudwick agreed.
“But they have a star-stud- ded side and they have nothing to lose as they can’t make it, but they have a lot to gain with John Mitchell coming in who they need to impress.
“They also have some guys back from the Boks who played well, so their confidence will be up.
“These derby games, especially against the Bulls, are always tough. They are not going to come down here just to throw the game away.