Sharks need a win to stay in contention

DURBAN: TO put it starkly, a Super Rugby victory today for the Sharks against the Jaguares is non-negotiable. It has to happen for the hosts if they are to stay in touch with the leaders of Africa Group 2, the Lions, who squeaked home against the Durban team last week.

Equally, the Sharks will be desperate to avoiding falling into third position behind the Argentinians.

The loss to the Lions hurt the Sharks, particularly because on balance of play they probably deserved to win, but they did not have the rub of the green, the bounce of the ball, and certainly not a hint of benevolence from TMO Johan Greeff .

The Sharks are tie on 18 points with the Jaguares but the visitors have a game in hand on the Sharks. They have won four out of five, while the Sharks are four from six. The Durbanites are on holiday next week while the Argentineans have a difficult game against the hurting Bulls at Loftus and then finish their South African tour with a toughie against the Lions.

With so much rugby still to be played in the competition, the Sharks will fancy their chances of hauling in the Lions (currently on 23 points), especially with the Lions having to come to Durban on July 15 for the final match before the play-offs. Who knows what could be at stake ...!

But in the here-and-now it is the Jaguares that have the full attention of the Sharks. They have to win because it is a home match, because it is vital for morale that they enter the bye week with a win rather than two consecutive losses.

In the pre-season meetings with the players, coach Robert du Preez and CEO Gary Teichmann hammered home their vision of the Sharks returning to the values that made Natal the Team of the ‘90s in South Africa. They were big on the team being the property of the people of KZN and not a band of mercenaries, and they were insistent that Kings Park become the fortress it once was.

So far so good on that count. The Sharks have won their last six Super Rugby matches at Kings Park (obviously dating back to last season and then the 2017 wins over the Waratahs and the Kings). The plan is to play winning, entertaining rugby that will put increasing numbers of bums on seats and restore the intimidating atmosphere of the ‘90s era.

“Obviously the log points are crucial but it is also hugely important that the fans that come to the ground see their team play with passion and commitment,” Du Preez said. “We are trying to build something here at the Sharks and we cannot be disappointing our fans at our home games.”

The Sharks will be expecting no shortage of “Argie bargy” against a ferocious Jaguares team that contains the backbone of the Pumas squad that famously beat the Springboks at the same venue in 2015 and contested the semi-final of the World Cup that year.

Last year, the Jaguares were their own worst enemies in terms of discipline, and spent many a game a man down and there was a match against the Cheetahs when they had two players in the bin. They have calmed down since their debut season but still are the competition’s most penalised team, averaging 12 penalties per game.

If they keep that up, it will suit the Sharks just fine. Curwin Bosch can bang them over from anywhere if necessary. We have been seeing that all season and in five games he has already amassed 73 points (including a try).

No doubt the Jaguares have taken note of Bosch’s lethal boot and surely they will have discussed bringing down their penalty count.