Sharks know they need to up their game

AFTER an underwhelming 2015 campaign, the Sharks should have reason to celebrate the confirmation of a Super Rugby playoff spot.

That good news, acquired through their unconvincing 40-29 win over the Sunwolves on Friday night at King’s Park, was tempered by Pat Lambie’s absence due to his ongoing concussion issues stemming from his sickening collision with CJ Stander during the first test against Ireland last month.

Having failed a late fitness test ahead of the game, Lambie is not eligible for the playoffs as Sanzaar rules state a player has to appear in four matches to feature in the playoffs. Lambie has only featured in three games in an injuryravaged season for the Sharks captain.

Regardless of who the Sharks play, they could find themselves on the short end of the travelling stick. If they have a date with a New Zealand side, they will have to leave on Tuesday.

The Sharks had a reasonable tour of New Zealand where they beat the Highlanders 1514 while losing 24-22 to the Chiefs and 23-18 to the Blues.

The Lions give the Sharks more to worry about as they have exposed Gary Gold’s side more than any other team this season.

The 24-9 and 37-10 round-robin defeats to Johan Ackermann’s side does not seem to worry Gold, who prefers to be in Johannesburg even though his side provided a defensive template of how to deal with the New Zealand teams.

“I would like to play against the Lions and it doesn’t make much of a difference because if we were successful against the Lions, we’d have to travel to New Zealand in any case. I don’t think we’re 30 points worse than the Lions and I know how much the players were hurting after the Lions game and we’d love another crack at them,” Gold said.

“As much as they’re our rivals, what they’ve done should be celebrated. Johan Ackermann and the crew have done well. If we’re to beat them, we have to shore up our defence and be more clinical in attack while sorting out our turnover issues.”

With the Sharks’ performance against gritty opponents resembling a pre-school sandpit, Gold knows if there is no improvement their campaign could be over this weekend.

“We’re going to have a lot of harsh words on Monday because we didn’t do what we said we were going to do. Some of the penalties we conceded were so avoidable. We can’t continue to play the way we played. There’s no feeling of elation because we made the quarterfinals. There’s a feeling of disappointment because we wasted an opportunity to kick on,” Gold said.

“Then again, we’re in the quarterfinals now and we know we didn’t play brilliantly, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

“We need to be honest with ourselves in the fact that we should have been better, but we’ve got another opportunity next week to right the wrongs.

“Funnier things have happened.”