Sharks brace for Pumas onslaught

Ken Borland

Sharks coach Robert du Preez says that the Pumas have a terrific pack and that’s the first area of focus for his team in their Currie Cup meeting in Nelspruit this afternoon.

“It’s going to be our toughest game of the Currie Cup season so far. The Pumas have a very abrasive pack of forwards and we have to deal with that first. Plus there’s the difficulty of playing in Nelspruit and the Pumas are going to be really up for it because they are going for a place in the top four.

“I was very impressed with the way the Free State Cheetahs played against us last weekend, they were a well-coached side that gave us a really tough game, and that’s what we wanted before taking on the Pumas,” Du Preez said.

The Sharks have won six games in a row to take a four-point lead at the top of the log, and they are certainly riding a wave of confidence at the moment. But they are aware they cannot afford to let slip on the standards they have set so far in this year’s Currie Cup.

“It takes time for the players to get used to us and vice-versa, but I believe we are on to something really special here and if we can keep this squad together for a few years then you will see some really good things. Having said that though, they haven’t won anything yet,” Du Preez reminded.

Pumas coach Brent Janse van Rensburg said it was vital they won the gain-line battle.

“The Sharks have a very good defence, they keep you out well and they’re very abrasive in the collisions. So it’s absolutely critical that we stop their momentum at the collisions, we have to do the basics well. The Sharks are a very good side with a very good setpiece, and they score a lot of tries from there. We have to make sure they can’t launch from the setpiece,” Janse van Rensburg said.

Scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer and flank Francois Kleinhans, two of the Pumas’ stars this season, have been ruled out with concussion. They will be especially disappointed not to play because they both first made their names at the Sharks.

Kick-off: 5pm. Leicester City v Chelsea 15:50 on SS5 Brighton v West Brom 15:50 on SS4 Everton v Tottenham Hotspur 15:55 on SS7 Stoke City v Man Utd 18:00 on SS3 Spanish La Liga Real Madrid v Levante 12:55 on SS7 Valencia v Atletico Madrid 16:10 on SS7 Sevilla v Eibar 18:25 on SS7 Barcelona v Espanyol 20:40 on SS7 MTN8: Semifinal, 2nd Leg Maritzburg Utd v SuperSport Utd 19:30 on SS4

Tennis

US Open, Day 13 Mixed doubles final 18:00 on SS6 Women’s final 22:00 on SS6