Do-or-die for play-off chasing Sharks

Ken Borland

The high-flying Lions are the first targets in the Sharks’ sights as they try and complete the uphill task of making the Super Rugby play-offs and captain Ruan Botha stressed how difficult it will be on Saturday taking on the two-time finalists with some of their bigname players back.

While the Lions are still top of the South African Conference and second overall, they need to ensure they maintain those positions and earn a home semifinal, so there is much for them to play for in Durban.

For the Sharks, however, it is do-or-die as they are six points off the play-off places with three games left.

“These three games in the pool stages are make or break for us, but we’re taking it game by game because the Lions are difficult to play against and we have to focus on them as our first challenge.

“The Lions have got some big names back from injury, like Warren Whiteley, Malcolm Marx and Ruan Combrinck, and I’m sure they will want to get back to where they were.”

The Lions won a tight contest 26-19 at Ellis Park on the opening weekend, but Botha said: “We’re not thinking about our first game against them because that’s in the past. They have also battled to get back into form.

“A South African derby is always big. It will be a physical game for the forwards and hopefully our backs can finish off.”

The Sharks are in a precarious position thanks to their own failings and they are ruing a sloppy display in their last match against the Jaguares – their chief rivals for second place in the South African Conference – as well as their inconsistency.

But, Botha said, the stakes are now so high and the Sharks have spent much of the four-week international window planning and making sure their minds are right for the next three crucial weeks.

“We’ve been planning for the last four weeks which emphasises how important these last three games are.

“We need maximum points from them. It’s almost like kicking off a new competition, but there is more at stake. We are excited to be back in action,” the lock said.