Buoyant Sharks ready for boost from razor-sharp reinforcements

THE Sharks will have more than one reason to feel rather chipper when they reconvene at King’s Park today, and it won’t only be as a result of their impressive bonus-point victory over the Lions at the weekend.

Besides securing their first win of the Super Rugby season, and banking a tryscoring bonus-point in spite of the inclement weather, they were also able to come through the clash without any serious injury worries.

In addition to that, Ryan Kankowski, pictured, should come into the selection mix this week after recently returning from Japan, while Willem Alberts is soon set to be available as well, with the influential loose forward having worked his way back from a troublesome hamstring injury.

And in what will also be a timely double boost for the Durban side, the Sharks are also set to welcome back Frans Steyn and JP Pietersen after their teams were knocked out of the Japanese Rugby championship.

As was the case with Kankowski last week, the duo will have to go through some medical assessments before being considered for selection, and so, while they might not be rushed back for Saturday’s clash against the Bulls, the Sharks squad is now nearing full strength.

Director of rugby Gary Gold said they were just pleased to have got their first win after a disappointing no-show in the first round of the competition.

“There’s no big celebration, it’s early days yet, but we are relieved. You can throw clichés around about moving on from a loss, but that first result was very disap- pointing, and it was weighing heavily on our minds. That is the psychological challenge you have as coach in that you have to give the players the confidence that they are good enough to come back from a defeat like that. That is when sport becomes really pressurised, when your backs are against the wall. So I am just relieved and happy that the players could perform to their potential.”

The Sharks would have been particularly pleased by the manner in which they clinically controlled the wet, while producing a vastly-improved kicking and scrumming performance.

“After the first week, I just wanted a good performance and result. Those conditions are a neutralising factor. You are never going to run as much, and when you kick, you don’t know how it will bounce,” Gold said.

“I didn’t expect we’d scored four tries, I’d have happily just taken a win, but we’re very grateful it worked out that way. I thought we managed the game well to be able to keep the momentum going that got us into the position to score four tries.”

The performance and result will have served as a major confidence-boost for the Sharks, but the Durbanites will know that they are now set to face a desperate Bulls side at Loftus.