Sharks vow not to lose focus against the Bulls
IT has been a a challenging fortnight for the Sharks in their away games against the Pumas and the Griquas, but now they are back at home, the Durbanites expect even tougher matches.
This week they host the fast-improving Bulls, who under new coach John Mitchell will be eager to test their progress as a rebuilding team against the runaway log-leaders, and pull off an upset in the process.
The Bulls had a lamentable start to the Currie Cup and in Mitchell’s first game in charge took a hiding, but they are getting incrementally better and were unlucky to lose narrowly to the Lions last week in a belter of a game.
The cautious Mitchell will be reminding his charges that Rome was not built in a day but will at the same time expect improvement each week.
“It is true we targeted that tough fortnight of away games in Nelspruit and Kimberly,” Sharks hooker Franco Marais said. “And we are pleased we won both, and in the Griquas game showed we are getting closer to the way we want to play. It was a good performance, even if we were sucking the thin air. We’re now happy to have some oxygen back in Durban!”
The Sharks lost their first game of the Currie Cup, away, against a full-strength Cheetahs team, but have now won eight in a row.
“It is not difficult to keep focussed just because we are now at home for the rest of the competition,” Marais said of the upcoming games against the Bulls, Lions and Western Province.
He said the competition was tougher this year with fewer teams and less “weaker” teams.
“We are in a good place but have to keep our concentration,” Marais said. “Our brand of rugby is coming together with the interplay between the forwards and back. We said from the start that we wanted to play with Super Rugby intensity. We had no excuse because we have not lost too many guys to the Boks.”
As for the Bulls, Marais said the Mitchell influence was starting to come through.
“They are playing more expansively, they run from kicks-offs, from everywhere, it is going to be a fun challenge for our backs but they also still like their forward play. It is going to be physical up front, but our backs are going to have to be wide awake.” BLUE Bulls coach John Mitchell has opted not to utilise the services of returning Springboks Handre Pollard and Rudy Paige ahead of their Currie Cup clash against the Sharks in Durban.
The Bok duo were released from the national team and Springbok coach Allister Coetzee was hoping that they will get some much-needed game time prior to meeting up again for the home leg of the Rugby Championship.
However, Mitchell doesn’t see the value of changing his team for one game to accommodate players who are likely to return to the national team next week and will in all probability be unavailable for the rest of the Currie Cup.
“We have been very clear about that and they understand,” Mitchell said. “This is done for our team cohesion and the growth of ourselves is more important at this minute.”
Pollard last played for the Bulls in Super Rugby, while Paige has rarely played since the conclusion of Super Rugby, only making two cameo appearances for the Springboks.
A man never too far from controversy, Mitchell was quick to remind his critics that he had done the same when leaving out Springboks Butch James and CJ van der Linde while coaching the Lions.
“Going into the final in 2011 I had to leave out Butch, and CJ was also going to be left out but there was an injury to JC Janse van Rensburg. It is not too dissimilar to where we are through change. We are just starting to grow as a team and are mindful of making sure that we get continuity and cohesion.
“It is actually difficult for Test players to just immerse themselves back in and expect to play well. Their intent is great but their rhythm, timing and everything is a new person. We are at a stage now where we are getting closer to achieving continuity in the same group,” Mitchell said.
Even without some of their best personnel in the team, Mitchell is confident the Bulls can break the Sharks eight-match winning run.
“They are the best team in the competition. I thought that way back, and they probably have the most experienced team, a strong pack and they deserve to be where they are.”