FOR THE SHARKS

Coenie Oosthuizen this week pointed out that it takes roughly three rounds of Super Rugby before the teams have a proper handle on each other.

Round one is thus something of a lottery. The best option is for teams to concentrate mostly on their own game. Louis Schreuder accordingly said on the eve of the Sharks’ departure to Singapore for their clash with Sunwolves that vigorous and rigorous application of the basics of the Sharks’ game plan was the best way to negotiate this tricky first-round encounter. Captain Schreuder is ideally positioned at scrumhalf to control how the Sharks play.

In the thick of things at No 9, he can easily instruct both the pack and the backline.

He will be telling his players to keep it simple – the Sharks are viewing this one as a smash-and-grab raid before returning home to for a big match at Kings Park against the Blues.

Schreuder led the Sharks so admirably in the Currie Cup that the leadership group voted for him to continue as captain in place of 2018 Super Rugby captain Ruan Botha.

In what will be a nervy game against largely unknown opponents played in stifling humidity, the Sharks will require a calm hand on the tiller. 12:55pm kick-off (SA time, SS1)