Durban — The Sharks have won five games in a row across all competitions and with a host of Springboks due to return to their side for Saturday’s derby clash with the Bulls in Durban, they are favoured to lengthen their winning streak.
The Sharks’ last loss was the cataclysmic reverse to Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship (URC) back in November, a result that cost coach Sean Everitt his job, but since that 35-0 humiliation, they have won in both the Heineken Cup and the URC.
And the manner in which the Sharks smashed the Lions last week sent a message across the competition that they mean business. And they won 37-10 despite resting some of their big names, all of whom will come swarming back for the New Year’s Eve bash with the Bulls — Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi and Ox Nche will all be back and that means the Sharks will have a potent pack.
It had always been the plan for the Sharks to play their full-strength team against Harlequins and Bordeaux in the Heineken Cup, to freshen up the side against the Lions, and then bring back the Boks for the Bulls.
Sharks boss Neil Powell has a point to prove against the Bulls after they beat the Sharks 40-27 in Pretoria shortly after Powell arrived from the Blitzboks and this game has clearly been targeted by the Sharks, who are also putting on a massive New Year’s Eve party after the match.
The dust had barely settled on the Sharks' handsome five-try win over the Lions when Powell disclosed that the Shark Tank is going to be a tough place to visit for Jake White’s men.
“We've already got a plan in place for them in terms of team selection and how we want to play them,” Powell said.
“We will obviously have a good look at the game they played against the Stormers (the Bulls lost 37-27) and we’ll get a lot out of that.
“We already know the team we’re going to select against the Bulls. We will have a few days off, enjoy Christmas, which is a lot sweeter now after beating the Lions, and come back and make sure we prepare as well for the Bulls as we did for the Lions.”
It is indeed going to be a tough ask for the Bulls after White targeted the Stormers game by keeping most of his big guns at home while a B team went overseas to play the Exeter Chiefs (and lost heavily).
But the Stormers were too good for White’s A team and now he has to get his selections right for the visit to Durban.
Powell played two of his front-line Boks against the Lions in Jaden Hendrikse and Kolisi, with the latter excellent off the bench, and we have seen that when the Sharks play all of their Boks, they are difficult to beat.
“It’s always going to take a team effort but the Springboks do make a difference,” Powell said. “It’s great to call on their experience and the standards they bring.”
IOL Sport