Sharks looking to 'shut the gate'
Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:32
Can Terblanché and co. shut out Griquas? (c) Gallo
The table-topping Sharks will look to produce another clinical performance in their endeavour to shut out the dangerous Griquas outfit.
Hosting the men from Kimberley, the only team to beat them in the first half of the Currie Cup season, in Durban on Friday, the Sharks know it is vital to keep their winning momentum going.
Last week the Sharks laid down a big marker, when they ended Western Province's unbeaten run.
But they are also well-aware of just how dangerous Griquas can be and if they are not on top of their game - a mistake they made in Kimberley in Week One - the team from Durban will be in for another surprise.
"We are aware of how they play and can play," Sharks assistant coach Hugh Reece-Edwards told rugby365.com.
"We just have to look at what they did to us last time [in Kimberley]," he said.
That 34-40 loss still rankles with the Sharks.
The hosts are currently the competition's leading try-scores - having touched down 31 times in seven games, for an average of more than four tries a match. Their defensive record is not to be scoffed at either - having conceded just 13 tries, which has been bettered only by the eight of Western Province.
The flipside is that Griquas have accumulated 26 tries from their seven games, almost four tries a game, but have leaked an alarming 28.
The Sharks' game plan is simple: 'Don't give Griquas any opportunities.'
"We just can't afford to give turnovers, they thrive on that sort of play," Reece-Edwards told rugby365.com, adding: "We can't afford to be loose or lose concentration.
"We have to be very accurate this week in terms of what we do.
"If we do keep that concentration and accuracy then hopefully things will go fine. The moment you give them an opportunity they take it and that is how they score their tries."
Reece-Edwards said they are proud of their defensive record, something that they have "worked hard at", but emphasised that it is indeed a team effort that will win the day.
"You can't rely on one or two guys to be big on defence, everyone has to do it and everyone has that responsibility," he said.
"The onus have been placed on the players to make those [big] hits and the more you do that and put the pressure on the opposition, then it makes the game a little bit easier for ourselves."
Griquas coach Dawie Theron, who has had his team's resources stretched to the limit, remains confident that they can bounce back from last week's heart breaking loss against the Blue Bulls - when captain Naas Olivier missed a sitter to win the match.
"That's how the game goes," a philosophical Theron told the media this week.
While Griquas fell just short of a play-off place in 2009, and had their player roster depleted by injuries and departures this year, Theron remains adamant they can take it a step further.
"We have more depth and the players are more experienced at this level," said Theron, adding: "I'm confident we'll have a much better second half of the season."
The Sharks were forced into a late change to their starting XV - with Mike Rhodes starting at lock, after Alistair Hargreaves was ruled out with an injury. Rhodes's position on the bench will be taken by loose forward Skholiwe Ndlovu.
Recent results:
2007: Sharks won 43-20, Durban
2007: Sharks won 24-14, Kimberley
2008: Sharks won 44-15, Kimberley
2008: Sharks won 66-12, Durban
2009: Sharks won 41-6, Durban
2009: Sharks won 45-30, Kimberley
2010: Griquas won 40-34, Kimberley
rugby365.com Prediction: The word 'vital' gets bandied about often, but seldom has it been more apt than in the case of Griquas. The outcome of this game will have a huge bearing on their play-off prospects. Defeat
will open the door for both the Cheetahs and Lions to sneak past them into the top four play-off spots) in the weeks to come. The Sharks will again rely on the grunt and momentum provided by Springboks Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis, while the experience of captain Stefan Terblanche is the calming influence that guides the team through troubled times. This may well be the game that is the undoing of Griquas. The Sharks to win by 10 to 15 points.
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Monty Dumond, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche (captain), 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Michael Rhodes, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Skholiwe Ndlovu, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Andre Pretorius, 22 Riaan
Swanepoel.
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Richard Lawson, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Naas Olivier (captain), 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Rohan Kitshoff, 6 Davon Raubenheimer, 5 Cecil-John Kemp, 4 Michael Passaportis, 3 Jean Botha, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse/Ivann Espag, 18 Johan van Deventer, 19 Gerhard Human, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Rocco Jansen, 22 Rudi Vogt.
Date: Friday, August 27
Venue: Absa Stadium, Durban
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Reuben Rossouw
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
By Jan de Koning
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