savage Super Rugby showdown between the Sharks and the Stormers at Kings Park tomorrow

THE signs are that this is going to be one savage Super Rugby showdown between the Sharks and the Stormers at Kings Park tomorrow (5pm) and the team with the most key players still standing at the death, and the most accurate goal-kicker, will be the likely winner.

That might sound dramatic but consider this: Last year the Stormers were flying high in the Super 14 until they came to Durban late in the competition (the week before they had thumped the Crusaders while the Sharks had been knocked out of contention by the Bulls) and were cut down to size by the Sharks’ forwards; later in the year, in their Western Province incarnation, the Capetonians were bullied once more in the set pieces and especially the breakdowns in the Currie Cup final and were never in the game and lost comprehensively.

Two big games, two humiliations at Kings Park and now a full-on resolve from Schalk Burger’s team to avoid a hat-trick of defeats to the Durbanites.

The Sharks know how to beat the Stormers, who in turn know what they have to do to avoid defeat.

Burger, who had a rib broken by Willem Alberts in the Currie Cup final and was then ironically and consequentially replaced by Alberts in the Springbok touring squad, has been open about his team’s refusal to come second in the physical battle this time.

“We got outmuscled up front in two games at the Shark Tank last year and lost as a result,” Burger said. “It must not happen again, obviously. We know what we have to do.

“I suppose, in a way, it is a similar mental barrier to the one we had against the Bulls, where we had to try to compete with them physically and in first-phase, as well as getting off to a good start. We got that right at Loftus a fortnight ago and now we must do it in Durban,” Burger added.

There could not be a more obvious declaration of intent from the Stormers and given that the Sharks will not take a backward step on their home turf, this match is not going to be for the faint of heart.

The Sharks are at last at home after a scarcely believable travel schedule that saw them take in four countries in four weeks. They went from Durban to Perth, then Melbourne, Hamilton, Durban again and London before returning to Surf City.

The travel has clearly taken its toll. On Wednesday coach John Plumtree had to call off training because five players had the flu, which is why the Sharks are yet to name their team. All that time in airplane cabins, with the world’s germs being constantly circulated, will inevitably take its toll.

The Sharks are also waiting to see if stand-in flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter’s injured calf gets through today’s captain’s practice okay.

The suggestions from training are that there will be two changes to the side that lost to the Crusaders in Twickenham, with JP Pietersen replacing Lwazi Mvovo on the left wing and Beast Mtawarira getting a start at loosehead prop for John Smit.

Sharks (probable): 15 Louis Ludik 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 Stefan Terblanche (capt) 12 Meyer Bosman 11 JP Pietersen 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 9 Charl Mcleod 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Willem Alberts 6 Keegan Daniel 5 Alistair Hargreaves 4 Steven Sykes 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Beast Mtawarira.

Stormers – 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.

Substitutes: Ethienne Reynecke, CJ van der Linde, De Kock Steenkamp, Nick Koster, Ricky Januarie, Gary van Aswegen, Juan de Jongh.

by MIKE GREENAWAY