Saturday night’s Sharks v Brumbies match is shaping up to be a much a bigger clash

MIKE GREENAWAY

Saturday night’s Sharks v Brumbies match is shaping up to be a much a bigger clash than many would have envisaged given that the Australian team is just about out of the running, but for differing reasons there will be no shortage of passion in this encounter.

The Sharks will be out to mend their wounded egos as well as earn priceless Super Rugby points before next week’s bye, while the visitors will be motivated by pride as well as the desire to pay a fitting tribute to a teammate who tragically died here two years ago.

Shawn Mackay was struck down by a car outside an Umgeni Road night club after playing against the Sharks earlier, and later died from complications that arose following surgery to head and leg injuries. His teammates learned of his death when they landed in Sydney a week later. His life had been in the balance while his team spent the next week in Bloemfontein for a match against the Cheetahs, which they emphatically won 40-27 after having been thumped 35-14 by the Sharks the week before.

Scrumhalf Patrick Phibbs told the Canberra Times that the team would dedicate its return to Durban to remembering Mackay.

”I’ve got no question that the guys will be thinking about what happened two years ago and hopefully it’s a bit of inspiration and motivation,” Mackay’s school chum said. ”There were a few emotions when we pulled into Durban airport.

”It starts breaking back into your memory bank and all the memories rush back,” Phibbs said. “This week is a special one. This was always going to be a different sort of game. We’ll be putting more in for Macca – you don’t ever forget about it and then you come over to Durban and it kick-starts all the feelings again.”

Last week the Brumbies lost 47-36 to the Cheetahs, their seventh defeat in nine games, and in wanting to end their visit to South Africa on the right note by beating the Sharks, they would have carefully noted the fall-out in the Sharks camp after their disappointing display against the Stormers.

“The Brumbies will know how we are feeling and will know what to expect, and will prepare accordingly, so it will be a very tough contest,” Plumtree acknowledged. “They are a much better side than their log position suggests.”

If you look at how well the Canberra team has played for periods of their matches, as well as the calibre of their players and how organised their game is, it is indeed surprising to see where they are in the standings.

“They are having one of those seasons where games can just get away from a team a bit,” Plumtree said. “They have lost a lot of games by less than seven points.

“If you analyse their set pieces and how they launch and the way they work off phase play with playmakers such as (Matt) Giteau and (Christian) Lealiifano, they can be very dangerous,” Plumtree said. “Your defence has to be very sharp against them because they can play to space easily through their playmakers. By comparison, we are more direct and easier to read. Our defence has to be really switched on because they are not easy to read.”