The last time the Sharks played a massive local Super Rugby derby they got as bloody nose

The last time the Sharks played a massive local Super Rugby derby they got as bloody nose from a Stormers team that roughed them up in a manner that used to be a trademark of the Sharks.

In short they lost the physical battles and that freed the Stormers backs to run onto the ball at pace and create mayhem.

What has this got to do with the Bulls visiting Durban? Quite a lot actually, because the fall-out from that Newlands defeat chastened the Sharks into relooking at their approach to a side of the game that for a long time they had been the principle proponents, give or take the Bulls funnily enough.

Brumbies captain Matt Giteau the next week said he was astonished at how the Sharks were beating themselves up over their self-confessed physical no-show in Cape Town, when the Brumbies had thought it had been a fairly even battle.

The Sharks forwards responded by building the foundation for a big win over the Canberra team that has not been given the credit it deserved.

However you look at it, the defeat at Newlands meant once bitten twice shy for the Sharks forwards, although that is probably not the appropriate metaphor given that there will be no reticence on the part of either side!

Earlier this week, coach John Plumtree said that for this match he had no need to wave a red flag in front of his forwards – again this might not be a fitting comparison! – because any encounter with the Bulls axiomatically means unreserved war, with no prisoners spared.

Accordingly, the Bulls have picked their strongest pack yet in 2011 and in loading their bench with a five-two split in favour of reserve forward power their intentions are clear.

Plumtree, on the other hand, had mixed fortunes yesterday when John Smit failed a fitness test on his troublesome calf but Jacques Botes came through after spraining his ankle three weeks ago to take the place of suspended opensider Keegan Daniel.

Otherwise the team is pretty much as expected although Plumtree said that Adrian Jacobs had come close to selection in the midfield.

“Adi has been very good off the bench for a while now and is pushing hard for a start. He will nevertheless play a big role in the game at some stage,” the coach said.

The Sharks are coming off their second bye and it is fresh in their minds that they were sluggish in their return from the first bye, which was only a month ago.

“This was one of the first things we discussed on Monday,” Plumtree said. “It is crucial that we start well – we didn’t do that against the Hurricanes (the game after their first bye) and it took us about 40 minutes to get into the game. We can’t afford a repeat of that.”

For the trainspottters out there, the Sharks will have the chance of equalling the Bulls’ record of 61 home victories in Super Rugby if they win.

The Durbanites, who are aiming for their eighth win of 2011, are currently one point behind the South African conference leading Stormers. Apart from possibly overtaking the team from Cape Town on the log, victory in Durban will allow the Sharks to share the bragging rights as the most dominant South African team in home matches.

The Sharks have achieved 60 home victories thus far since 1996 – 25 against New Zealand opposition and 17 wins against Australian sides. Against local teams, the Sharks have won 18 matches.

The Bulls are on 61, made up of 27 victories over NZ opposition, 18 over the Aussies and 16 over their fellow South Africans.

Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche (capt), 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.

Subs: Craig Burden, Eugene van Staden, Gerhard Mostert, Marcel Coetzee, Conrad Hoffmann, Adi Jacobs, Lwazi Mvovo.

Bulls – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (capt), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.

Subs: Gary Botha, Rossouw de Klerk, Flip van der Merwe, Danie Rossouw, Derick Kuün, Francois Brummer, zzGerhard van den Heever.

by Mike Greenaway