If the Sharks lose to the Waratahs tomorrow their Super Rugby aspirations are done and dusted.

AT the risk of sounding alarmist, if the Sharks lose to the Waratahs tomorrow their Super Rugby aspirations done and dusted.

Technically this might not be the case in that an unlikely clean sweep of (preferably) bonus-point wins in Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Pretoria over the next three weeks might rescue the situation and slip the Sharks into the quarter-finals through the back door.

But when you consider that the Sharks dropped a home game last week and played a long way off their potential, a win tomorrow against the Australians with a quality performance is as important for the log points as it is for the confidence going forward.

The Sharks have been hot and cold for too long and suddenly the Super Rugby marathon has entered the end straight and the Sharks simply have to get their act together and put in an 80-minute performance. They can’t afford to pace themselves any longer. They need to not only win but establish momentum at the same time.

At the best of times the Sharks struggle in Bloemfontein, and if they travel there next week having lost two consecutive home games, the in-form Cheetahs could give them a hiding. The revitalised Lions will fancy their chances at Ellis Parks while the Bulls, having cruised home in Durban last week, will not fear the Sharks at Loftus.

In short, the Sharks not only need a home victory but they need a convincing performance now that the competition is at the business end.

The Sharks have been much-maligned after losing to the Bulls – as much from within their camp as from their supporters – and this farewell home match will show what they are ultimately made of.

Coach Plumtree has not been shy to give his starting line-up a good shake-up after the indifferent performance against the Bulls, although some of the six changes are down to injury or recovery after injury.

Springbok captain John Smit is back from a calf problem to lead the side from loosehead prop, with The Beast benched. Hooker Bismarck du Plessis is the only survivor from the front-row that started against the Bulls because his brother, tighthead Jannie, is sidelined with a knee injury and is replaced by Eugene van Staden, who has enjoyed a series of impressive cameos off the bench.

Perhaps the most significant change is at scrumhalf. Former Western Province man Conrad Hoffman will get his first start in a Sharks jersey at the expense of Charl McLeod, who has perhaps been trying too hard of late to get things going for the Sharks, and his form has suffered.

Another big eye-brow raiser is the benching of big Willem Alberts for the first time this season.

This is less about form and more about resting a big-hearted player that has taken an inordinate number of knocks in the name of the Sharks this season. He is included on the bench as insurance and it is likely that he will only be used should there be an injury to the starting loose trio, which sees Keegan Daniel back from suspension and picked at No 8 in place of Alberts and Jacques Botes retraining his spot at openside flank.

That means two usually openside flanks in a loose trio where Jean Deysel provides the grunt.

In other changes to the backline apart from Hoffman for McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo continues at right wing after replacing injured Odwa Ndungane in the Bulls match. The former was in good form before breaking a bone in his hand against the Bulls but Mvovo is a top class replacement.

Meyer Bosman is back at inside centre for Adi Jacobs, who failed a fitness test yesterday.

On the bench, Jacques-Louis Potgieter makes a return in Jacob’s absence while centre Riaan Swanepoel, the forgotten man in the greater Sharks picture, is also recalled to the 22.

Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Conrad Hoffmann, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Eugene van Staden, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 John Smit (capt).

Substitutes: Beast Mtawarira, Wiehahn Herbst, Gerhard Mostert, Willem Alberts, Charl McLeod, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Riaan Swanepoel.

Waratahs: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Sosene Anesi, 10 Berrick Barnes, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Ben Mowen, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Sitaleki Timani, 4 Dean Mumm (capt), 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.

Substitutes: John Ulugia, Al Baxter, Pat O’Connor, Hugh Perrett, Brendan McKibbin, Daniel Halangahu, Atieli Pakalani.

by Mike Greenaway www.iol.co.za