To be blunt, the Sharks have looked more like donkeys

by MIKE GREENAWAY

To be blunt, the Sharks have looked more like donkeys with regard to how they have started most of their Super Rugby games this season. It is irony indeed that for so many seasons Sharks supporters grew used to frenzied first-half performances from a team that then tended go to sleep in the second half.

The Sharks’ poor starts to their games reached a nadir at the weekend when they were pummelled into a 9-30 deficit against the Lions at Ellis Park – this after there had been a major pre-match focus on starting well (as has been the case for every match).

The Sharks forwards just don’t seem able to take charge of a game, and if they don’t somehow discover the alpha males amongst them, they will surely get a hiding at Loftus where the hesitant are lost and then summarily executed.

“It is obviously a problem that we’ve been slow out of the blocks,” assistant coach Grant Bashford said last night. “There are bits and pieces that we still aren’t getting right. The positive is that we keep finding a way to come from behind, but we know that we can’t afford another slow start against the Bulls.”

The task before the Sharks is monumental. It amounts to win or bust for them because although they could still go through if the Brumbies shock the Waratahs in Sydney, this result is highly unlikely given what is riding on the match for the home team, who are fighting it out for the same sixth and final play-off spot as the Bulls and Sharks, while the Brumbies have long ago been out of the running.

“We have to go up to Loftus and win. We can’t rely on the Brumbies pulling off an upset, so it’s a case of win at all costs if we want to remain alive in this competition,” Bashford said.

“There is no doubt that we will go to Loftus as underdogs because the Bulls are always favourites at home and are on a six-game winning streak thanks to their senior players stepping up,” the backline coach said. “It’s no small feat to beat the Stormers in Cape Town.

“The real challenge for us is to play for the whole 80 minutes the way we have been doing for the last 30 minutes of our recent games,” Bashford continued. “We know within our group that we have the character and ability to beat anyone on our day but giving teams head starts from now on will be fatal.”

Bashford agree that the replacements once more made the difference at the weekend.

“Fortunately they did, but we need to start getting two good halves out of the team. We can’t carry on just playing well in patches, we are looking for the complete package.”

Bashford pointed out to the example of the way the Bulls have reacted to pressure.

“The Bulls made a poor start to the season, but effectively with a gun to their head they’ve responded to the challenge of having to win each week. They’ve started to perform really well, and it hasn’t been a case of major changes to their tactics or way of playing, but their attitude has been outstanding. They’re going to be tough to beat because they have shown their champion mettle in recovering from the position they were in.”

The Sharks will have tighthead Jannie du Plessis back from injury and Jean Deysel from suspension.