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Sharks look to use Durban conditions as an ally

rugby22 February 2019 06:12| © Cycle Lab
By:JJ Harmse
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Robert du Preez © Gallo Images

It was former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains, when he was coaching the Lions, who once said that perhaps rugby fans don’t fully understand what a disadvantage it might be for the Sharks that they have to play the early part of the year in the stifling and oppressive Durban humidity.

What Mains was getting at wasn’t just the fact that the Sharks played the early Vodacom Super Rugby games in what often translated into wet weather conditions because of the way the modern jerseys transfer sweat onto the ball and render it slippery.

He was also referring to the amount of time the Sharks spent training in the humidity. Mains is not the only opposition coach who has referred to this as debilitating.

The theory is that spending so much time working out in the humidity saps energy. There may be something in that, and it may have contributed to the Sharks’ tendency to be unexpectedly flat and lethargic in some games.

Look back at recent Sharks Super Rugby campaigns, in fact almost all of them back over the years, and you’ll be able to isolate games where the Sharks were unexpectedly lethargic and short of a gallop. That is probably true of all teams in a long season, but the Sharks more so than others.

The weather has often impacted on the type of rugby the Sharks can play in the early season, and 2007, when the Sharks topped the log under the coaching of Dick Muir, was a good example of them starting more conservatively before becoming more adventurous and all-embracing in their approach in the more temperate months of April and May.

Whether or not the Sharks are destined to experience a dip in energy levels is something we won’t know until the season is properly underway, but given that their most recent games were in sweaty Ballito (the final warm-up game against the Bulls) and humid Singapore, their coach Robert du Preez was spot on when he said at the team announcement press conference that the conditions should work in his team’s favour in Saturday’s first home game at Jonnson King’s Park against the Blues.

“The Blues are obviously a formidable side and everyone would have seen how well they did against the Crusaders, but we we are not going to worry too much about them,” said Du Preez.

“Instead we will focus on what we are going to do, and that is the plan going into the game. We are expecting really difficult conditions on Saturday. It is expected to be very hot and humid, but that should work for us because we are used to it.”

It should indeed, not least because although the Sharks backs impressed with what they made of their opportunities in humid Singapore last week, it is the Blues’ backline that the hosts should be most fearful of. Although All Black veteran Ma’a Nonu has been left out this week, the off-loading magic of Sonny Bill Williams has been restored to the No 12 jersey, and Rieko Ioane doesn’t have too many peers when it comes to wing play.

While King’s Park patrons might head to the stadium anticipating a thrill a minute running battle between the capable Kiwis and a Sharks outside back division that has three fairly frequent starting Springboks in it from last year, the more realistic expectation should be for it to be a more tactical and forward-orientated game.

In that sense, the Blues look much better equipped to do battle than perhaps they have in recent seasons. Their scrum troubled the Crusaders unit at stages of last week’s game in Christchurch, and there were periods where the forward unit as a whole had good momentum. They have two All Black props in the front row this week, so it won’t be easy for the Sharks.

However, even though the Sharks will be missing their most influential forward, and will be for a couple of more weeks, in the form of Jean-Luc du Preez, they will probably still be expecting to gain an edge up front and, as was the case last week, lay the platform for victory through their big men. They will welcome the slower game that the conditions might dictate.

“Every game is obviously important up front, but the Blues have a quality outfit and we know the brand of rugby they like to play, so we have got to go out and nullify that (by winning the forward battle), particularly with the team they’ve selected for this week,” said skipper Louis Schreuder.

The scrumhalf probably won’t be anticipating quite the level of forward dominance the Sharks enjoyed against the Sunwolves, but he says Singapore did provide evidence of what can be achieved when the Sharks win the forward battle.

“The tight five went really well, we scored some good maul tries, and the scrums went well and the line outs went well. When that happens it makes it much easier for me and Rob (flyhalf Robert du Preez) and the rest of the backline to function,” said the captain.

Both Du Preez and Schreuder are unanimous about one thing - at home it is non-negotiable that you end on the winning side, so Saturday will be about getting over the line regardless of how pretty it is.

“It is massive that we win our home games, if we don’t win our home games we can’t expect to be in contention for a place in the playoffs,” agreed Du Preez.

Next week the Sharks host the Stormers in what should be a tense coastal derby before they hit the road to go to Pretoria for a meeting with the resurgent Bulls. These are crucial weeks in the Sharks’ campaign and the Sharks will be looking to make the most of the confidence they derived from last week’s effort, as well as their success against Kiwi teams in 2018.

“It’s not that we have specific plans when we play New Zealand sides, it is just that we know we have to bring it against Kiwi sides. It is more a mental thing because they are very strong outfits. All of them are,” added Schreuder.

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