Sharks wary of vengeful Lions

You don’t beat the Lions by 37 points on their home ground and expect there not to be some kind of a backlash the next time you play them, but the Sharks also know that they have a matter of pressing importance to take care of when the two sides clash at Jonnson Kings Park on Saturday.

Five of the last seven derbies that the Sharks have played in Durban have seen them end on the losing side. That is a damning statistic, and with two derbies already lost this at home this season, the Sharks know they can’t afford to slip again and in so doing complete the home season without a single derby win.

They, like their fellow coastal team, the Stormers, should be going onto a knock-out footing now anyway given how the Jaguares and the Bulls set up their run-in to the end of the competition with away wins this past weekend, but it’s about more than that - the Sharks also owe one to their fans who have had to watch their best performances on television broadcasts from far away places rather than from the Kings Park stands.

One of those best performances, rivalled perhaps only by their draw against the Crusaders in Christchurch, was the one at Emirates Airlines Park two months ago.

And as experienced Springbok tighthead prop Coenie Oosthuizen has reminded the Durban rugby media, the Sharks know exactly how it feels when you have something to prove after being embarrassed.

“They will come back firing after the last result. We have been in that same scenario before and the hurt is always there in the back of your mind,” said Oosthuizen. "It gives you extra motivation. Those type of results tell you what the opposition can do to you if they pitch up switched on and you do not. After the first 20 you can be 20 behind.”

The Sharks could easily have been that far behind early in last year’s Durban game between the two teams. With Warren Whiteley and Malcolm Marx back from injury lay-offs, the Sharks dominated the first half and much of the second but didn’t take their opportunities. Then a Lwazi Mvovo intercept try swung the momentum the Sharks’ way in the last quarter and they completed what was the first win by a South African team against the Lions since 2015.

The Lions haven’t won against a fellow South African team since then, but the first part of last year’s game will be a reminder to the Sharks of what they can do when they put it together. And the Sharks aren’t strangers to the need to start the game quickly. Over the past two seasons they have often been stung when making a lethargic start that for the Kings Park faithful has been too frequent an occurrence.

“Starting well in a game is massively important and it is something we have struggled with at home. You can look at every aspect of a rugby game but if you don’t start well, you are guaranteed to struggle later in the game,” said the former Cheetahs frontranker.

“The first 20 minutes will be vital for us on Saturday. We have to come out firing. We have to show the right intent both for us and the opposition. Everyone must know that we mean business. We are determined not to fall behind and then have to try and catch up later in the game."

The Sharks will be going into the game with some key personnel lacking in the very area where they may need it most - the front for. Springboks Akker van der Merwe (shoulder), Tendai Mtawarira (knee) and Thomas du Toit (ankle) have joined veteran hooker Craig Burden on the sidelines since the start of the recent overseas tour.

Sharks coach Robert du Preez will be hoping that injury list is not added to in what should be a typically physical South African derby ahead of a tough run-in that sees the Sharks hosting the second best team in the overall competition this season, the Hurricanes, before ending the league phase of the competition on the road in Buenos Aires and Cape Town.

“Derby games are the most physical in Super Rugby. People think it is the games against New Zealand teams that are toughest, but it is the SA derbies,” said Oosthuizen.

“I think it is because we play each other so much and so know exactly what to expect. Homework on our fellow SA teams can be done more thoroughly than on the overseas teams. The SA guys know how to get under your skin. You have played alongside many of those guys in some team or another over your career and they know what buttons to press.”