Sharks fresh for first Currie Cup clash

The Sharks played just one warm-up match against the Lions last weekend to test out combinations and get some game time under the belt.

Sharks coach Gary Gold said 12 consecutive weeks of Currie Cup rugby would be incredibly taxing and he preferred to go into the competition with just one game under the belt.

“We chose not to go with two or three warm up games because we’ve got 12 weeks on the bounce with no bye. I just know how telling that becomes in week five and six on the bodies,” Gold said ahead of their clash with the Pumas on Friday night. “I don’t understand the sense of having three or four games preseason and then sitting with a whole load of injuries just for a bit of game time. We’ve trained really hard.”

Gold said the preparations had been more than adequate ahead of the domestic showpiece.

“The guys have really been put through their paces and if we can plan, as we did, and execute the training sessions to the intensity that we want then we get what we want out of it. Then we don’t have to travel, go play other games and show our hand, which bothers me less,” the coach said.

Looking ahead to tonight’s clash, Gold was expecting a big tussle against a Pumas side that were crowned Vodacom Cup champions this year. They were also competitive in last year’s Currie Cup and Gold is not taking them lightly.

“They’ve gone through the Vodacom Cup practically unbeaten; they won the semi-final and final. They some good old heads playing for them, and I see Faf de Klerk is back there as well. They are also very well coached,” Gold said. “Technically they will be very good, they’ll be up for it and they are a big, physical bunch. Nelspruit is not an easy place to go and play so it’s going to be a very tough challenge for us.”

The Sharks face the Pumas at 18h00 tonight at the Mbombela Stadium.

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