Chiefs get a Whitewash
South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White says the globe-trotting Sharks face a monumental battle toppling the Chiefs in Saturday's Super Rugby final.
Both teams will strive for their first Super title in front of a confirmed sellout crowd at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
Over the last few weeks, the nomadic Sharks have travelled away from their Durban base to score finals victories over Australian conference winners the Reds in Brisbane and South Africa's table-topping team the Stormers in Cape Town.
Their reward is a second lengthy flight to Australasia in two weeks to face the New Zealand conference-winning Chiefs, who ousted seven-time champions the Crusaders last week.
"I think that it's going to be a hell of a tough ask for the Sharks to go back and forth and back and forth (between South Africa and Australasia) and get away with wins consecutively," said White, who has just completed his first season as the Brumbies head coach.
"It would be an amazing achievement for a team that finished sixth to actually end up winning it, and beating teams that came first and second.
"They would end up beating the Reds, who won that conference, the Stormers, who won their conference, and then the Chiefs, who won their conference.
"It would be a massive effort for the Sharks. It would be phenomenal if they could.
"But I think, obviously, the Chiefs must be favourites."
