AUDIO: Sharks expecting kitchen sink from Stormers
SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Stormers’ desperation to end their season on a winning note could prove to be problematic for the Sharks in their quest for a Super Rugby play-off berth.
The Sharks need to win their final two games of the season against the Stormers (in Cape Town) and the Jaguares (in Durban) to have any chance of finishing in the top eight this year.
The Stormers have been woeful this year with five wins from their 15 games so far, but it will still be a tough assignment for the Sharks to get the points at Newlands.
With a bye in the final round of the league phase, Saturday’s outing will be the Stormers’ last this year and they will be keen to give their fans something to cheer about.
“It’s their last game, it’s a home game and they haven’t had a great year. I think they are going to throw everything at us this weekend,” said Sharks centre Andre Esterhuizen.
“They have nothing to lose and they want to finish off strong as a franchise, so I think it is going to be a hard game. We expect everything from them.”
The Sharks are coming off a crucial 31-24 win over the Lions and Esterhuizen admitted that play-off permutations will be a constant reminder leading up to their final few games.
“That will always be in the back of our heads, but that wasn’t the main focus over the weekend [against the Lions].
“We just knew that we had to win our last three games and we just want to play our best rugby. We know if we play our best, we can win all three games,” he added.
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
