Sharks pursuing perfection
The Sharks seek another improved performance in their pursuit of perfection when they tackle the Blue Bulls this weekend.
The Sharks have gotten their Currie Cup campaign off to a perfect start and remain the only unbeaten team in the competition as they head into their round three clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.
The Blue Bulls won their opening round fixture against Griquas but came undone against the Free State Cheetahs last weekend.
Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford said the Blue Bulls will be eager to bounce back at fortress Loftus and expects a physically intense encounter
“One thing about playing the Blue Bulls is that these sides tend to bring out the best in each other and we are both affected by Springbok selections,” said Bashford.
“It’s always a physical onslaught between us and I think we can expect the same on the weekend. They will be hurting after their loss to the Cheetahs on the weekend and they will bank on Loftus being a fortress, so they will be desperate to win this one at home.
“From our perspective, we’re always confident going up to Loftus, our record has been pretty good up there, but it doesn’t just happen.
“There are many things we need to do to get it right on the day and we have to be mindful of the fact that just because it’s gone well up there before doesn’t mean that it will come naturally. They will be desperate and will be looking to knock us over,” he added.
Bashford identified ball retention as an area of focus ahead of Saturday’s clash.
“Initially we battled with the physicality against the Lions, our scrum was under pressure a lot of the time and every time we got the ball, we made mistakes and turned possession over,” said Bashford.
“So when we had the ball, we didn’t look after it and when they had it, they were dominating us, especially in the set-piece.
“But we sorted that out in the second half and got some momentum going in our game, our set-piece started functioning, we held on to the ball and then things opened up for us.
“It all goes back to looking after the ball so you can build pressure. And when you put teams under pressure, you get rewarded.”
The Sharks scored three tries in each of their matches and Bashford said the goal is to kick on and secure a four-try bonus point whenever possible.
“It would be nice to get bonus points every time you play, but the weather in Cape Town wasn’t conducive to a bonus point and we still scored three in that match, while, against the Lions, we had opportunities to get our bonus point but if you don’t convert possession into pressure and pressure into points, and you keep turning ball over, it becomes difficult. You need to be accurate with the opportunities you get or you put yourself under pressure,” he said
He added that there were a lot of positives to take out of last weekend’s match and to build on.
“That side of theirs, bar Jantjies and Minnie, was the side that beat us – with a full Springbok compliment – in the Currie Cup Final and in Super Rugby away, so there are positives from the game.
“However, we don’t want to get carried away, for us, it’s more about being accurate in what we do, there is huge room for improvement.
“We spoke about improving after the Province game, and I think we did, but not as much as the goals we set, so we’re looking to improve every week and hopefully we can achieve that this week again.”
