Sharks to call in Bok cavalry
Sharks coach John Plumtree is licking his lips at the prospect of having some Springboks available for the closing stages of the Currie Cup.
The Sharks have already guaranteed themselves a place in the semifinals thanks to their bonus point victory over the Leopards last weekend.
The likes of Willem Alberts, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen and Patrick Lambie could all come back into the picture to strengthen the side seeking to defend their Currie Cup title.
Plumtree will assess all the returning stars as they arrive in Durban this week.
“They [The Springboks] will be dribbling in over the next few days, the last arrive on Wednesday,” Plumtree said.
However, the coach will be cautious in choosing who is ready for action right away and who needs a break as they get integrated back into the Sharks set-up.
“It’s always an unsettling time, at the end of the day, those players have been through a lot mentally, they’ll be distraught about what happened on the weekend and quite possibly, rugby is the last thing on their minds,” he admitted.
“They might want to escape it more than anything, so it is really about them coming back and wanting to play, that’s what is really important.
“We’ll be keen for them to help us out, we’ve had a difficult season with injuries and losing players, especially key individuals in the pack. It’s going to be great to have some players back, but it’s all about their well-being, how they’re feeling mentally and physically.
The heartbreak of the World Cup defeat could yet be turned around into victory in the Currie Cup as a consolation prize for the distraught Boks.
“We can only succeed if we’re committed, knowing the characters of the group, they’ll be pretty keen to help us out. They’ve had a major disappointment and who knows, maybe they can turn that disappointment three weeks later into glory,” Plumtree added.
