URC players will break Sharks' momentum, says Stonehouse
REACTION: Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse cautioned the Sharks against the temptation to load their Currie Cup team with players from the United Rugby Championship side for this weekend’s big clash in Nelspruit.
The Pumas beat the Griffons 45-25 in Nelspruit last weekend, thus cementing their position in second place on the log.
Stonehouse, one of the most experienced coaches in the country, says he is not perturbed by the Sharks’ plans for the weekend as he only focuses on his side and what works best for the Puma side.
But if he was in the shoes of Sharks Currie Cup coach Joey Mongalo, he would not risk the chance to affect the good momentum the Durbanites currently have.
“I think it won’t be good for the squad to bring in the URC players. You must give the guys the opportunity that has been there up to now. They’ve got great momentum at the moment and you don’t want to break that.
“The guys from the URC might not want to play, because they were in the URC. So I do think they will keep the team as it is and maybe just bring in some of the replacements,” the wily coach said.
The Pumas, currently in the second position on the Currie Cup log, have managed to maintain the delicate balance between attack and defence with the most tries in the competition (42) while conceding the least tries (18) of all the teams.
“Even though we are second on the log, we are not entirely happy with our performances at the moment. The penalties conceded and the mistakes we’ve made is something that is worrying to us. It is in our own hands how we rectify it and we have to make sure that our set phases are better for us to defend our title successfully.
“One can only score tries if you dominate the set phases and get over the advantage line. This is something we will work hard on this week. In terms of our defence, we let it slide this weekend against the Griffons when we let through a few tries. Our defence against the Lions earlier in the season also floundered.”
He explained that the strong Sharks runners will need to be prevented from getting over the advantage line, which is something they really excel at.
The Sharks managed a sterling victory over the Bulls last weekend and Sean Everett, coach of the Bulls, rued the fact that they were not able to stop the rolling maul.
Stonehouse agrees that this is one area the Sharks have excelled at this season.
“They have a strong pack of forwards and that is how the Sharks play. If you can’t stop their mauls, you will most likely lose the game.”
