AUDIO: Sharks on the right track
The Sharks may be looking for their first win of the season, when they host the Sunwolves on Saturday, but going 'conservative' to break the duck is NOT on the agenda.
The veteran loose forward, who said it feels nice to get the boots on and get out onto the field after missing most of 2017 through injury, was adamant the Sharks won't scale down and become conservative.
He felt that the mistakes that cost them so dearly in their opening matches – a 19-26 loss to the Lions and a 24-all draw with the Waratahs – can be fixed.
"I don't think you want to curb [the] enthusiasm and creativity," Daniel said.
He felt the margins in the games are quite small and the Sharks are not as far off the pace as pundits are suggesting.
"As long as the guys are trying something new and exciting, [if] they are willing to be creative, eventually it will pay off," Daniel said.
"We are not too far off.
"It is not like we are tossing games away easily.
"We are pretty much on the right track. We need to click one or two of those over and convert those opportunities."
Speaking about the Sunwolves – who rely on a host of foreign imports, including South Africans Pieter Labuschagne, Willie Britz, Grant Hattingh, Hencus Van Wyk and Wimpie van der Walt – he said those outlanders have Super Rugby experience and will add massive value to the Sunwolves.
"They are a team that can rock up any weekend and cause an upset," the Sharks loose forward said of their Round Four opponents.
"The Sunwolves, and Japan rugby in general, play an up-tempo game."
Sunwolves tour squad:
Forwards: Takauma Asahara, Shintaro Ishihara, Jiwon Koo, Craig Millar, Hencus Van Wyk, Atsushi Sakate, Yusuke Niwai, Grant Hattingh, Kazuki Himeno, Edward Quirk, Wimpie van der Walt, Pieter Labuschagne, Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Willem Britz, Michael Leitch.
Backs: Keisuke Uchida, Yutaka Nagare, Harumichi Tatekawa, Sione Teaupa, William Tupou, Ryoto Nakamura, Michael Little, Hosea Saumaki, Lomano Lava Lemeki, Ryuji Noguchi, Kotaro Matsushima, Robbie Robinson.
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First Super game since 2016. Amped to get onto the park. #fillthetank https://t.co/rZwaR9kvEB
— Keegan Daniel (@KeeganDaniel) March 2, 2018
