Gold: Sharks to turn the corner
Sharks boss Gary Gold admitted the pressure is mounting for his team, currently on a record six-match losing streak.
The Durban-based franchise, who take on the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday, have only once before lost six straight matches – in 2000.
Director of Rugby, Gold, is adamant his charges can avoid the ignominy of a seventh straight defeat.
He said it is "critically important" that they finish off their Australasian tour with a win.
"We had a shocking first week against the Highlanders, then two good performances [against the Hurricanes and Waratahs], where we weren't on the right side of the scoreboard," Gold said from the team's base in Brisbane.
The Reds, who are four places (14th) and five points (16 to 21) below the Sharks, bounced back from their own horror run with a 46-29 win over the Rebels last week.
"The fact of the matter is, the Reds seemed to have turned the corner and it's important for us to do the same thing," the Sharks boss said.
"We understand that there's a huge amount of pressure that we're under, but I have to say, the guys are up for the task.
"The training has been very good this week and everyone is really looking forward to finishing off the tour on a high and giving our supporters a little to cheer about."
Following last week's "extremely physical" encounter with the Waratahs, a number of players are carrying an assortment of bumps and bruises.
Willem Alberts and Tendai Mtawarira are both "sore", according to Gold, while Dale Chadwick received a cut above his eye at training on Tuesday.
While Gold is not expecting to make any changes, he will wait till Wednesday before making a call on the fitness of any players.
"We're hoping for more or less a clean bill of health," he said.
The Sharks boss spoke of the "improvements" shown week-by-week and the "huge amount of character" shown by his team.
And while the reds are at home and showing improvement as well, it is important for the Sharks to worry about themselves at the moment.
"We know we have a good team," said, adding: "We're trying to play a brand of rugby that asks questions with ball in hand.
"However, by the same token, we can't compromise ourselves from a defensive point of view.
"We have done that [defensive lapses], so we realise the areas we need to improve on.
"A really good performance and a win this weekend against the Reds is critically important for our campaign, and confidence."
@rugby365com
