Sharks rolling up their sleeves
New Sharks forwards coach Paul Anthony believes that the Jake White era at Kings Park will be characterised by good old fashioned hard work.
Anthony coached former Springbok captain John Smit at Pretoria Boys High before going on to work with junior teams at the Bulls, and has recently reunited with Smit who took over as CEO of the Sharks earlier this year.
He told the Sharks website that he is excited about working with World Cup-winning Springbok coach White who has got some very clear ideas on how he would like the team to be run.
"What Jake has brought in might be new to me, but I really believe it is the way to go. I've always believed it was the way to go and to see it coming into play here, I'm 100% happy with that.
"What I've seen is fantastic," he said of his early impressions. "The facilities are way better than I had anticipated, outstanding. What has also impressed me hugely is the players' attitudes. They are willing and work hard.
"My impression of the Sharks before coming here was that they were easy-come-easy-go, but I have found the players to be responsive, training is going great," said Anthony.
White's success with the Springboks and Brumbies was built on discipline and physical dominance, which will also be a major focus for the Sharks going forward.
Anthony explained that both he and White value a strong work ethic, so there is absolutely no holding back in training.
"I'm a big believer in intensity in training and although I work only with the forwards, my sessions are very intense. I believe that the fitter and stronger you are, the more you will be in the game. I believe in hard work, as Jake says 'knowing where you are going' is vital, and of course attitude and camaraderie is important.
"Once those are put in place and balanced with the technical know-how and the knowledge of where you are going, I think success will follow," he said.
