Sharks won't be suckered again
The Sharks will stick to the game plan that brought them a bonus-point win against the Bulls, rather than get suckered into a helter-skelter affair again.
Springbok wing Lwazi Mvovo, speaking ahead of the Sharks' Round Four Super Rugby encounter with the Lions in Durban on Saturday, said they made a mistake by engaging the Hurricanes in a running game two weeks go.
Coming off a bye, ;last week, the Sharks have had plenty of time to assess the good, the bad and the ugly of the games that saw them beat the Bulls comprehensively 31-16 in Week One (collecting a four-try bonus point along the way) and the scrappy 27-9 win over the Hurricanes a week later, when they scored just two tries and relied on late penalties to seal the deal.
He admitted it was satisfying beating the Bulls with a bonus point, as it had not been done before at this time of year.
"We put a lot of homework into that game," said the 27-year-old Mvovo, who played the last of his seven Tests for the Boks Australia in Perth in September 2012.
"The hurricanes were playing their first game and we knew it would be hard for them to play in the humidity.
"However, we made the mistake of playing their [running] game in the first half, and it did not go that well.
"At half time we decided to take a step back and play our own game."
He said they won't be lured into a similar trap against a Lions team always willing to play expansively.
"We have been winning, so no reason to change our game," he said of the more conservative approach of playing for territory and then turn up the heat deep in the opposition half.
"Why change a winning formula?
"We just have to concentrate on doing it with less mistakes and carry on doing what we are doing well."
He said the Lions will still pose a major threat, despite their 17-25 loss to the Bulls last week.
"They have showed they are dangerous on the day whoever they play," Mvovo said of the Lions.
"They won their first two games [beating the Cheetahs 21-20 and demolishing the Stormers 34-10] and that showed they can beat anyone.
"They will be very keen to come to Durban and beat the Sharks.
"That would be a big boost for their season.
"So we are not underestimating them. We know what they are capable of and will do our planning [accordingly]."
