Sharks ready for preseason hit-out
Cell C Sharks head coach Rob du Preez hopes to gauge his side’s readiness for Super Rugby with their first preseason friendly against the Cheetahs in Umlazi on Friday night.
With two matches scheduled, Du Preez and his assistants will be looking to assess the wider training squad but they’ll be particularly interested in testing out their preferred combinations ahead of the season.
The first match will feature up and coming players while the second match, which will be televised, should feature most of the players we will see take on the Reds in the Super Rugby opener on February 24 - according to the head coach.
“We wanted to play two 60 minutes games but the second game is being televised on Supersport, so that is an 80 minute game. It’s our first hit-out so we don’t necessarily want the guys to play the full 80 if we can help it. There’s going to be quite a few changes being made in the first game in order for those guys to get some time in the second game,” Du Preez said ahead of the clash in Umlazi.
“The team that is playing in the second game will look like our potential starters for our game against the Reds but there are still two or three weeks to go before we make that decision. The guys that will come on in the last 20 minutes of the second game, we just want to see how they go.”
With a clash against the Bulls next week, this fixture really is the first real chance the players will have to impress Du Preez. While it seems that the head coach has an idea of who will be travelling to Australia for their opening two rounds of Super Rugby, he will be open to selecting players who impress in these warm up games.
“We want to reward the guys that play well against the Cheetahs and it’s only right to do that. The guys have all put a lot of hard work in, so the game against the Cheetahs and then against the Bulls next week will give us a good indication. But it is all to play for; a lot of the guys will push hard for a spot in the team,” Du Preez said.
“For me it’s more about seeing how they go. The result is obviously nice if we do get a win but I don’t think that’s the main focus, especially if the main team doesn’t play the whole game. It’s really important for me to see how the guys implement all the stuff we’ve worked on in the offseason.”
Du Preez also emphasised the importance of picking up match fitness. Players have endured some sapping sessions in the Durban summer heat but they haven’t had full contact sessions – so Friday’s match will be the first bit of live rugby action since the Currie Cup last year.
With that said, there is bound to be a bit of preseason rust. However Du Preez intimated that the Sharks will continue where they left off in 2016 with a focus on running rugby.
“Ultimately we do have a vision on how we want to play. I think we will have to take that one game at a time and build on successes. We want to play more ball-in-hand but with that comes a big responsibility. I’m looking for a well balanced approach between attack and defence.”
New beginning for Lambie
Springbok flyhalf Pat Lambie endured an injury-plagued season in 2016, with a bout of migraines laying him low for weeks on end which stemmed from a sickening knock to the head in the Springboks loss to Ireland in Cape Town last year.
After close to three months on the sidelines, he featured in a solitary Currie Cup match before playing a portion of the Rugby Championship. He also featured in South Africa’s dismal end of year tour.
With all that in the past, the Sharks skipper admitted that the upcoming season felt different, considering how little rugby he’s played for the Sharks of late.
“It’s almost feels like a new start again at the Sharks. I’ve hardly played any rugby for them in the last few seasons. I can’t wait to get out there,” Lambie said.
While Springbok fans will be eager for Lambie to return to his best, the 26-year-old has a bit more on his plate with the responsibility of captaincy. Luckily the likes of Keegan Daniel, Philip van der Walt, Beast Mtawarira and Odwa Ndungane have helped mentor the younger players in the squad.
“There are a number of relatively young faces in the group but there are also a handful of players that have been around for a number of years. My job has been made pretty easy so far, there are guys that I can look to for input and advice and likewise for the younger players, they’ve got a lot of seasoned campaigners that they can look to and some good examples to follow,” Lambie said.
“I think the mood in the squad has been really good so far, like Rob has mentioned, it’s been a long preseason so everyone is looking forward to playing some rugby now.”
In terms of injuries, coach Du Preez confirmed that his son Daniel is about four weeks away from being fully fit.
The Sharks take on the Cheetahs at 17h00 and 18h30 respectively. Fans can also use the park and ride facility setup by Durban Tourism from Growthpoint Kings Park to King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi.
Buses depart at 16h30 and 18h00 respecitively, and return at 21h00 and 22h00.