It’s been a Super Rugby season where fortune certainly hasn’t favoured the Sharks, and it wouldn’t have escaped their attention that at a most inopportune time, the lowly Reds have suddenly found some form.
The Sharks will take on the Reds in Brisbane this Friday, with the 2011 champs having just produced their most impressive performance of the season as they trounced the Melbourne Rebels 46-29
After what has now stretched to a dismal six-match losing streak, the Sharks would have been fairly confident in their ability to at least end their overseas tour with a win against a side that had only won two games before this past weekend.
However, it’s now become clear that nothing can be taken for granted this Friday, and with the Reds also desperately playing for pride, it’s virtually impossible to identify an outright favourite for this weekend’s clash.
Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold acknowledged that the Reds had made a massive statement of intent.
“They were playing against a team like the Rebels, who were high flying and have potential qualification prospects, and they managed to put nearly 50 points past them. There has never been a lack of quality in that Reds team; it’s always been a situation of being careful of them when they click. They did that last Friday and so we’ve got our work cut out for us in Brisbane.
“I’d like to believe we wouldn’t have taken them lightly in any case – we’re hardly in a position to take anyone lightly,” he added. “We’re fighting for pride and to resurrect the last few games and show our supporters how much it will mean to finish with our heads held high. It’s going to be a tough task.”
The Reds do possess dangermen such as James O’Connor, Will Genia and Liam Gill, not to mention the fact that mercurial flyhalf Quade Cooper could reportedly also be ready to face the Sharks on Friday.
Cooper has hardly played any rugby this year after breaking his collarbone in the pre-season and then his scapula in round eight, but he made a comeback cameo in a local touch football team last week.
If Cooper comes through training well early this week he could come into selection contention, although the Reds will already be forced to make one backline change, with Lachie Turner (concussion) ruled out of Friday’s match.
The Sharks, meanwhile, didn’t pick up any serious injuries during last Saturday’s encounter, although it remains to be seen if Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira will be available after having to belatedly withdraw from the match as the result of a shoulder problem.
Although the Sharks have now suffered their worst run of results since way back in 2000, Gold said they wouldn’t give up the fight.
“It’s a very tough time for us as a group at the moment. We are in unchartered waters, this current group has never been this low on the table. I can’t fault the players’ commitment and effort in terms of what they’re doing.
“We’re in a bad place in terms of where people see us on the log and we have to take the punches and man up. As a group, I think we’ll be stronger for it in the end. I think the strength of depth will be better after the opportunities that some second and third choice players have got (as the result of injuries), and they’re going to be better rugby players for it.”