Sydney – Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold is aiming to “stop the rot” when his struggling team try to snap a five-game losing streak against defending Super Rugby champions the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.
The Durban side last won a game in March and their poor form has seen them spiral down to the table to 11th. In fact, they could
drop even further should they fail to win at the Allianz Stadium and defeat will also see them equal their joint-worst run in the competition’s history.
“There are no excuses, we are on a bit of a losing streak and we have to stop the rot,” Gold said ahead of the clash.
“The bottom line is that we have to win.”
After their last win against the Force, the Sharks have been beaten by the Crusaders, Lions, Bulls, Highlanders and Hurricanes.
But Gold has refused to blame his players, praising them for their continuous fighting spirit.
“I can’t fault the effort from the guys, it’s not as if we cowered and went into our shells,” he said. “I genuinely believe we are working harder now, week on week.
“I have to highly commend the professionalism of this group. They’re hurting terribly, we all are.
“No-one ever wants to be in this position, not in our wildest dreams.”
Several Sharks players like captain Marco Wenzel as well as Springboks Bismarck du Plessis and Lwazi Mvovo came through late fitness tests for the clash, meaning they were able to name an unchanged side for the first time in 2015.
And Gold is desperate to break their losing sequence against the 2014 champions.
“I’d like us to break our losing streak while we’re on the road, especially against a team like the Waratahs,” he added.
“We’re going to come out firing, we want to repeat the passion and enthusiasm that we played with last week and tighten up our defence.” – ANA