DURBAN – Sharks lock Hyron Andrews believes his team could not be better prepared for their Currie Cup match against the Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Sunday.
The beanpole lock says preparation was the key to the Sharks beating the Free State Cheetahs last week and it will be key to their hopes of upsetting the log leaders on their home patch.
“For the Cheetahs game we focused all week on exactly what we had to do to beat them, we were very aware of their strengths and had a plan to counter them,” Andrews said. “I never felt in the game that we were going to lose... yes there were times in the game when we were obviously under pressure but we stuck to our guns and, most importantly, to the plan, and that gave us composure.
“The stuff we have been doing in training is about dealing with pressure moments, and that came through in the game. We dealt with the pressure because we were very well prepared.”
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Andrews, from Paarl in the Western Cape but schooled at HS Garsfontein in Pretoria, says more of the same preparation will stand the Sharks in good stead on Sunday.
“It starts in training and we are consistent in our training methods, so it should reflect in our game on Sunday. You play how you train, so we should be good,” the 24-year-old said.
Andrews, a SA Under-20 representative in 2015, is enjoying his breakthrough season at the Sharks after injuries and suspension to established locks such as Ruan Botha and Tyler Paul ultimately resulted in him and Ruben van Heerden finishing Super Rugby as the established second-row combination.
“That’s how it worked out in Super Rugby and I feel we have grown into a good combination, I think we complement each other (with Van Heerden the hard-nosed enforcer at No 4 and Andrews in the more mobile role at 5 lock),” Andrews said.
“I really enjoy playing with Ruben, he is one of the hardest workers in the team. He both makes my job easier and inspires me to lift my game and work rate. He is a great guy to have around.
In fact we have a lot of guys like that in the team.... guys who want to work hard for each other.”
@MikeGreenaway67
The Mercury