Time for Sharks to produce the goods

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 31: Tim Whitehead of the Sharks runs the ball during the round six Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Sharks at Canberra Stadium on March 31, 2012 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 31: Tim Whitehead of the Sharks runs the ball during the round six Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Sharks at Canberra Stadium on March 31, 2012 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

Published May 4, 2012

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The Sharks need to produce a performance on Saturday evening that will bring King’s Park faithful to their feet and the Highlanders to their knees, if the locals want to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Coming off their bye last week, the boys in black (and a bit of white) need to gather as much momentum as they can, coming into the home stretch of the competition.

Nothing less than victory will do for the rest of the conference clashes if the Sharks have a realistic possibility of making a wild card spot or, although highly unlikely, topping the South African log.

The Highlanders, a couple of spots above the Natalians on the table, will have to be the victim of a bonus point pummeling by the home team, to get the Sharks’ confidence up to the level that sees them performing at their absolute best over the weeks to come.

Terms like “remarkable turnaround” and ‘incredible comeback” are phrases Sharks fans will be desperate to hear near the end of this competition, as they watch their team secures a top six finish in this year’s Super Rugby competition.

The Sharks can do it. They have the ability and their have been moments during the season in which they have shown it.

They also have the players to accomplish Super Rugby glory. Bismarck du Plessis and Craig Burden are two of the most dynamic and exciting hookers in this competition, the youngster Marcell Coetzee has punched well above his weight when he has played, JP Pietersen and Lwazi Mvovo always get you leaning forward in expectation when they receive the ball, and Daniel is the personification of tenacity.

One gets the feeling that they can always perform better than they do, and that a Pandora’s Box of crunching tackles and brazen runs is just waiting to be opened as they jog onto the field.

They just need to realise this potential and perform accordingly.

The game on Saturday night is a season decider, if the Sharks win convincingly, they, along with their fans, will believe that a strong run of performances could be ahead. With that wildcard spot, at the very least, a possibility.

Saturday’s encounter gets underway at 5:05pm at Kings Park. It is guaranteed to be a goody. – Cadet News Agency

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