The Hollywoodbets Sharks VX will be looking to build on the excitement, intensity and ambition the team has shown in this year’s Carling Currie Cup when they welcome the NovaVit Griffons to Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
The team selected this weekend shows a number of changes, with numerous players in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship pre-season squad getting an opportunity to get some valuable game time before the tournament kicks off next month.
Attack coach David Williams explains that this was always going to be part of the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ process at this stage of the tournament and with the URC in mind.
“Going back to our planning, this was always going to be the week where we slowly blood the guys back into our Currie Cup squad moving forward to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship which kicks off in three weeks’ time,” he elaborates.
In terms of team selection, a delicate balancing act was called for, but again, it is all down to planning for the big picture.
“It’s been a massive squad effort moving into these final rounds and into the play-offs, but there’s also reward for the guys who have been training hard for the URC and a chance to play their first minutes of rugby again.”
Not only is there a reward, but also a test, to continue the recent unbeaten run through six rounds.
“It’s also a challenge for them to maintain the standards set by the youngsters. They’ve played with excitement, ambition and intensity so it’s a real challenge for the guys coming in, 13 in total, to maintain and lift the standards.”
With change can come a shift in momentum which is something the team will be focussing on this weekend as they look to finish the last two rounds in a healthy position. The trick is not to disrupt the key areas and to this end, the coaching staff have selected around the need to maintain momentum.
“The continuity is always a challenge when you move into competitive games from a pre-season, but we’ve been together as a squad for the last two weeks and we have some great drivers out there, with Nick Hatton leading the squad and Lionel Cronje and Bradley Davids driving the attack, Reniel Hugo running the lineouts. They’ve controlled the game and now have guys filling in around them.”
Although the URC is just around the corner, there’s no loss of focus for this Currie Cup campaign, or any undervaluing the prestige of the competition.
“We know the value of the Currie Cup to the Sharks and the country, and now is about building the momentum the group has picked up five games unbeaten, so it’s a great challenge for the guys coming in to maintain that momentum.”
The three new signings Ruan Dreyer, Emmanuel Tshituka and Jordan Hendrikse all get their debuts for the Hollywoodbets Sharks this weekend and Williams is happy with how well they’ve been received and how they’ve fitted in.
“They’ve been here for a while and have merged well, the group has welcomed them in the traditional Sharks’ way, they’ve become a big part of the group in terms of the engagement and connections they’ve made and what they’re delivering in the URC pre-season.
“They’ve shown the quality they bring to the squad and we’re excited to see what they can deliver.”
Off course there is always an opponent that needs analysing and Williams does not hesitate to warn of complacency.
“Massive respect for the opposition, we did our defence programme with Joey Mongalo and we’ve seen the tries they’ve scored and created, they have a number of sevens players in their team so when the game de-structures, they have the real ability to counter well and play on the transition.
“We have a way we want to play and impose our game, so it’s going to be a good opportunity for us to keep building on the excitement, intensity and ambition from the previous rounds.”
