Tonight marks the start of our Cell C Sharks’ preparations for their 2017 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign when we host the Cheetahs in two warm-up matches at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi.
Two matches will be played, with the second, at 18.30pm, broadcast live on SuperSport. This clash will be highly contested for obvious reasons, and although there is very definitely a resemblance to the team expected to start the Vodacom Super Rugby competition proper, Head Coach Robert du Preez admits that there is no finality to who he thinks will be selected for Super Rugby action just yet.
There will be a pragmatic approach to how much game time everyone gets, but some who play in the earlier match will also get time in the main game.
“It’s our first hit-out and we don’t want the guys to play a full 80 minutes so there will be numerous changes in the first game, so they can get some time in the second game as well,” he explains. “The team starting the main game will potentially resemble the team selected for opening round Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Reds.
“But there are two or three weeks to go before we make that decision. The guys who come on in the last 20 minutes of the second game will be under our watchful eyes to see how they go.”
So yes, there could well be positions up for grabs.
“We want to reward the guys who play well against the Cheetahs, it’s only right to do it like that, everyone has put in a lot of hard work. So this match as well as the game against the Bulls XV next week will give us a good indication. It’s all to play for, a lot of guys will be pushing for positions in the team.”
Looking at the importance of the result, he admits that it is a factor, but not as important as the process.
“For us, it’s more important to see how the guys go, although it would be nice if the result went our way and we get a win, but really, that’s not the main focus. Especially with all the changes that will be made in the game. It’s more important for us to see how the guys implement all the stuff we’ve worked on during the off-season.
“We want to have a good start, but we’ll take it one game at a time. Hopefully when we play the next game, we’ll see improvements. It’s also about match fitness, it’s a big thing. Over the last few weeks, we’ve done a lot of simulated plays, but it’s never the real thing, we haven’t had full contact sessions; this will be our first.”
He said that there has been progress since the Currie Cup and that bodes well for the upcoming Vodacom Super Rugby competition which kicks off in three weeks’ time.
“There has been a huge improvement in general. Certainly in our conditioning and I felt we needed to up our aerobic capacity to meet the demands of the way we want to play. There have also been big improvements in skill levels and we’re excited to see how this translates in the live scenario.”
For captain Pat Lambie, this season feels like a new start.
“I’m looking forward to playing, it almost feels like a new start at the Cell C Sharks, I’ve hardly played any rugby for the team over the last few seasons. I can’t wait to get out there and I’m going to try and really enjoy myself.
“There are a number of relatively young faces in the group, but there are a handful of guys who have been around for a number of seasons, so my job has been made very easy so far. There are players I can look to for input and advice and likewise for the younger players – there are many seasoned players they can turn to and good examples they can follow.
“The mood in the squad has been really good so far. It’s been a long pre-season and everyone is thoroughly looking forward to playing some rugby now, starting tonight.”
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