It’s go time for Sharks

ERVES? What nerves...?” That was the refrain from Sharks coach Robert du Preez yesterday when he spoke to the press about his debut as a Super Rugby head coach before tomorrow’s match against the Reds in Brisbane.

The Sharks are nestled in the posh Hilton hotel in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, almost walking distance from the Suncorp Stadium, where Du Preez’s new-look Sharks will be tested to the limit by a Reds team that has just about reinvented itself under new coach Nick Stiles’s vigorous recruitment campaign.

“We are as ready as we can be, and relaxed and excited at the same time,” Du Preez said. “I feel good about this game, so do the players. We are good to go after preparing as well as possible after a long, 13-week pre-season.”

BRISBANE TEAMS

“There is a lot of energy in the squad, we have had two very good training sessions, and there is a feeling that we can’t wait to get the season under way. The preparation is over.”

Du Preez said the players had been given the opportunity to sleep for as long as possible in the mornings, with practices taking place in the afternoon.

“Jet lag is a thing of the past. We are all good,” he said. “We went for a team that is pretty much a continuity from the warm-up matches, and in fact from the Currie Cup in a number of positions. There are no real surprises.”

With Keegan Daniel out injured, there is an opportunity for Tera Mtembu to make his comeback after two years on the sidelines with recurring knee injuries. A former Currie Cup captain, Mtembu is also the vice-captain for this game and is at at No 8 in a loose trio completed by Jean-Luc du Preez and Philip van der Walt.

The only mild surprise in a team that just about picked itself is the selection of former Western Province lock Ruan Botha ahead of Stephan Lewies, who is on the bench.

Botha partners Etienne Ooshuizen in the second row.

Another former Stormers man, Kobus van Wyk, debuts for the Sharks on the right wing. On the other wing, stalwart Lwazi Mvovo will earn his 100th Super Rugby cap.

“Lwazi is one of the quiet leaders in the team, he inspires without even knowing it, and I am very pleased for him to reach this milestone,” the coach said.

As for how the Sharks will approach this first match, Du Preez hinted that pragmatism would come first before a helter-skelter approach. The Sharks have a stated intent of playing ball-in-hand rugby this season, but Du Preez said this would develop as the season unfolded.

“We just want to make sure that we start with the basics in place. That is the primary focus in this first game. We have a plan in mind, both medium and long term, but first we must get the basics right. The set pieces and taking care of the breakdowns are among the priorities. When we have the basics in place, we will be set to blossom.”

Du Preez and the Sharks had just landed in Brisbane when the news broke that Dan Vickermann, a prominent former Wallaby (and former South African), had died in unfortunate circumstances.

“The whole Australian rugby community here is reeling at the very sad news,” the coach said. “I am sure he is in the thoughts of all of the Aussie players.”

While rain is predicted for today in Brisbane, Du Preez said the weather forecast was for dry conditions for the 11am (SA time) kick-off tomorrow.

“It is very hot here but not as humid as Durban, so we feel very comfortable that we can handle the conditions,” he said.