Assistant coach Joey Mongalo and skipper Vincent Tshituka say the Sharks XV are braced for a “completely different animal” towards the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, reviews DEVIN HERMANUS.
Talking throughout a Sharks convention on Tuesday, Mongalo and Tshituka mirrored on final week’s 24-18 comeback win over the Bulls in Durban whereas gearing up for a fierce Loftus Versfeld rematch within the Currie Cup semi-finals.
“It was our first sport collectively as our URC group, so to win offers us confidence… However we’ve had a great assessment of the quantity of room for enchancment going ahead,” Mongalo advised reporters.
“The Bulls are a distinct animal up at Loftus. They’ve bought an excellent file of profitable playoff video games up there, and so they’re in all probability favourites heading into the sport.”
Tshituka echoed his coach’s sentiments, understanding the issue of profitable at Loftus, however relishing the problem. “We all know what the Bulls are like at Loftus. It’s going to be a bloody sport, of two large forces assembly,” the highly effective unfastened ahead mentioned.
“As Coach Joey says, we aren’t the favourites. However I’ve at all times beloved to be the underdog – it simply places a distinct kind of fireside in your stomach.”
The Sharks are carefully monitoring accidents to veteran prop Ruan Dreyer (calf) and Junior Springbok star Jurenzo Julius (head knock), each of whom have been pressured off the sphere within the win over the Bulls final week. Mongalo mentioned, “On Ruan Dreyer, we’re ready on reviews… Jurenzo’s bought a concussion so he’s bought a protocol he must get via.”
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Mongalo was stuffed with reward for U21 coach JP Pietersen, who set a robust basis for the senior facet. “I have to praise JP and his teaching workers… We all know the twenty eighth of September is an enormous day for us, as a result of it’s our first URC sport, and that is one other alternative for us to get higher.
“We do have work-ons for a gaggle that got here out for the primary time [last week], however the encouraging factor was to win a sport that was such a wrestle. We hope to convey the identical type of battle, and ensure that for 80 minutes we present up and placed on a efficiency that we will look again on and say that regardless of the outcome, we’re pleased with ourselves as a result of we by no means went away.”
On a possible conflict together with his former staff, the Lions, in subsequent week’s ultimate, Tshituka saved his focus squarely on Saturday. “Truthfully, I haven’t even thought that far simply but. It’s one step at a time and my focus is unquestionably on the Bulls,” he added.
“As Coach Joey mentioned, the fellows who’ve performed the Currie Cup to date have performed so properly and deserve the accountability from the fellows coming from the URC squad to complete the nice work that they’ve began.”
Mongalo, who beforehand labored beneath Bulls director of rugby Jake White, is aware of the problem of going through his former boss however stays optimistic: “I get pleasure from Pretoria! It’s at all times good to go up for the problem…
“The final time we went there within the URC they’d fairly a complete victory over us, and I feel among the boys will do not forget that, as a humbling reminder that going up there and also you don’t put your finest foot ahead it may be a day to overlook.
“So hopefully we will create for ourselves a day to recollect.”
Picture: @TheCurrieCup/Twitter
