Sharks are ready for Cheetahs challenge

The Carling Currie Cup shifts to round two this weekend with the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV playing back-to-back away games, this time to the central region to take on the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The two teams occupy the top two spots on the log following their narrow, bonus point victories in round one, the Sharks seeing off the Airlink Pumas 26-24 and the Toyota Cheetahs also securing a two-point margin after defeating the Fidelity ADT Lions 29-27 on Sunday.

“We were very happy to get the win against the Airlink Pumas, that performance was really satisfying and to start the competition with a result like that goes a long way in terms of building confidence in the group,” explains head coach Mike Vowles. “It’s also gone a long way in terms of cohesion and belief.”

Vowles praised his side’s tenacity and bravery in holding out against a strong opponent who, like the Sharks, never gave up.

“I just want to acknowledge the fight and the character of the group to stay in the game and finish it off like we did,” he acknowledged after the victory in Mbombela.

“The one thing we have spoken about as a team is our connection and our ability to really work hard for one another and I really think that this performance was more than just about rugby, it was about a team that was connected and really cared deeply for each other which I think is a fantastic indictment on our leadership group,” Vowles explained.

Looking at the match specifics, he identified certain areas worthy of consideration and praise.

“I felt that we didn’t start particularly well, we were under pressure for the first 20 minutes but we weathered that storm quite well and then got a foothold in the game.

“I think our kicking game set us up for a couple of really good opportunities that we were able to convert to build the lead, and we knew, going into half-time, that the Airlink Pumas would come back with a big response, that they would come out firing and we’d need to weather that.

“I don’t think we necessarily managed the game that well in that first 20 of the second half, but we stayed in it, we fought and there was incredible effort by the team to stick to the system and to keep calm under some real pressure.”

Vowles felt that the fight and determination of the group and the character shown was “Massive and something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Special mention was given to Carling Champion Man of the Match Lyle Matthews who capped off his debut with a hat-trick of tries and certainly put his hand up when given the chance to do so.

“Lyle joined us from Hillcrest Villages where he was playing club rugby, his performances there earned him a call-up to our squad and I’m just so happy that he took his opportunity to produce what he did.

“He’s a special talent, and more importantly, the most unbelievable human being, so his success is fantastic and I’m so happy for him.”

Wins in the tournament are important but not as crucial as away victories, which the coach acknowledged as well.

“We understand the magnitude of this result, winning away from home in Mbombela is special, but we are under no illusions that there is still work to do, we know we’re not quite where we want to be and there are some fixes we need to put in place this week to ensure we deliver a good performance against the Toyota Cheetahs next Friday.

“But we’ll take a lot of confidence out of this performance and we’ve learned some valuable lessons as a group. We’ll just get better and better as the competition goes.

“One of the key things about our team is around showing each other how much we care and I think that was at the heart of this performance, a team that really cares for one another, cares for the badge and cares for the union.”

Vowles has stuck with the motto: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ naming a team that features just one enforced change, Danilo Botha replacing Jannes Potgieter who suffered a knee injury in the early stages of last week’s match.

“We haven’t made many changes, we feel that the more the team plays together, the better we’re going to get. We’ve brought in Danilo who joined us from the DHL Stormers, he played his age group rugby down there and we see him as a player with massive potential. He’s incredibly physical and given some time in our system, I think he’s going to be really good for us and someone to watch.”

For Vowles and his team, regular improvements is the theme, just getting better and better as the tournament progresses.

“We’re looking at the Toyota Cheetahs as another opportunity to build a bit of momentum, find some cohesion as a group and measure ourselves against a really good team.

“They’re a settled team who have played a lot of rugby together, they have some experienced players in their group and we anticipate a physical battle from them.

“But having seen what our group can do, I have no doubt we’ll be able to match them physically. But our focus is on ourselves and on us improving, finding cohesion and building on one performance after another, understanding that this competition isn’t won in round one or two, you have to consistently perform to stay at the top.

“There’s a really positive and good culture amongst the group, from Tom Dyer and his leadership group, they’re really guided this team well.”

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV starting XV: 15 Chijindu Okonta, 14 Christie Grobbelaar, 13 Marnus Potgieter, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Lyle Matthews; 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Ross Braude; 8 Thomas Dyer (capt), 7 Danilo Botha, 6 Willem van den Hever; 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Johan Momsen; 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Cameron Dawson. Replacements: 16 Bryce Calvert, 17 Jaco du Toit, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Sipho Nonyalela, 20 Hanu Pieterse, 21 Ceano Everson, 22 Chris Horak, 23 Matthew Fortuin.