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PREVIEW: Waratahs v Sharks
Thursday, May 22
http://www.sarugby.com/news/News/article/sid=9066.html
In the second semi-final on Saturday, the Sharks, the only South African interest left in the competition are on a revenge mission.
Buoyed by their best performance of the season last week with their 47-25 victory over the Chiefs, the Sharks are in confident mood ahead of their Sydney semi-final against the ‘Tahs.
While the Waratahs are a completely different proposition to the hard-running Chiefs, the Sharks would have hoped to have learnt from their last unsuccessful outing to Sydney during the pool stage.
When the sides played each other last, the Waratahs were dominant at the break-down and collision points and bullied them off their own ball.
The Sharks had little riposte to this approach and succumbed 10-25 in their worst performance of their season just less than one month ago.
“They are the only team that beat us convincingly. We will have to raise our levels to keep up with them,” admitted Sharks coach, Dick Muir, ahead of the crucial showdown in front of what will be a full house at the Sydney Football Stadium.
“We started slowly (in the competition) but we have improved. One has to peak at the right moment,” he said.
And it appears the Sharks are peaking at just the right time at the business end of the competition, having scored 12 tries in their last two matches.
Dick Muir has made just one change to his starting XV.
Frans Steyn comes into the starting line-up at inside centre having overcome his rib injury, and relegates Brad Barritt to the bench. He thus partners Adrian Jacobs in a new centre combination with Waylon Murray also doing bench duty.
Deon Carstens comes in for an injured BJ Botha on the wood, while Andries Strauss and Keegan Daniel drop out of the match 22 altogether.
The promising halfback combination of Rory Kockott and Ruan Pienaar at 9 and 10 is retained and adds another string to the Sharks’ attacking bow.
With a second bite at the proverbial cherry, the Sharks must be equally combative on defence and would do well to include a crash-baller such as Jean Deysel or the returning Tongan head-butter, Epi Taione, as an impact player in the second half.
They must take heed of the lessons from their previous encounter and need their set-pieces to be on song, with Dan Vickerman a real threat at line-out time. Their tactical kicking game also has room for improvement
The fact that they have not won in Sydney since 2000 shows that history is against them, and they will have to buck this trend if they hope to surge into the final.
The Waratahs are a virtually unchanged side coming off a hard-fought 18-11 victory over the Reds last week. They go into the match as favourites, sporting only two changes in their starting XV.
Rob Horne replaces Matt Carraro at outside centre, whilst Adam Freier earns a starting berth due to Tatafu Polota-Nau’s injury.
Will Manning is a new face on the bench as back-up hooker. Meanwhile veteran Wallaby prop, Matt Dunning still can’t crack a starting place.
They are a settled team with a good blend of youth and experience and will be aiming to give their departing coach, Ewen McKenzie a rapturous send-off
The Waratahs young guns in the 9-10 axis of Luke Burgess and Kurtley Beale will also be crucial to the outcome, and will have to be at their defensive best against a Sharks team that has the offensive arsenal at their disposal.
The Sharks’ Super 14 slogan for this campaign has been ‘Top guns’ and if they hope to advance to their fourth final they will need to be at the top of their game.
Another incentive for the Durbanites is that if the Hurricanes win the earlier semi-final against the Crusaders and they see off the Waratahs, the will enjoy the right to host a home final.
No bigger incentive than that is needed.
Prediction: This match is a tough one to call. Home advantage will come into play with the Waratahs still unbeaten at the Sydney Football Stadium. The whipping they got last time in Sydney will be in the back of the Sharks’ minds and much has also been made of the appointment of referee, Bryce Lawrence, who was pedantic against the Durbanites when they faced the Brumbies in the pool stage. While it will be a much tighter affair this time - the Sharks a much-improved side - the Waratahs will sneak home. Waratahs by 3.
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