Coach Mike Vowles expressed confidence that the Sharks XV team will be able to conclude its stage in the Currie Cup tournament at a high level during the match against Bulls, which will take place on Friday evening at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium.
The Durban-based team is showing continuous improvement throughout the campaign, and Vowles believes that full performance is very close. Last week, Sharks drew 22-22 with Lions in Pietermaritzburg, which elicited an enthusiastic reaction from the coach.
Vowles noted that the match with Lions was probably the best 80 minutes in the Currie Cup, emphasizing his pride in the team's effort, fight, and overall performance.
Although this result maintained slight hopes of making the playoffs for Sharks, they need to beat Bulls, preferably with a bonus point reward, and count on favorable outcomes in other matches.
However, Vowles does not want the players to get distracted by the possibility of earning bonus points for a touchdown. He stated that the priority is good play that allows the team to win, and only after that can the issue of bonus points be considered.
Sharks are in seventh place in the points table, trailing by three points from fourth place, held by Boland Cavaliers. Vowles emphasized that due to numerous possible scenarios, it is impossible to focus on this, as much is beyond control.
The coach largely kept the player squad, but changes occurred in the loose trio: Hanu Pieterse returned to position No. 8, and Tino Mavesere replaced Jean-Henri Smit at position No. 6. Vowles noted that the combinations are starting to understand each other, and good cohesion has formed in the group.
In terms of squad selection, the team kept a relatively unchanged list of 23 players because they want to reward good performances. After a strong game against Lions, the team decided to give these players another chance to demonstrate their abilities.
Although Bulls have no wins, they have managed to score many touchdowns and accumulate a significant number of bonus points, making them a potentially dangerous opponent. Vowles called the upcoming match 'another tough one,' noting that there are no easy games in the Currie Cup, but the team looks forward to the game at Tank Stadium, calling it a real privilege.