Assistant coach Joey Mongalo and skipper Vincent Tshituka say the Sharks XV are braced for a “different animal” against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
Speaking during a Sharks conference on Tuesday, Mongalo and Tshituka reflected on last week’s 24-18 comeback win over the Bulls in Durban while gearing up for a fierce Loftus Versfeld rematch in the Currie Cup semi-finals.
“It was our first game together as our URC group, so to win gives us confidence… But we’ve had a good review of the amount of room for improvement going forward,” Mongalo told reporters.
“The Bulls are a different animal up at Loftus. They’ve got a great record of winning playoff games up there, and they’re probably favourites heading into the game.”
Tshituka echoed his coach’s sentiments, understanding the difficulty of winning at Loftus, but relishing the challenge. “We know what the Bulls are like at Loftus. It’s going to be a bloody game, of two big forces meeting,” the powerful loose forward said.
“As Coach Joey says, we aren’t the favourites. But I’ve always loved to be the underdog – it just puts a different type of fire in your belly.”
The Sharks are closely monitoring injuries to veteran prop Ruan Dreyer (calf) and Junior Springbok star Jurenzo Julius (head knock), both of whom were forced off the field in the win over the Bulls last week. Mongalo said, “On Ruan Dreyer, we’re waiting on reports… Jurenzo’s got a concussion so he’s got a protocol he needs to get through.”
MORE: Bulls ready for semi-final crack
Mongalo was full of praise for U21 coach JP Pietersen, who set a strong foundation for the senior side. “I must compliment JP and his coaching staff… We know the 28th of September is a big day for us, because it’s our first URC game, and this is another opportunity for us to get better.
“We do have work-ons for a group that came out for the first time [last week], but the encouraging thing was to win a game that was such a wrestle. We hope to bring the same kind of fight, and make sure that for 80 minutes we show up and put on a performance that we can look back on and say that irrespective of the result, we’re proud of ourselves because we never went away.”
On a potential clash with his former team, the Lions, in next week’s final, Tshituka kept his focus squarely on Saturday. “Honestly, I haven’t even thought that far just yet. It’s one step at a time and my focus is definitely on the Bulls,” he added.
“As Coach Joey said, the guys who’ve played the Currie Cup so far have played so well and deserve the responsibility from the guys coming from the URC squad to finish the good work that they’ve started.”
Mongalo, who previously worked under Bulls director of rugby Jake White, knows the challenge of facing his former boss but remains optimistic: “I enjoy Pretoria! It’s always nice to go up for the challenge…
“The last time we went there in the URC they had quite a comprehensive victory over us, and I think some of the boys will remember that, as a humbling reminder that going up there and you don’t put your best foot forward it can be a day to forget.
“So hopefully we can create for ourselves a day to remember.”
Photo: @TheCurrieCup/Twitter
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
