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Cape Town - Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford says they are wary of the threat Griquas could pose in their Currie Cup clash in Kimberley on Friday.
The Sharks came unstuck in Kimberley last year when they blew a 22-8 halftime lead to eventually go down 40-34.
A few of weeks ago the Sharks also narrowly escaped an embarrassing defeat to one of the so called “minnows” in the Currie Cup when they scraped past the Pumas 23-22 in Nelspruit.
Bashford says they will by no means underestimate their opponents this time round.
"Griquas started with a good performance against Western Province and then were disappointing against the Lions before picking up a win against the Pumas at the weekend and they are a side that certainly deserve respect, particularly at home," Bashford told Sharks website editor, Michael Marnewick.
"As we saw when we played the Pumas in Nelspruit, teams will certainly get up to try knock us off our pedestal. So we'll have to be supremely focused."
The Sharks have decided not to include any of their returning Springboks in the starting line-up, although Ryan Kankowski, Charl McLeod and Patrick Lambie have been included on the bench.
Seven Boks were released to play, but two - Adrian Jacobs and Alistair Hargreaves - weren’t considered due to injury, and Odwa Ndungane and Lwazi Mvovo were left out.
However, Bashford does not believe it is a decision they will regret.
"The really positive aspect for us, thanks to the results we've achieved, is that we are going so well, we’re developing our depth and that means we aren’t in any desperation to make wholesale changes with our Bok players back. But when it becomes necessary to make a switch or freshen up the team we will have the opportunity to do so. We’re in a pretty good position right now."
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Rudi Vogt,14 Riaan Viljoen,13 Jean Stemmet,12 Barry Geel,11 Dusty Noble, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 5 Martin Muller, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Jean Botha
Substitutes: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Marnus Schoeman, 20 Matthew Rosslee, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Wilmaure Louw.
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Mark Richards, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Jan Andre Marais, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, Dale 1 Chadwick
Substitutes: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Marius Joubert
The Sharks came unstuck in Kimberley last year when they blew a 22-8 halftime lead to eventually go down 40-34.
A few of weeks ago the Sharks also narrowly escaped an embarrassing defeat to one of the so called “minnows” in the Currie Cup when they scraped past the Pumas 23-22 in Nelspruit.
Bashford says they will by no means underestimate their opponents this time round.
"Griquas started with a good performance against Western Province and then were disappointing against the Lions before picking up a win against the Pumas at the weekend and they are a side that certainly deserve respect, particularly at home," Bashford told Sharks website editor, Michael Marnewick.
"As we saw when we played the Pumas in Nelspruit, teams will certainly get up to try knock us off our pedestal. So we'll have to be supremely focused."
The Sharks have decided not to include any of their returning Springboks in the starting line-up, although Ryan Kankowski, Charl McLeod and Patrick Lambie have been included on the bench.
Seven Boks were released to play, but two - Adrian Jacobs and Alistair Hargreaves - weren’t considered due to injury, and Odwa Ndungane and Lwazi Mvovo were left out.
However, Bashford does not believe it is a decision they will regret.
"The really positive aspect for us, thanks to the results we've achieved, is that we are going so well, we’re developing our depth and that means we aren’t in any desperation to make wholesale changes with our Bok players back. But when it becomes necessary to make a switch or freshen up the team we will have the opportunity to do so. We’re in a pretty good position right now."
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Rudi Vogt,14 Riaan Viljoen,13 Jean Stemmet,12 Barry Geel,11 Dusty Noble, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 5 Martin Muller, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Jean Botha
Substitutes: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Marnus Schoeman, 20 Matthew Rosslee, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Wilmaure Louw.
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Mark Richards, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Jan Andre Marais, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, Dale 1 Chadwick
Substitutes: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Marius Joubert
