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Sharks motivated to win

Durban - The Sharks are fully aware that the Force are viewing Friday's match at the Absa Stadium as a virtual "Test match", but are determined to end their Super 14 season on a high.

It will be the final match of the season for the two teams, who are nothing more than also-rans in the competition, but will both want to finish with a bang.

Last weekend, the Sharks produced their performance of the season with an outstanding win over the Stormers while the Force conceded a disappointing defeat to the Cheetahs.

However, Sharks coach John Plumtree said they needed to lift themselves for one more big effort.

"The Force will respond after the disappointment of the Cheetahs game. This is their Test match. They've beaten some big teams and when they are under pressure, that Aussie fighting spirit comes out."

Since the Force joined the Super 14, the Sharks have won three out of four games and haven't lost to them in Durban, but are expecting a massively physical encounter against a team that has shown significant improvement since losing their first six games.

"It will be a physical battle," says Plumtree, "and they have an international loose forward trio, some big midfielders. It will be physical, especially at the breakdown."

The Sharks, though, have a number of motivating factors to win, one of which is to give departing veterans Johann Muller and Deon Carstens a big send-off despite the fact they are sidelined with injury.

There's nothing to lose for either side, but both would dearly love to finish ferociously, and it should make for an entertaining encounter.

Sharks: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Substitutes: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Andy Goode, 22 Andries Strauss.

Force: 15 James O'Connor, 14 Nick Cummins, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Ryan Cross, 11 Cameron Shepherd, 10 David Hill, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Matt Hodgson, 5 Nathan Sharpe (captain), 4 Ben McCalman, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Ben Whittaker, 1 Pek Cowan.

Substitutes: 16 Nathan Charles, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Sam Wykes, 19 Tom Hockings, 20 Justin Turner, 21 Sam Harris, 22 Mark Bartholomeusz.

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