Vodacom Super 14
What the Sharks need
2009-05-12 08:14
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John Plumtree (Gallo Images)
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Gavin RichIt will require them to do something that they haven’t done too often this season, but the Sharks can sneak into the Vodacom Super 14 semi-finals even if the Crusaders do beat the Blues in Auckland in their final league match on Friday.
While many are assuming that a Crusaders win will be enough to ease the Sharks out of contention, that is not quite correct. When the Sharks watch the Auckland game on television on Friday morning, they will be hoping for a Blues win as first prize – but a Crusaders win without a four try bonus point would be enough to at least keep them in contention.
Provided the Chiefs do what they are expected to do by beating the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday, it would mean that the Sharks will still have hopes of making the semifinals when they start their match against the Bulls at ABSA Stadium late on Saturday afternoon.
The catch, of course, is that they will have to score four tries against the 2007 winners, which would enable them to go level with the Crusaders (and the Brumbies if they beat the Chiefs) on log points. Both teams are one log point ahead of the Sharks at present, but both also have inferior points differences in comparison to the Durban team.
If the Sharks are set the task of beating the Bulls by a big score, it will be a massive ask given the defensive capabilities of the Bulls.