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Johannesburg - Sharks captain John Smit believes it will be less intimidating to play the Crusaders at Twickenham than would have been the case in Christchurch.
“There won’t be a lot of horses on the field when you run on, nor will there be smoke hanging low over the field,” said Smit.
Even so, he realises the magnitude of the challenge facing his side.
“They (the Crusaders) have displayed a lot of character since Christchurch was struck by an earthquake and it made them stronger and more motivated. They have something to play for and that is their driving force,” Smit said ahead of his team’s departure for London.
While it is a Super Rugby match for both sides, the Crusaders are viewed as the home side and therefore have the privilege of using the luxurious England dressing room.
Smit admitted that the next few weeks would be very important for the Sharks’ campaign. He also conceded that the defeat to the Chiefs was a major blow and that they should never have lost.
“That really was not necessary. We should have won that one and let ourselves down badly. We never played with the required intensity and paid the price,” said Smit.
“It would have been nice to have the ‘cushion’ of five wins from five games and approach the very tough matches against the Crusaders and Stormers (on 2 April in Durban) from such a position.”
Smit said that the Sharks could divide their season into three phases with their byes coming in the ninth and 13th weeks of the tournament.
“We’d like to lay down a marker in the next five weeks. It’s too early to say which teams will be in the knockout rounds. There are probably still seven or eight teams that are in a strong position,” he said.
“We have to be in a strong position when our first bye comes around and that is why it will be important to get good results in the next three games (against the Crusaders, Stormers and Lions).”
However, the Sharks have displayed a tendency over the years to lose a few more games after one defeat.
Johannesburg - Sharks captain John Smit believes it will be less intimidating to play the Crusaders at Twickenham than would have been the case in Christchurch.
“There won’t be a lot of horses on the field when you run on, nor will there be smoke hanging low over the field,” said Smit.
Even so, he realises the magnitude of the challenge facing his side.
“They (the Crusaders) have displayed a lot of character since Christchurch was struck by an earthquake and it made them stronger and more motivated. They have something to play for and that is their driving force,” Smit said ahead of his team’s departure for London.
While it is a Super Rugby match for both sides, the Crusaders are viewed as the home side and therefore have the privilege of using the luxurious England dressing room.
Smit admitted that the next few weeks would be very important for the Sharks’ campaign. He also conceded that the defeat to the Chiefs was a major blow and that they should never have lost.
“That really was not necessary. We should have won that one and let ourselves down badly. We never played with the required intensity and paid the price,” said Smit.
“It would have been nice to have the ‘cushion’ of five wins from five games and approach the very tough matches against the Crusaders and Stormers (on 2 April in Durban) from such a position.”
Smit said that the Sharks could divide their season into three phases with their byes coming in the ninth and 13th weeks of the tournament.
“We’d like to lay down a marker in the next five weeks. It’s too early to say which teams will be in the knockout rounds. There are probably still seven or eight teams that are in a strong position,” he said.
“We have to be in a strong position when our first bye comes around and that is why it will be important to get good results in the next three games (against the Crusaders, Stormers and Lions).”
However, the Sharks have displayed a tendency over the years to lose a few more games after one defeat.
