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Durban - The Sharks' new attack coach David Williams says he is excited by the depth on offer at the franchise.
Williams has had successful stints at the Kings in Super Rugby and with the Kobe Steelers, London Irish and Bath abroad.
The Sharks got their 2019 season off to a near-perfect start when they smashed the Sunwolves 45-10 in Singapore this past weekend, but they will now welcome the Blues to Kings Park on Saturday in what will be a far tougher test.
"The first game at home is going to be fantastic," Williams told the Sharks website.
The Blues came within a couple of missed conversions of beating the Crusaders in week one and that is a warning the coaching staff are heeding.
"We’ve watched that game and we’re busy putting a plan together. Personnel-wise, they’re a great team. But we have seen some things that we can possibly exploit and playing in front of our home crowd gives the guys an extra 10%," added Williams.
"Up against a Kiwi side guarantees that the tempo will be up there.
"Watching The Sharks as a fan from afar and looking at their mindset, it’s that bravery with the ball that I appreciate.
"I love a team that sees opportunities to be brave on attack. I always temper that with not being stupid with the ball. Perhaps with the Sunwolves the execution wasn’t quite there, but the bravery and mindset to create something was."
So how do you go about coaching that creativity, turning nothing into something?
"It’s all about seeing pictures (in your mind’s eye) and the communication of what you see in front of you; whether you’re five metres from your line or on the halfway line. We try to create a lot of pictures," Williams said.
"The biggest thing though is confidence: if you make the players confident, being the great players that they are, they will have a crack and hopefully get some rewards.
"With the depth we have in this squad and the individuals who can have a massive influence on the game, things are very exciting."
Kick-off on Saturday is at 15:00.
