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Cape Town – Knowledge that only a week later they’ll play the worst-performing Chiefs team in several years could well influence the selection thinking of Sharks head coach Robert du Preez for Friday’s “first versus second” Super Rugby clash with the mighty Crusaders in Christchurch (09:35 SA time).
Almost certain to occupy his mind quite heavily will be whether it is really worth throwing all of his finest available resources at the defending champions -- and already runaway 2019 tournament leaders -- in the middle tour fixture, which could leave them more battered and bruised than they might like for the infinitely more “targetable” closing game in Hamilton the next weekend.
There will be an agreeable eight-day turnaround between matches, which is at least one good reason for Du Preez to resist leaving out a few stalwarts from his starting XV for the more immediate encounter, as the Sharks try to do something most compatriot outfits are finding elusive this season -- achieve back-to-back victories.
But consider this: wouldn’t the Sharks have bitten your arm off, pre-tour, if you’d offered them a winning return of two out of three (even considering their iffy overall record so far) from their Australasian venture?
They already have one in the bag, Saturday’s especially physically-conscious 23-15 victory over the Waratahs, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that the Chiefs match looks so much more inviting than the Crusaders one for the KwaZulu-Natalians to grind out another precious overseas win.
Yes, a hundred percent record to fly home with would be quite sublime … but you will also find few takers, even among the staunchest Sharks devotees, for a repeat of their famous, last Christchurch win against those foes in 2014.
That 30-25 upset came despite losing Jean Deysel to a red card in the first quarter, and at one stage having 13 players on the field.
On Friday, the Lions, in a repeat of the 2018 final, fielded their strongest possible side from fit players on tour, outside of rested Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, against the very same ‘Saders yet still came up horribly short in a 36-10 whipping (the Highvelders resisting throwing a few rookies into that frying pan was probably influenced by the handy bye week now that the tour is done).
Is that a cue for Du Preez to consider freshening up some of his most valuable, staple personnel by either sitting them out of the Crusaders match entirely or restricting them to the bench, in readiness for an all-out assault on the vulnerable Chiefs?
The Mooloo Men, after all, are having what fast looks like being their worst campaign since 2011, when they were last the bottom outfit in the New Zealand: that’s where they currently lie in 2019, and second-last overall, after 10 of their 16 ordinary-season games.
They have already tasted home defeat to a South African side this year: the Lions beat them 23-17 two weeks ago.
Would the Sharks be able to “get up” properly for that date in the event that they are bludgeoned at full strength at Christchurch Stadium, and perhaps run the simultaneous risk of high-profile injury casualties? It is something for their brains trust to mull over, even if they are instinctively reluctant not to hurl their Full Monty at the Crusaders.
The Sharks sent a 27-strong party on this tour, so it is possible there will be some rotational-type moves in selection this week.
One feasible scenario is that they put out a starting side that is around two thirds of normal first-team strength, and has a strong arsenal of seasoned figures as substitutes in case a sensational result in their favour looks a decent likelihood in the second half.
It so happens that several, normally core characters have not been overplayed in recent weeks, for varying reasons, and could confidently be expected to offer maximum oomph against both the ‘Saders and Chiefs.
Into that category fall hooker Akker van der Merwe, who only played off the bench against the Waratahs after returning from a three-week suspension, and others who have only recently come back from injury like giant lock Ruan Botha and flanks Jean-Luc du Preez and Philip van der Walt.
All fall into the fairly unusual category of solid game-time against the Crusaders only assisting their sharpness, you would think, for the Chiefs date just over a week onward.
The Sharks also swapped their scrumhalves around against the ‘Tahs, allowing a start for Cameron Wright, so captain Louis Schreuder should be fairly reinvigorated for a big personal push in each of the two New Zealand-based assignments if that’s that the wise men want.
It is perhaps stalwarts like Tendai Mtawarira in the pack and rugged midfielder Andre Esterhuizen who warrant being in maximum possible nick for the Chiefs match through limited (or no) deployment this Friday.
Coach Du Preez’s hand for the Crusaders should be known by Wednesday …
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
