RUGBY NEWS - If you are looking for a dark horse that could possibly pull off a surprise in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby, the Cell C Sharks might well be the franchise to put your money on as a good outside bet.
Although the bubble was burst by Western Province in the closing stages of the Currie Cup season, the Sharks did start gaining confidence and making good progress in the domestic competition in 2017, and coach Robert du Preez’s three year plan is starting to take shape with the creation of some impressive depth.
Much will hinge for the Sharks on whether they can carry their strong pre-season form into a sequence of three games on South African soil that could be crucial to their chances of challenging for a favourable draw in the knock-out phases. The Sharks management won’t forget easily that their lowly eighth placed finish last year meant they had to travel to Johannesburg for their quarterfinal.
The Sharks came tantalisingly close to upsetting the Lions in their own backyard, with only a last gasp Ruan Combrinck penalty edging the Lions, who finished top of the log, into the semifinal. Had the Sharks won they would have had to travel to New Zealand, and it would have been unlikely they could have won the competition the hard way, but with a bit of luck they can secure home ground advantage in the play-offs in 2018.
To do that a win in the appetising derby against the Lions at Emirates Airlines Park that starts their competitive season will be crucial. The Sharks then face the Waratahs at home, and they boast a decent recent Kings Park record against the Sydney team. Then they face the Sunwolves before heading overseas for their first tour game in Canberra.
They do face a tough four match tour, but if they can hit the road with three wins under the belt it would be a massive boost for their confidence. Remember, of all the South African franchises, it is the Sharks who have traditionally been the best travellers, and they managed to beat the Highlanders on their last trip to New Zealand in 2016 before returning home to thrash the Hurricanes, who went on to win the competition that year.
