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The Sharks travel across the Tasman Sea from their last away game in Wellington into Sydney and face the Waratahs in Super Rugby Round 14. Join us here on The Roar from 7.40pm (AEST) for live scores and updates.
Both Waratahs and Sharks want to save embarrassment today. Which team wants it more?
The Sharks have lost their last five games in a row. The last time they have lost six in a row was in the turn of the millennium. Their CEO, Springbok and Shark great John Smit recently wrote an ‘open heart’ message to the public, vowing to do whatever it takes to reinstate the Sharks pride.
The Sharks showed some attacking prowess last week against competition leader the Hurricanes, scoring three tries against a team who has a better defensive record than the Waratahs.
They are only two tries short of the Waratahs 2015 season tally. In fact their top try scorer, openside flanker Marcell Coetzee, has scored one more than the Waratahs highest try scorer, Peter Betham.
The Sharks’ issue is defence. They have one of the worst defensive statistics in the tournament conceding 35 tries so far. That is only one less than the Cheetahs and four more than the Reds (who conceded eight in their last game vs the Crusaders).
Two of their players appear in the season’s worst tacklers for the whole tournament: Mouritz Botha with 27 missed tackles and Andre Esterhuizen with 20 missed tackles. They will be starting from the bench. It is also no coincidence that the Sharks concede most of those tries in the second half of the game.
The Waratahs field a similar team as last week, with the exception of Jaques Potgieter who is out due to injury. They may enjoy a better scrum performance than the Sharks, but the Waratahs’ lineout may struggle today.
For the Waratahs to win, they need to rediscover the pace and power of their Cheik-ball. Their halves need their pack to hit the Sharks defence with rigour and vigour. Their defence needs to be disciplined, especially through their midfield, as the Sharks are starting to find ways to exploit gaps in their opponent’s backline.
The bookies favour the Waratahs today, with good reason. For the Sharks to win, they need to shore up their defence, and reduce mistakes. Otherwise, the Waratahs will have the game sewn up by half time.
Join us for live scores of the match from around 7:30pm AEST, and feel free to join in the discussion in the comments below.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.