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Travel blues may have cost the Sharks last week, but coach John Plumtree insists his squad is 100 per cent ready and able to cut down the flying Brumbies in their Super Rugby clash on Saturday.
The Sharks are one week into a tough month away from Durban, having narrowly lost to the Waratahs 34-30 in Sydney last weekend.
They face another difficult challenge in the Brumbies, who are surprise leaders of the Australian conference after three wins from four games, and particularly at Canberra Stadium, where the Sharks last won in 1998.
Plumtree expects his team to shake off their lethargy in time for the match, but is also covering his bases by placing five forwards on his bench.
“Last week was about us trying to get over the travel because we really wore ourselves out in the last 15 to 20 minutes,” he said.
“We couldn’t really hold on.
“But this week we’ve got a bit more energy back with the boys.
“It’ll be another tight affair, but hopefully we’ll be able to go right to the end.”
The Sharks welcome back speedster JP Pietersen at outside centre and Steven Sykes at lock after both recovered from injury, although they’ll be without five-eighth Pat Lambie who is out with a dental injury after taking a heavy knock to the jaw against the Waratahs.
Lambie has been replaced by former French international Frederic Michalak.
Brumbies coach Jake White will take a reshuffled backline into the match after welcoming Matt Toomua back at five-eighth, pushing No.10 understudy Christian Lealiifano to inside centre and Wallaby Pat McCabe to the wing.
Given White’s South African background, both coaches are claiming a better-than-average knowledge of each other’s game.
“I know what they’re going to be doing … they play the ball up nice and hard and they’re probably going to ask a lot more questions of us,” White said.
“I mean, 930-odd Super Rugby caps, 10 Springboks, two on the bench … that’s a team that before the season was spoken up as one of the best in the competition, so it’s going to be a really big game for us.”
Plumtree said the Sharks will be keen to put a dent in the Brumbies’ confidence after their solid start to the season – a team many rated would be one of the worst performing Super Rugby franchises this season.
“Winning just builds a little bit of confidence and belief, but we’ve got to remember that they’ve had only one away game,” said Plumtree.
“When they tour South Africa and when they go to New Zealand, that’s possibly when their real test will come.”
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.