With the Bulls and Lions commencing their long tours, and the Stormers taking a bye, the Sharks and the Cheetahs are the only South African Conference teams in action on home soil in week eleven.
The Sharks host the Highlanders in a match of epic proportions for both teams, while the Cheetahs will hope to get their season back on track against the Force, who themselves begin a two-match tour of the Republic.
Saturday 5 May
Sharks v Highlanders
Mr Price King's Park, Durban
Kick-off (local, GMT, NZT, NSW/ACT, SAT)
17:05, 15:05, Sun 6 May 3:05, Sun 6 May 1:05, Sat 5 May 17:05
R Steve Walsh
AR Lourens VD Merwe
AR Reuben Roussouw
TMO Johann Meuwesen
Head to head: Played 13, Sharks 8, Highlanders 5
Last match: Highlanders 16 - 30 Sharks (2010SR WK6)
Notable fact: Sharks have won last five
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This match could be the most pivotal fixture in the Sharks season, for if they lose this match, the Stormers and Bulls could potentially gain a 14 competition point lead on their Durban rivals and stretch away in the South African Conference.
The hosts have no significant momentum to speak off - with their last five matches a loss, win, loss, win and loss. Only once have they strung together consecutive wins, and that came early in the season to stem the tide of back-to-back losses.
In their favour is the fact they sit only one spot out of the top six, and have five of their last seven matches at home.
The Highlanders will strut into the Shark Tank full of confidence after they completed the comeback of the season against the Cheetahs, giving them two wins on the bounce – which has major significance considered they had a horror second half season fade in 2011.
They arrive with a powerful pack that relishes the contest at the breakdown, although the Cheetahs showed their South African rivals the blueprint, able to force the Southerners into mistakes at the ruck that halted the forward impetus that Jamie Joseph’s troops thrive off.
The Sharks however boast a front eight easily capable of matching it with the Highlanders, with the return of loosehead prop Tendai Mtawarira, while the marquee individual clash will see Bismarck du Plessis pitted against Andrew Hore.
Out wide John Plumtree, who worked with Joseph in Wellington, has named Paul Jordaan at centre, in a Sharks backline that hasn’t really fired too many shots this season.
The Sharks mentor has however fired some shots in the war of the mindgames, suggesting that referee Steve Walsh will be well served to keep a close eye on the way the Highlanders play the ruck contest.
While the visitors might not be scoring tries at will, with the solitary four-try bonus, three of their backs in Hosea Gear, Ben Smith and Tamati Ellison are in the top ten of running metres so far this season – and if the battle of the forwards cancel each other out, this could be the difference between the sides.
Saturday 5 May
Cheetahs v Force
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off (local, GMT, NZT, NSW/ACT, SAT)
19:10, 17:10, Sun 6 May 5:10, Sun 6 May 3:10, Sat 5 May 19:10
R Stuart Berry
AR Craig Joubert
AR Stefan Breytenbach
TMO Gerrie Coetzee
Head to head: Played 5, Cheetahs 1, Force 4
Last match: Cheetahs 29 - 14 Force @ Free State Stadium (2010SR WK13)
Notable fact: Force have won twice in Cheetahs backyard
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This is a tricky match for the Cheetahs, who need a win otherwise they will lose touch with the leading sides in the South African Conference.
Naka Drotske’s side are a far better team than their overall eleventh placing might suggest, scoring 33 points against kiwi heavyweights the Chiefs and Highlanders in the last fortnight – and the ledger in their last outing was supposed to have won the Free State based franchise the match.
It wasn’t just coincidence that the Cheetahs fell apart when Johan Goosen left the field injured, and his season long absence could be a hammer blow to the team’s hopes for the rest of the season.
The Force are probably happy to arrive in Bloemfontein, simply to get away from Australia, after a tumultuous two weeks has seen their coach Richard Graham depart, while their new flagship signing in Will Genia performed a remarkable U-turn after agreeing to verbal terms with the Western Australian franchise.
Their last win, a week six thumping of the defending champions, seems like years ago, and away from the glare of local media, the Force will hope the unity of a tour will give them something to write home about…
A hit and miss attack out wide, with just two tries in their last three matches, is generously compensated by a hard working forward pack, and if the visitors wish to shut down the Cheetahs free flowing game, the likes of David Pocock will be crucial.
Yet the Cheetahs have their own master pilferer in Heinrich Brussow, while the host’s forwards were dominant against the Highlanders for three-quarters of the match last week.
History might favour the Force in this clash, but the Cheetahs would dearly love to go back-to-back at home against the Western Australians in their first match against each other in nearly two years.
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