Preview: The Cell C Sharks vs Hurricanes – Featured Durban Blog

The Cell C Sharks host last year’s Vodacom Super Rugby finalists at Growthpoint KINGS PARK on Saturday afternoon in their fourth consecutive match against New Zealand opposition.

By all rights, the Hurricanes should have won the competition last year and are proving no different in 2016 as a team with confidence and massive ability.

Last week the Hurricanes were destructive in their match against the Lions, showing just what a threat they are, which is not lost on veteran loose forward Jean Deysel.

“What we can take out of that game is for us not to drop our guard,” he warns. “In this competition, if you’re off by an inch, you can fall apart completely. There are only so many opportunities and if you don’t take them, you get punished.”

While history should never be a marker of future success, it is gratifying to know that the Cell C Sharks have won four of the last six matches between the two teams.

But, in saying that, they are well aware that this is indeed one of the toughest challenges they will face this season.

There has been a steady evolution in style of play from the Cell C Sharks which Director of Rugby Gary Gold calls a pursuit of balance.

“We have made no bones about the fact that we’re a team that wants to get the balance a little better. We do want to be better with ball in hand and have made some changes towards that.”

And although they are looking to up their attack, once again, defence will have to be on point against a team who scored 50 points last week.  Here, the Cell C Sharks boast the best defence in the competition, having conceded just 15 tries.

“This is probably going to be our biggest challenge, particularly from a confidence point of view”.

While the results on tour didn’t all go their way, the two losses were narrow and could easily have been the other way around. And against the Chiefs, the Cell C Sharks outscored their opponents to suggest that things are progressing according to plan.

“I’m unbelievably happy with the character of the guys, I think we’re heading in the right direction,” says Gold.

“But we don’t want to come away from playing all five New Zealand teams and have just one victory to show for that. We want to be hugely competitive.

“We’re back home and there are no excuses, we must raise our game, especially in front of our home crowd.

“We need to go out there and put in a proper effort against this great team, a team we have a massive amount of respect for.” Captain Tendai Mtawarira