Sharks wary of ‘desperate’ Cheetahs

THE Sharks visit the Cheetahs today in their first match since the double-header against the British and Irish Lions and coach Sean Everitt says it is crucial that his team applies the lessons they learnt from the tourists.

The Sharks lost heavily in both matches but were much more competitive in the second fixture. They then had two home Currie Cup matches cancelled because of the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The big thing we took from those games against the Lions is the high intensity with which European teams play for the 80 minutes, and the challenge for us is to learn from that and take it into the Currie Cup,” Everitt said.

“It is vital that we take this to heart because we are going into the United Rugby Championship in Europe in September and we will be up against teams that play with similar intensity, so we must start getting it right in the Currie Cup,” the coach added.

The Sharks’ opponents this afternoon (2.30pm kick-off) were not long ago booted out of European competition (the PRO 14) by SA Rugby to make way for the likes of the Sharks and Everitt says this will give the Free Staters motivation.

“We know they are a desperate team. They have been left out of international competitions and are desperate to win the Currie Cup to prove a point,” Everitt pointed out.

“We are going to have to be at our very best to beat them in Bloemfontein.

“Only a few of our guys have won up there and very few have won more than once.”