DURBAN – Patience is a virtue... it is also the key to the Sharks hitting their straps after a stuttering start to the Currie Cup, according to flyhalf Robert du Preez.
Du Preez says the impatience the Sharks showed in their recent games against the Free State Cheetahs and Pumas was top of the agenda of matters to be addressed during last week’s bye.
“Patience and accuracy on attack, or rather a lack of it, is a big thing for us,” Du Preez said after his team had trained yesterday ahead of Saturday’s match against the Golden Lions at Kings Park. “We are a young group and we really want to play, which is not (a) bad thing at all, but rushing things has been a problem, as has been execution.
“Impatience has been our downfall. It has meant us conceding a lot of turnovers, it is the one thing that is holding us back from clicking, but I do think that when we do click it is going to be rather devastating, considering the talent that we have.”
That is some warning to the Sharks’ rivals, but it is warranted given the backbone of experience in the team that is fleshed out by exciting young talent.
“We haven’t clicked, yet we have a maximum 15 points, so we can’t ask for more on the log. But what we have to click sooner rather than later and then peak at the right time,” Du Preez added.
“We have three big games left - the Lions, Western Province and Griquas - and it is about peaking at the right time. You want to be playing your best rugby at the business end of the competition, not in the first few weeks.
“We are a young team and we want to play an exciting brand of rugby, but with that comes consequences. We are a team that offloads a lot and, again, with that comes turnovers. So we need to be more patient and then we will be fine.”
Sharks flyhalf Robert du Preez believes it is all about peaking at the right time. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
The Lions, though, are not going to make it easy for the Sharks to find their rhythm after losing heavily at home last week to Province.
“The Lions will come hard at us this weekend after losing, but they would have come hard at us beaten or unbeaten,” Du Preez said. “You know what you get from the Lions. We had instructions to have a good look at them at the weekend. They scored a lot of good tries in that defeat. We know how dangerous they are, and we are wary of them and how well they function off turnover ball.
“Their backs are extremely dangerous. So we are well aware of the threats they have, and we will take care of them.”