Fight fire with fire – Gold

Durban - It all appears to have passed in a flash, but on Saturday afternoon the Sharks will reach the halfway point in the league phase of their Super Rugby campaign, and one can expect plenty of pyrotechnics when they take on the Crusaders at Kings Park in Durban.

Indeed, director of rugby Gary Gold has suggested they will need to fight fire with fire against a formidable Crusaders side who have also reached a crucial crossroads in their season.

It’s the sort of clash that promises to provide an early Easter Saturday treat between two sides filled with Springboks and All Blacks, and is sure to bring the best out of all the players involved.

Just last year, the Sharks and Crusaders were involved in an epic encounter in Christchurch when the Durban side claimed a historic victory despite playing the majority of the match with 14 men.

Later in the season, though, the Crusaders would have their revenge at the same venue as they trounced the Sharks in the semi-finals.

And, although past results won’t really count for anything on Saturday, it is an indication that fans should be prepared for an unpredictable, high-intensity battle where anything can happen.

In fact, “intensity” is sure to have been one of the buzzwords the Sharks would have been using during their preparations this week, and it has been reflected in their training.

It’s a very valid point that a team will play in the same manner that they train, and early in the week there was a perfect example of this as the Sharks were put through a no-holds-barred live session against the Vodacom Cup side.

The Sharks will know that this sort of intensity and physicality will be crucial on Saturday if they hope to overcome a well-drilled Crusaders side still smarting after their defeat to the Bulls last weekend.

“The biggest thing we can learn from that game is the level of intensity the Bulls brought to the encounter,” Gold said. “This Crusaders team is hurting. They will come out firing and we’ll need to do the same.”

In particular, it’s going to be a brutal battle at scrum-time and at the breakdown, which is where the Sharks will need to be at their best if they hope to provide their backs with quick, clean ball.

“We want to get through the phases, we want to ask questions of the Crusaders with ball in hand, and we’re going to have to win the collisions to do that,” Gold said.

“Our attack hasn’t really fired the way we want it to, but we’re hoping to see that spark this weekend. You can’t go into your shell against the Crusaders. You have to match fire with fire.”

The Sharks will require the sort of complete performance that has been lacking in recent weeks.

“We want to improve, we know we can improve, although we’ve played outstanding rugby for periods of this season,” Gold suggested.

“We’re looking for a bit more consistency, and we want to go out and enjoy it a bit more, enjoy the opportunity to play a class outfit and hopefully prove how good we are.”

In many ways, this is the moment of truth for the Sharks as a fourth successive victory would well and truly signal their resurgence as real title contenders, while a loss would undo much of the hard work that has been completed in scrapping their way to recent wins.

Crusaders’ coach Todd Blackadder said he had been keeping an eye on the Sharks, and had been impressed by the manner in which they had ground out important results.

“I’ve been watching these Sharks closely. They have guts and have played some good, tough rugby. It hasn’t been pretty, but they have done enough to win by displaying some real grit and determination.

“We like the way the Sharks play, and we have real respect for them,” he added.

“If anything, I think it seems to bring the best out of our team.”

Saturday Star