They’ve traded the Durban sun for some chilly winter conditions, but the Sharks won’t let it deter them from claiming a second Champions Cup win against Leicester.
The South Africans immediately felt the drop in temperature when they arrived in the United Kingdom for their second Champions Cup clash against the Tigers tomorrow (7.30pm start).
Springbok prop Vincent Koch said yesterday that there was about a 30 degrees Celcius change from the tropical weather of Durban to that of Leicester, but they are eagerly embracing the different circumstances as they look for a consecutive win in the tournament.
Although there will be some changes through injury for the Welford Road duel, Koch believes they’ve put in enough effort to topple Leicester Tigers to keep the winning momentum going.
Last weekend, in the balmy conditions of Durban, the visitors thumped Exeter 39-21, and are looking to claim the scalp of another English Premiership side.
“It’s very cold over here (in the East Midlands), but luckily not too much rain here. But the weather is definitely something we must get used to,” said Koch, who used to play for Saracens in the Premiership.
“We had a nice training session today (yesterday) to get ourselves ready for Saturday. It’s going to be a tough one because they are a very proud team, with great athletes in it.
“We know how much the Champions Cup means to them, with them being champions in the past. They back themselves in big tournaments like this one.”
According to Koch, they will have to be wary of the threats Leicester has across the park with all their internationals.
He added that they’ve analysed the Tigers in detail this past week to see how they go about their business on the field.
Victory will put John Plumtree’s team one step closer to reaching the knockouts of the Champions Cup, with two more pool matches to play next month.
For now, though, their focus is on the Tigers and shutting down their threats.
“We went through their key players this week as well, to analyse how they play. So, we’ve done quite a lot of work in the team meetings to find out what their strengths are,” Koch said.
“This is a massive opportunity for us. Yes, there are a few changes to the team, but it gives the young guys also the opportunity to prove themselves.
“We want to put in a performance that will make the boys who are not here and the Sharks community proud.”
Koch, in his time with Saracens, has played a lot at Welford Road, and said it is not the easiest stadium to play in, due to the rich history of Leicester.
The Sharks are bracing themselves for some hostility from the English fans, whether it rains or not tomorrow.
“They play for the crowd and draw a lot of energy from their supporters.”