Breakdown shaping up as a key battle area as Sharks prepare to sink teeth into Scarlets

The Sharks can’t afford to be toothless in their final United Rugby Championship (URC) match of the regular season, at home against the Scarlets on Saturday (7.30pm kick-off), with the breakdown shaping up as a key battle area.

The fourth-place Sharks, who defeated the Ospreys 29-10 in Durban at the weekend, have already secured a first URC quarter-final, at home on May 31. But they can still grab third spot if Glasgow Warriors lose against Leinster and they beat the Scarlets at Kings Park in round 18.

The Welsh visitors will have even more to play for, as a loss could see them drop out of the Top 8, and play-off contention. The Sharks were workmanlike, if unspectacular, in dispatching the Ospreys in front of a decent crowd at the Shark Tank.

Coach John Plumtree said afterwards that he was happy with how they controlled the game, especially the improved territory and possession statistics. The tight-five struggled against the Ospreys in the scrums, however, and it is one area they will have to fix.

In fact, thy Sharks will have to lift their overall performance quite a bit, judging by the Scarlets’ emphatic performance against the Lions. They ran in four tries to secure a crucial bonus point and keep their play-off hopes alive.

The Sharks will have to keep a close eye on fullback Blair Murray, who was in devastating form in the week when he was overlooked by the British & Irish Lions. He ran in two tries as he cut the Lions defence to shreds with his smart running lines.

Yet, it was the Scarlets’ dominance at the breakdown that allowed the backline, where flyhalf Sam Costelow also shone, to express themselves to devastating effect. They showed remarkable speed in isolating attackers and turning the ball over.

The Sharks forwards can’t afford to get caught napping by the energetic Scarlets whose rush defence also stifled the Lions. Forward Taine Plumtree, the son of the Sharks coach, was a menace all over the park, and will have to be policed if the Sharks are to emerge victorious again.

The Durban side boasts a backline brimming with attacking talent and line breakers like Ethan Hooker, Andre Esterhuizen and Jurenzo Julius.

Loose-forward James Venter offers plenty of bite in the tackle and competed well in a fiery battle at the breakdown against the Ospreys, coming up with a pair of turnovers. He could be key in countering the Scarlets threat.

The absence through injury of Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is set to be a big miss in what could be a bruising encounter. But Sharks fans will be buoyed by the news that he should be available for the play-offs.

Even without one of their star players, the Sharks still have plenty of Bok power on tap to ensure they go into the play-offs on a high.