Durban - The return to fitness of former Blitzboks star Werner Kok could be just the tonic the Sharks need as they shrug off the disappointment of their heavy loss to the Stormers last week and turn their attention to the Lions at Ellis Park.
The Durbanites have a welcome break this week after their marathon block of Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship games ended with a URC humiliation in Durban at the hands of their arch rivals from the Cape.
The Sharks had been overseas for some time and had enjoyed a spectacular win over Edinburgh in the Scottish capital but when they returned home, they were completely flat against the Capetonians, who comfortably won 46-19.
A frustrated man in the stands at Hollywoodbets Kings Park was Kok, the effervescent winger, and the Sharks missed his fizz.
The 30-year-old has been out with injury but will be back for the Sharks’ tricky visit to Joburg.
ALSO READ: Bulls come to the rescue for Sean Everitt with coaching lifeline
The Sharks surely know the Lions are targeting this home match and are waiting in ambush, and while the Sharks have been much chastised for their limpwristed showing last week, the reality is that they will have the same squad of players barring the return of Kok.
Their healthy contingent of Springboks are on vacation, of course, and then there is also the injury to livewire scrumhalf Grant Williams, which was another spark the Sharks missed against the Stormers.
ALSO READ: Jake White’s soliloquy is a reminder to take a moment of introspection and reset our priorities
The plan this week was for the Sharks to regroup on Monday and Tuesday to do the post-mortem on the Stormers defeat and then have a few days off before regrouping on Monday to prepare for the Lions.
No doubt that the review of last week’s game was painful for the players.
As director of rugby Neil Powell said: “If we want to be a champion team we have to get up for every single game and be ready for what the opposition is going to bring.
“We’ve still got seven games left. We are only halfway through the season. There is still a lot of rugby to play. I do believe that we can still make the knockout stages.”
@MikeGreenaway67