Rugby
The Sharks wary of Ben Smith─── 11:40 Fri, 18 Jul 2014
sMorgan Piek
Bloemfontein - Sharks coach, Jake White, believes the aerial battle could prove very important in Durban tomorrow when they face the Highlanders in the Super Rugby qualifier.
White says the men from Dunedin tend to use kicking as an attacking weapon and that the Sharks will need to be competitive under the high ball.
Another area where White expects the Sharks to be test is the breakdown.
He says it is an area where you simply cannot allow the Highlanders to dominate.
The Highlanders have been boosted with the return of winger Ben Smith, for tomorrow’s clash for a spot in the semi-finals.
Smith who normally plays at wing will be playing at fullback tomorrow, and White feels the Kiwis will take a lot of confidence out of having the All Blacks star in their side.
Tomorrow’s match will be the 17th time the Sharks face the side from Dunedin, with the home side leading the head-to-head battle 9-7.
The last time these two sides met, was in April, when the Highlanders won 34-18 in Durban.
The match at Kings’ Park kicks off at 17:05.
Sharks - SP Marais, S’bura Sithole, JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Lwazi Mvovo, Frans Steyn, Cobus Reinach, Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Stephan Lewies, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis (captain), Thomas du Toit.
Replacements - Kyle Cooper, Dale Chadwick, Lourens Adriaanse, Ettienne Oosthuizen, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Pat Lambie, Tonderai Chavhanga.
Highlanders - Ben Smith (co-captain), Richard Buckman, Malakai Fekitoa, Phil Burleigh, Patrick Osborne, Lima Sopoaga, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu (co-captain), Shane Christie, Elliot Dixon, Joe Wheeler, Jarrad Hoeata, Chris King, Ged Robinson, Kane Hames.
Replacements - Liam Coltman, Matias Diaz, JP Koen, Josh Bekhuis, Tom Franklin, Fumiaki Tanaka, Trent Renata, Gareth Evans.
Coach, Jake White concedes they are wary of Ben Smith:
