The Sharks know that Dragons have a stronger pack after signing 14 new players and holding their own against Ulster in Ireland.
The Sharks hope to redeem themselves after their disappointing loss to Glasgow Warriors with a better showing against Dragons in the United Rugby Championship on Friday.
The Welsh side are hoping to improve on last year’s last-place finish, having signed 14 new players and appointed Filo Tiatia the permanent head coach after he was contracted on an interim basis.
Dragons won both their pre-season matches before falling 42-21 against Ulster in their opening URC match in Ireland.
They are second from the bottom after that one match, but the Durban-based Sharks are only one place above them after losing five tries to three against Warriors in Scotland. The teams clash at Rodney Parade at 9.05pm.
Sharks want a better performance
Sharks loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi lamented the way the team departed from its systems after finding themselves just two points behind with 11 minutes to play.
After conceding a converted try, the Sharks received two yellow cards (Lee-Marvin Mazibuko and Tino Mavesere) within two minutes, for infringements trying to stop mauls. The result was a penalty try to the hosts, and a bigger gap in the final scoreline (35-19).
“We were very disappointed with last weekend and we felt we didn’t stick to the Sharks way of playing, things we worked on in our pre-season,” Buthelezi said.
“There’s nothing wrong with our system. They were just individual errors in both of those maul stops, one of those errors coming from myself.”
He said the Sharks wanted to “restore some pride back in the jersey”, showing fans they could be disciplined and work hard for each other and the union.
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Positives ahead of a tough Dragons clash
On a positive note, Springbok wing Edwill van der Merwe’s try in his Sharks debut was excellent. Fellow Bok Lukhanyo Am was also good in his return from injury.
The Sharks also held onto 50% possession and 49% territory. They were fairly even with their opponents in the statistics, though they won more turnovers but lost the aerial game.
“From a Dragons point of view, a new coach and about 14 new players. It’s a completely different team,” Buthelezi added.
“We had a look at their game against Ulster and we thought they were competitive. The scoreboard wasn’t a true reflection of the game. They are a proud team. They have a bigger, slightly more physical pack. We’ve got our work cut out for us this Friday.”
After Dragons, the Sharks play Leinster in Ireland the following week before returning to South Africa for two home games.
