Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles believes the way his side plan to play in Bloemfontein on Friday will give them the edge over the Cheetahs.
Both teams opened their 2026 Currie Cup campaigns with victories last weekend, the Sharks edging the Pumas 26-24 in Nelspruit and the Cheetahs holding off the Lions 29-27 at the Free State Stadium.
While the Sharks’ URC squad is focused on preparations for the new season, the Currie Cup campaign is providing Vowles and his coaching staff with an opportunity to develop talent and build depth in Durban.
The Cheetahs, meanwhile, are at full strength as they target another Currie Cup title after falling at the semi-final stage of this year’s SA Cup.
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Vowles expects a tough challenge from the hosts but backs his team to make it two from two.
“They’re quite a settled team,” he said. “They’ve built some really good cohesion through the SA Cup and the Toyota Challenge. So we know they’ll come at us in the structured parts of the game and at set-piece.
“Our conversations have been more about what we can control and how we want to play. We want to impose our game model and our DNA on them.
“We want to play with a high tempo, create transition opportunities and really move them around. We feel that might give us an edge.”
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The Sharks showed plenty of resilience to beat the Pumas, holding onto possession through 26 phases in what proved to be the final play.
“For me, that was probably the most pleasing part of the game,” Vowles said of the way his young side closed out the match.
“We did some really good things in the first 50 minutes to set ourselves up. But those last eight or nine minutes were an unbelievable test of character and composure.
“Having to survive that kind of pressure is the sort of moment that can set you up for a campaign.
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“Had we run away with the game in the second half, we probably wouldn’t have learned as much about ourselves as we did in those final minutes.
“What the players did there was a real testament to the character, DNA and culture of the group.
“It was a great test and I was so pleased that we passed it.”
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
The post Sharks to move Cheetahs around appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles believes the way his side plan to play in Bloemfontein on Friday will give them the edge over the Cheetahs.
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