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“We are training hard, really hard,” explains assistant coach Hugh Reece-Edwards. “The heat is stifling, no different from previous years, but then we’ve always gone away [on camp]to get away from it. But this year we’ve decided to stick it out and the attitude from the guys has been top-notch. The work they’ve put in and how they’re approaching this block, what they want to get out of the season that’s the key difference at the moment.
At this stage of the season, when in years’ passed, The Sharks knew they would be starting their actual campaigns without a number of players through injury, this year, player availability looks set to be as closer to maximum with the likes of Jean Deysel and Willem Alberts likely to either start or miss just the first game and scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann the only player who will be out for longer.
Aside from these injuries which have involved lengthy rehab, there will be the obvious knocks and bumps that come with such a rigorous schedule.
“Whenever you get into the preseason which comes with a heavy workload, you tend to pick up niggles,” he explains. “The ones we have are just general little things, which happens every year, but now we have two guys who will be back probably when the tournament starts so we’re happy there.
“The other guys who are out, are just out for a day or two with a small niggle.”
Fitness-wise, he believes the players look better than in previous years. “A lot sharper than we have been both on and off the ball, we’ve introduced a few more elements that we haven’t had in the past. Speed is something that’s quite important for us.”
After finishing last year’s round stages in sixth position which ensure a place in the qualifiers (knock-out rounds), he admits that they would like to improve on that. “We haven’t been happy with the way we finished the last two seasons, I don’t think the fans have either, so for us to actually do better, we have to go out and change a few things – which we’ve done. At the moment it looks really good.”
Saying all the right things is meaningless unless you have the buy in of the players and he feels that they have hit a bulls’ eye in this department.
“It comes down to the general approach from the guys: they want to have a different season, they don’t want to do the same thing as last year. That’s the biggest thing, everyone’s approach has changed in a new direction.”
So what will it take? His definition of the winning team is: “The side that can go 15 games with the least number of injuries; if you can retain a relatively unchanged squad that will help. And to ride those knocks and bumps is a fitness level.
“From our point of view, the strength, speed and power programmes are all in place and it’s a matter of the players sticking to the systems in place: they get enough rest - that the workload is up there, but the rest aspect is there – that they eat correctly, eat and drink correctly.
“The guys know exactly what they need to do to perform. We have a very happy environment, the guys really want to be here, they don’t want to miss out - it’s a fantastic environment.”
