There’s been a lot of talk from the Vodacom United Rugby Championship organisers about finding a space to reschedule last week’s Cell C Sharks/Ulster game but it the hosts of the postponed fixture are still hoping it will be ruled a forfeit for the visitors.
Ulster and the Glasgow Warriors both did not fulfil their respective commitments to play the Sharks and Emirates Lions respectively last weekend due to a gastro outbreak in their camps in the week building up to the fixtures. Both teams were staying in Umhlanga Rocks on the KZN north coast, not in the same hotels but within 300 metres of each other.
While it was reported that as many 50 members of the management and playing staff were afflicted with the condition, the home view, meaning SA Rugby and the franchises, was that an alternative could have been agreed upon and there was unhappiness at the late disclosure of the situation in the respective camps.
Belfast and Glasgow are just an overnight flight from South Africa and both teams have squad players back home who could have been called up, and cold water also appears to have been poured subsequent to last weekend that the gastro outbreak had anything to do with the ecoli that has forced swimming to be banned along a stretch of the KZN coast for a few months now.
It was made clear by URC chief executive Martin Anayi that the elements that led to the postponement being made at the 11th hour last weekend were being investigated, and in an online press conference this week there was more than just a subtle hint that a forfeiture was possible. Clearly the Sharks are aware of that strong possibility and hoping for it to happen.
“We were very disappointed that we didn’t get to play Ulster, and we are still in between on whether we will bet the points for the game or the game will be rescheduled,” said Powell on Friday morning.
“Even if we do get the points for the game, we are still disappointed that it was an opportunity to play together (with our top team) that was missed. It would have been great to play that game together.”
Powell is clearly looking far ahead in his planning, for he noted the missed opportunity for the full strength team, meaning complete with the Sharks’ many Springboks, as a setback in the preparation for the Sharks’ European Champions Cup debut against the Harlequins in mid-December.
“It would have been great to play that game together as the next time the Boks will be back and available to play for us is the Ospreys game, which is set for early December and is just a week before our first Champions Cup game against the Harlequins,” said the Sharks director of rugby.
But in the short term, meaning looking ahead to Sunday’s big derby at Loftus, Powell reckons that the fact there was no rugby last weekend might help his team.
“It is great we might still get the points if the game against Ulster is cancelled, but it would have been better for us to get synergy ahead of what lies ahead. But it is also great that we have now been able to prepare for the Bulls with fresh players. We know that any game against the Bulls is a big physical battle and that is what we are preparing for ahead of Sunday. It is always a great challenge to play the Bulls at Loftus and hopefully the players will relish that challenge.”
One significant boost for the Sharks ahead of Loftus is the impact that could be brought by debutant centre Francois Venter, who gets to play his first game as the starting No13 after two weeks training with his new teammates.
“Francois brings lot of experience, not only from having played at international level and but also from his years playing in the UK,” said Powell.
“Not only that, he also brings a lot of EQ. We have been very impressed with him over the last two weeks, and assistant coach Noel McNamara thinks a lot of his rugby brain. He is very clued up on attacking principles and attacking shapes. He has EQ both on and off the field. He is good for the team and has an amazing work ethic. We have selected him because we are already happy he understands the systems and knows what is expected of him.”