Durban — Curwin Bosch says the Sharks are ready to hit the ground running on Saturday at Ellis Park against the Lions after a performance against the Stormers that was "just not good enough”.
The Sharks were smashed by the Capetonians and then went into a bye week before regrouping for this week’s visit to the Lions for a crucial United Rugby Championship (URC) match.
Both teams are in the must-win territory as opportunities to make the crucial top eight (and Heineken Cup qualification for next year) dwindle.
“That performance was way below our standards, especially at home,” said Bosch, who is personally in fine form although against the Stormers he was playing behind a beaten pack.
“We had an in-depth review of what went wrong and on the day nothing went our way,” the 25-year-old explained.
“We made mistakes we would not usually make and a good team like the Stormers will punish you for those mistakes.
“We just could not get going because of those errors and our discipline also let us down,” Bosch continued. “We were always on the back foot because of giving away penalties and so it was very hard to get back into the game.”
The Stormers went 21-0 up in 15 minutes so it goes without saying that the Sharks are looking for a strong start against the Lions.
“Starting well is very important for us,” he agreed. “We want to get on to the park and start fast, well, and with good execution of our game plan.
“We are keen to rectify things this weekend and training has gone very well. After doing our review of the Stormers game, we went away and tried to switch off a bit and we came back refreshed and energised.
“We know what we are capable of and we are going to hit the ground running.”
But the Lions are going to be just as amped to play well after a losing streak in the URC.
“We know what to expect from the Lions,” Bosch said. “They like to play an expansive brand at home when they have the altitude factor in their favour. They have some quality players.”
IOL Sport