They may be odds-on favourites with the bookies, but history is against the ACT Brumbies overcoming the Sharks in Saturday’s Super 12 match in South Africa.
The Brumbies named a strengthened line-up, including gifted fullback Mark Gerard and Wallaby forwards Owen Finegan, Radike Samo and Jeremy Paul, to start against the Sharks at Durban’s Absa Stadium.
On paper, the unbeaten Brumbies should have little trouble accounting for the winless Sharks.
But, with their modest record in Africa, the Brumbies won’t be taking the competition’s cellar dwellers lightly.
Despite their status as Australia’s most successful Super 12 franchise, the two-time champions have only managed to complete the South African double twice in nine attempts — in 2000 and 2002.
Even when they claimed titles in 2001 and last year, the Brumbies could only conjure one win on each trip across the Indian Ocean.
And, more disturbingly for ACT fans, the Brumbies have never beaten the Sharks away from home.
The South Africans prevailed over the Brumbies 25-16 in 1997, 21-16 in 1999, 17-16 in 2001 and 25-17 in 2003.
The Brumbies, who held on grimly for a 34-29 win over South Africa’s Cats in Johannesburg last weekend, know they will have their work cut-out against the last-placed Sharks.
”I don’t believe there’s any easy games in Super 12,” said Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher in Durban.
”There might be some blowout scorelines, but there’s no easy games and our record over here is extremely poor.”
Fisher believed the key to ending ACT’s decade-long Durban drought was being ”more thorough and diligent in the execution of our plays”.
”We’ve got to complete the play. Over here, you’ve got to not force the pass, but go the extra phase.
”We want everyone’s work rate to lift and we’re aiming to improve on the little things like getting to the breakdown quicker and improve our kick chase.”
Among a host of team changes, Fisher was particularly excited about the return from three weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury of fullback Gerard, whose inclusion has relegated Sam Norton-Knight to the bench.
”Norto’s been going well, but Mark’s just a class player,” he said.
”Mark’s appreciation for the game and ability to make something out of nothing will definitely give us something extra in attack.”
The return to the pack of Finegan, Samo and Paul leaves Adam Wallace-Harrison, David Palavi and Alister Campbell to start on the bench.
Wallace-Harrison is serving as back-row cover for Tamaiti Horua, who suffered a badly corked calf muscle against the Cats.
Bill Young and Nic Henderson are the starting props, with Guy Shepherdson on the bench and David Fitter missing out on a place in the squad. – Sapa-AAP