New South Wales (NSW) Waratahs will be looking to overcome a tumultuous week of suspensions as they try to get their Super 14 rugby campaign back on track against South Africa’s Coastal Sharks in Sydney on Saturday.
Last season’s beaten finalists will be without banned forwards Rocky Elsom and Matt Dunning arising from fighting incidents in last Saturday’s 26-17 loss to the Northern Bulls in Pretoria.
The Waratahs suffered further when Wallaby winger Wendell Sailor was suspended for an additional two matches and fined an extra $3 500 in continuing fall-out over an incident outside a Cape Town nightclub while on tour in South Africa last month.
It all places extra strain on coach Ewen McKenzie’s bid to keep the Sydney franchise up with the leading pack after fifth-placed NSW won their opening two away games against Queensland Reds and Western Stormers.
There was some cheer with the return from compassionate leave of Wallaby back Mat Rogers, who will make his season comeback off the reserves bench following the death of his father and former rugby league international Steve Rogers in January.
”Thinking with the heart you’d love to throw him straight into the starting side, but it’s definitely better practice to ease him back through the bench where I expect him to make a strong impact,” McKenzie said on Thursday.
The Waratahs are giving Benn Robinson his tournament debut as Dunning’s replacement at loosehead prop, while Wycliff Palu takes over from blindside flanker Elsom.
In further good news, line-out general Daniel Vickerman returns to the Waratahs following a lower-back injury.
The Waratahs are expecting a rough time from the Durban-based Sharks, who tackled determinedly in their unlucky 22-20 loss to defending champions Canterbury Crusaders in Timaru last weekend.
”The Sharks played with enthusiasm against the Crusaders and that makes them a dangerous team,” McKenzie said. ”Traditionally they are the South African team that travels the best.”
Adding spice to the encounter is the presence of former Waratahs and Wallabies winger David Campese, now the Sharks’ skills coach.
The Crusaders have made three changes for Saturday’s home match against the Auckland Blues with inside-centre Aaron Mauger ruled out with a hamstring injury and lock Ross Filipo and centre Casey Laulala also out.
Five-time winners Canterbury, a point behind leaders Wellington Hurricanes, have had some great tussles with the Blues in the southern-hemisphere series, winning just four of their 10 meetings. Auckland have won three times in Christchurch.
The Blues, who climbed off the bottom with last week’s fighting 21-20 win over Queensland in Brisbane, have lost scrumhalf Steve Devine with a viral infection. He has been replaced by John Senio.
The Hurricanes, who have claimed maximum points in their three opening games, play the first of three matches in South Africa on Saturday against competition newcomers Central Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
The Cheetahs have lost their two home matches and coach Rassie Erasmus said his team are starting to feel the pressure.
”You can’t use inexperience as an excuse. We do have a number of Super 14 rookies in our side, but you have to develop them and that means putting them through the tough mill that this competition is,” he said.
Skipper Stirling Mortlock has been named in an unchanged ACT Brumbies’ team for Friday’s first home game of the season against South Africa’s Golden Cats at Canberra Stadium.
Mortlock strained a right medial ligament during last week’s 15-15 draw with the Stormers in Cape Town, but coach Laurie Fisher said early indications are that Mortlock will play against the Cats, who did better than the 16-29 loss to the Hurricanes last week conveyed.
In this weekend’s other matches, Waikato Chiefs play at home for the first time against the Queensland Reds on Friday and the Stormers take on New Zealand’s Otago Highlanders in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Bulls and Western Force have the weekend off. — Sapa-AFP