Rugby: Sharks make one change to side

Willem Alberts replaces Ryan Kankowski at number 8. Photo / Getty Images

Sharks coach John Plumtree has made one change to the starting team that beat the Bulls last weekend for tomorrow's Super rugby semifinals qualifying match against the Crusaders in Nelson.

Ryan Kankowski is dropped to the bench and Willem Alberts replaces him at No 8.

On the bench, there two changes at Eugene van Staden and Jacques Botes come in for Wiehahn Herbst and Marcell Coetzee.

Springboks captain John Smit will once again start from the bench with Plumtree favouring Bismarck du Plessis to provide the punch from the middle of the front row.

"John has covered for us at hooker and loosehead prop this year and unfortunately he's picked up two calf muscle strain which put him out for two-three weeks both times.

"It's been quite hard for him to get continuity in his game.

"He's a legend in South African and Sharks rugby and the role I want him to play this week is off the bench.

"The scrummaging is going to be pretty intense. The Crusaders have one of the best scrums in the business and we are going to need his experience at some point."

The Sharks last played the Crusaders in London at Twickenham and the Crusaders won 44-28 but Plumtree says that they have learned lessons from that match.

"A big part of what we got wrong at Twickenham was not stopping Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean, with their ability to shift ball into space either by hand or by kicking, which is key to their game.

"The foundation of their game is built around their scrum, they're a good scrummaging side so we need to scrum really well against them and if we can look after them defensively and look after their scrum, then anything can happen."

The Sharks front row of Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira will have their work cut out for them contesting scrums against the opposition.

"They have a very short front row and they scrum low and while we have a pretty good front row ourselves, we will need to scrum a lot better than we did against the Bulls, that's a big area for us, '' he said on the Sharks website.

"We have the forward pack that can compete and that's going to be key if it's wet and cold there."

"Frederic Michalak can control the game and we have Pat's kicking game at the back as well, so as long as we defend really well and our setpiece functions and we make sure that territory is in our favour, you never know."

Sharks:
Patrick Lambie, JP Pietersen, Stefan Terblanche (captain), Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Frederic Michalak, Charl McLeod, Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel, Alistair Hargreaves, Gerhard Mostert, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: John Smit, Eugene van Staden, Ross Skeate, Ryan Kankowski, Jacques Botes, Adrian Jacobs, Louis Ludik.

- NZPA