Fox Field: Waratahs must tempt Sharks into running the ball out from their own half

THEY left the wetsuits at home but the Waratahs can win in Durban if they make a splash at the Shark Tank and bait their hosts into running the ball.

THEY left their wetsuits at home this time but if NSW Waratahs are to win in Durban this weekend they’ll need to make a splash at the Shark Tank and bait their hosts into running the ball.

A kick-first, run-later team under Jake White, the Sharks are sitting pretty at the top of the South African conference despite a loss to the Bulls last weekend.

Much of their success to date has been built on the thumping boots of Francois Steyn and Patrick Lambie and although the latter has been ruled out for the season with a bicep injury, the Sharks are unlikely to move away from a territory-based game plan in his absence.

That’s unless the Waratahs bait them into the unknown and tempt the Sharks into running the ball out from inside their own half, Fox Sports rugby commentator Rod Kafer believes.

“Well they (Waratahs) know what they’re going to get from the Sharks,” Kafer said. “They know the Sharks play a field-position game and they don’t do much out of their own half.

“And you get the feeling in some games like this that if you can take the opposition out of their comfort zone by inviting them to do something a little different then it might just change the mindset of both sides.

“If they change their approach and invite the Sharks to run, give them a bit of space, put more guys back at fullback. News_Image_File: The Sharks’ first option will always be to clear the ball with a booming kick.

“Put four, five, six blokes back and ask them to run at you, and if they run at you maybe you generate a turnover, maybe the Sharks make an error. But it brings the Waratahs back into the game, and it might mentally put the Sharks off.”

Kafer outlined the structure he believes will help the Waratahs in his Fox Field segment for Rugby HQ and later told foxsports.com.au that it was an approach the entire team must buy into.

If the Waratahs do in fact decide to drop a few extra players back then it will place far greater pressure on their frontline defence and the way they apply pressure at the breakdown.

And conversely, should the Sharks not take the bait and continue their kick-heavy tactics then the Waratahs forward pack face an energy-sapping 80 minutes of backtracking into their own half.

“It’s particularly important when you’re going back to a breakdown, which you do a lot of when you play against a team who kicks a lot, you’ve got to get back quickly if your tactics are going to be ‘let’s run back and have a crack at them’,” Kafer said. News_Rich_Media: Rod Kafer and Gerard Middleton preview Sunday’s clash between the Sharks and the Waratahs.

“The Waratahs forward pack needs to be aware that every time there’s a kick they’ve got to get back and be ready to support that attack again. So use that to your advantage – that’s the way I’d approach it.”

Jono Lance has been named at fullback in place of the injured Israel Folau, who flew out for South Africa on Friday morning after staying behind in Sydney following a knock to the throat.

Lance doesn’t boast the attacking threat of Folau but brings a raw physicality in defence that could well result in a positional shift with Kurtley Beale.

“I don’t think he’ll (Lance) will play at fullback, I think he’ll defend in the front line and we’ll see Kurtley Beale back at fullback,” Kafer said. News_Image_File: If the Waratahs drop a few more players back (highlighted), the Sharks may be tempted into running the ball.

“The Waratahs have done that anyway from set-piece. They’ve typically had Kurtley Beale on the blind wing from lineouts every time and had one of their wingers defending in the midfield.

“So I suspect the Waratahs will use the same approach and drop Kurtley back. And Jono Lance is an excellent defender, he did the same job for Ewen McKenzie in 2011 when the Reds won it and he filled in for Quade Cooper in the front line.”

The last two encounters between the Sharks and Waratahs in Durban have been split at one apiece with the South Africans claiming a 26-21 victory in 2011 and the visitors triumphing 16-12 in 2009.