Adam Ashley-Cooper says Waratahs can overcome loss of Israel Folau to shock Sharks in Durban

ADAM Ashley-Cooper says the Waratahs can overcome the loss of Israel Folau and Jake White’s Aussie insights when they take on the Sharks.

Adam Ashley-Cooper and the Waratahs take on the Sharks in Durban this weekend.

THEIR game plan will be relayed to the Sharks by an “insider” and Super Rugby’s most lethal attacker will be missing from his regular sky blue No. 15 jersey.

But centre Adam Ashley-Cooper says the Waratahs are confident they can overcome the loss of Israel Folau and Jake White’s Aussie insights when they take on the Sharks in Durban.

A promising start to a season — and there have been many — always hits a defining moment, and the Waratahs meet theirs on Sunday morning (AEDT) when they encounter the first-placed Sharks.

The absence of Waratahs’ star fullback Israel Folau probably can’t be measured, but in the two games he missed last year the Waratahs’ average points scored dipped from 28 to 20.

Given his try output has increased in 2014, the Tahs have to find those points elsewhere.

News_Image_File: Israel Folau will be missing against the Sharks.

Ashley-Cooper believes the men who have helped bump up the average to a competition-high 32 points per game will be the keys to plugging the Izzy gap.

“It presents an opportunity for the likes of Kurtley Beale and Bernard Foley to show their attacking capabilities from the back, particularly in counter,” Ashley-Cooper said.

“Missing Izzy, of course that’s a big loss. The guy is an absolute freak and he’s been on fire for the majority of the season. But I guess with the depth we have in the backline, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

“Where in the past Izzy controlled most of that counter-attack, the duties have been shared by Kurtley and Bernard, who are more than capable of providing some threat at the back. They’re both great at unstructured play.”

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Under White, who returned to Africa last year after two seasons in Canberra, the Sharks have begun to show similar formlines to the Brumbies in their early days under the ex-Boks coach.

The Sharks use their scrum and lineout to launch attack, scoring the most tries in the competition from set-piece (8), but are also reaping dividends from field position, pressure and penalties.

They score nearly half of their 30 points a game through penalty goals.

“We are aware of their threats, and it’s mainly in our own half. Discipline is key this week,” Ashley-Cooper said.

News_Image_File: Jake White has the Sharks in good form in 2014.

The Sharks haven’t conceded a try in the first half in 2014 but a strong start by NSW is needed or it will be a tough day, said the Wallaby centre.

“These guys, if you allow them to get out in front, they stay out in front. They’re very good at doing that. Dominating the momentum and ticking the scoreboard over,” Ashley-Cooper said.

“You must have turned up right from the kick-off, deny them the momentum they want from their big forwards and then turn the pressure back on them.”

Ashley-Cooper said White was a “smart coach” and had no doubt he’ll have been spilling beans on the Australian style and probable Waratahs game plans this week.

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“That’s an advantage they have got at the moment. He spent two years in the Australian environment, and understanding how we like to play,” Ashley-Cooper said.

“Overall we all have the same types of shapes and structures. So he’s had a good look at how we operate.

“But we’re not the Brumbies and teams are always evolving. If execute what we want to do on the weekend, we are confident we can get a good result.”