Mike Greenaway
August 14 2009 at 07:21AM

The Sharks’ potential match-winning halfback pairing of Juan Hernandez and Rory Kockott will have to wait at least another week to make their Absa Currie Cup debut, but the Sharks have nevertheless been able to put together a more than useful combination to take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday (5pm).

Kockott will miss his second consecutive game because of a shoulder injury while Hernandez sprained an ankle against the Leopards last Friday.

The good news is that both are expected to be fit for next week’s top-of-the-table clash against Griquas in Durban.

The diamond miners are five points ahead of the second-placed Sharks, but if the Bulls win in Kimberley on Saturday, and the Sharks in Joburg, there will be little between them at the top of the log.

Charl McLeod, who reportedly had an excellent game in Rustenburg last week, continues at scrumhalf and Monty Dumond returns at 10, having himself been in good form this season when given the opportunity.

A look at the Lions and Sharks line-ups suggests that the Durban team have an advantage in terms of pedigree – seven Springboks in the Sharks’ 22, including freshly released Tri-Nations prop Jannie du Plessis on the bench – while in the Lions squad only Henno Mentz has worn the green and gold.

Speaking of the former Sharks wing, he is one of a number of Lions who learned their trade in Durban before finding themselves surplus to requirements. Dusty Noble is on the other wing, and Herkie Kruger is at flyhalf after missing his team’s disappointing performance in narrowly beating Boland 19-13 last week. On the bench is lock Wouter Moore, who spent a few seasons in Durban.

Adding flavour to the encounter are the reports that the Sharks are chasing the signatures of Lions players Louis Ludick (the injured fullback) and No 8 Willem Alberts.

More important than the previous accomplishments of individuals is the gathering momentum the Sharks are showing in the Currie Cup. Since losing to Western Province in the very first round, the Sharks have improved in each outing.

As Sharks technical adviser Deon Kayser put it earlier this week: “Our confidence has got progressively higher each week of the campaign since our shaky start. A big plus for us was the win in Bloemfontein a fortnight ago. We were not expected to win that one, and had to show a lot of character to outlast the desperate Cheetahs.

“There is just as big a challenge this week in the guise of the Lions,” Kayser continued.

“They have some quality players,” he admitted, “guys like Jano Vermaak and Willem Alberts, who is a big, strong ball-carrier. It is a bit difficult to study what they are going to do because they keep making big selection changes each week.

“But we can’t underestimate them, they’re a Super 14 franchise and it’s away from home for us.

“It’s never easy against one of the bigger unions, and Jake White has a hand in there as well. With their backs against the wall and with his influence, I’m sure there will be much more structure in the way they play.”

This article was originally published on page 14 of The Mercury on August 14, 2009