According to Sharks coach John Plumtree, Springboks skipper John Smit will have shed seven to eight kilos by the time the Super Rugby season starts.

Smit, who missed South Africa’s end-of-year tour after undergoing neck surgery, was widely accused of being overweight during the Boks disastrous Tri-Nations campaign.

With the new, longer-than-ever Super Rugby season set to kick-off next month, Plumtree says that Smit has been working hard to ensure that he is in top form ahead of a massive season.

“John Smit is looking really good, he’s got about two kilograms to go before being back to his best condition,” Plumtree told the Sharks’ website.

“He’s worked really hard because he has a huge year in 2011.

“By the time the tri-series starts, he would have lost about seven or eight kilograms – that’s after having had a neck op last year.”

After a disappointing Super Rugby campaign last year, the 2007 Super 14 finalists are looking to build on their success in the Currie Cup in 2011.

Plumtree’s side welcome three new players into the squad (Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Meyer Bosman and Conrad Hoffman) and have seen only a handful of departures.

With most of the squad boosting over 40 Super Rugby caps and 17 Springboks in the mix, the Sharks have the ingredients necessary for success.

“There is a lot of expectation on us after what we achieved in the Currie Cup last year…it’s about assembling a squad that we think is capable,” said Plumtree.

“Talk is cheap, we have a big game against the Cheetahs and then the Blues the following week, so we know how tough this competition is.

“You can blow on about how good you think you are, but the players understand what this competition is all about and the majority of them have six or seven campaigns behind them.

“It’s been a bit more seamless in terms of squad selection,” added Plumtree.

“Getting the Boks back after a month off means they aren’t yet where they need to be.

“But there are also some players who did a massive conditioning block before Christmas – Stefan Terblanche has put on about six kilograms of muscle and added like 0.1 percent body fat, so that gives an idea of where he is at.

“Louis Luik is also in great shape as is JP Pietersen.”