Looking ahead to the semi final clash in Cape Town between the Stormers and the Sharks this weekend, is so difficult to call as no matter from what angle one looks at this match, the pros and cons are quite deceiving.

There are so many reasons for the Sharks to win or lose, so many reasons that turn you from being positive about their chances of victory to being negative and going back to being positive.

As one reads through different articles leading up to this match the points of view differ vastly, as reasons are given why the Sharks can’t win, to reasons why it is impossible to win, to reasons why the Sharks will win in spite of the negative factors which one cannot ignore.

What I find intriguing is the different ways in which the coaching staff of the two sides are approaching the match, which no doubt is a part of the mental preparation as press release after press release is made and the mind games takes center stage.

Looking at Allister Coetzee’s angle, he is telling us how the Stormers are approaching the match and how they will target certain aspects of the Sharks game, as to how he feels the Sharks will attack; he tells us where the Sharks are vulnerable and strong.

John Plumtree takes a different route as he tells us how good the Stormers are in every aspect of their game, he is talking up the Stormers at every chance, and so it will continue till the day of the match.

What cannot be doubted is that this clash will be brutal, no matter what is said by either party running up to this match, there will be bodies put on the line, there will be blood flowing and there will be tears of joy or sadness.

Now in looking at what could derail the Sharks, the very first thing that comes to mind is the travel bug which they have so far had to endure, and successfully so as they flew just over a week ago to Brisbane and play off with the Queensland Reds and against the odds thrashed them. But within that same week they have had to fly back home for their next match, this time against the table topping Stormers at Newlands.

Plumtree has said the travel factor is no excuse, and medical experts have said it is, so who to believe? Is it again just mind games?

Other factors are the injuries to various players that would normally be very influential when they are playing, however also bearing in mind that both teams have injuries and are affected in different ways, playing away from “The Tank” also does not count in favor of the Sharks as again they travel and upset their routines as they leave their comfort zone.

From a Sharks point of view the following players, although not confirmed yet, may or may not be available to play this coming weekend and this could affect the game plan of the Sharks as to how they will approach it. A  loss of Patrick Lambie, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul Jordaan and of course Francois Steyn (who is not allowed to play in the back-end of the tournament as he was not a part of the Sharks squad within the time frame set out by SANZAR).

If these players cannot play, the Sharks lose play makers who have graced the international stage, In  Patrick Lambie they lose a player that is mentally very strong in battle, a good goal kicker and tactical kicker as well as a player that makes the right choices more so than not.

Paul Jordaan has brought a new edge to the Sharks backline style of play and although not a Francois Steyn when it comes to defense, he is solid, but it is his speed and attacking flair which brings so much to the table, as he seems to glide into gaps, he reads the game like a seasoned campaigner and runs off the ball so well.

Pieter-Steph du Toit is a youngster with a lot of energy and brings so much to the party as a lock or looseforward. He does however still lack that consistency in performances which will come with time and experience.

And of course the loss of Francois Steyn although not injured is a major blow as he brings so much experience to the Sharks backline and of course his huge defense and bazooka boot, one can only imagine how someone like Paul Jordaan running off Steyn into gaps from strong balls carries to deft SBW like back passes could have made a difference.

Taking all this in mind one wonders as to how John Plumtree will accomplish this task? Surely the negatives are outweighing the positives, yet there is still the “IF” factor and for me whilst there is breath there is hope as I have no doubt that IF the Sharks can mentally overcome the travel fatigue, have the hunger and desire to win and stay mentally focused and play like they have the last few weeks? They can.

Also if one looks back at the last few matches the Sharks played the Stormers it was very clear as to the tactic of the Stormers, yes of course defense was their main focus and they were prepared for a forward battle, but they also planned for certain players to niggle the Sharks and in so getting them to lose focus and allow themselves to be bullied in some areas, thus it is so important Plumtree gets the right combinations together when selecting the team to start as well as the impact options from the bench.

This time around the Sharks cannot afford to make the same mistakes, they have to play the full 80 minutes, they will have to meet every battle head on but at the same time stay focused and stay out of possible fisticuffs when the off the ball incidents and shirt tugging etc come their way, and I am not implying that the Sharks don’t also use these tactics at times or have players that do the niggling, what I am saying is simply for the Sharks to meet fire with fire in the spirit of the game.

Players like Bismarck du Plessis, when concentrating on the game, has no equal, but he does tend to let opponents get under his skin and he loses focus or gets into trouble by getting penalized.

One thing is however clear to me and that is IF the Sharks can play like last weekend, with the same hunger, passion, desire, skill level, and play to their strengths they can do it as there is no doubt as to the quality of this team, but truth be told they have also not always been the most consistent

It does not matter how many things are said in blogs or press article or by whom, it also does not matter how one looks at the 2 side’s strengths and weaknesses, only come Saturday evening will we know the answers and until then the emotional rollercoaster of a fan will continue.

In further developments, BEELD reports that young Sharks lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has had to undergo an operation on his troublesome ankle and as such will play no further part in Super Rugby this season.

This leaves Patrick Lambie and Paul Jordaan as the only 2 possible options left on the injury list.