Michael Horak

Sharks defensive coach Michael Horak believes that their system of 6 coaches will put them ‘half a yard ahead of the opposition’ in this year’s Super Rugby competition.

The Sharks coaching system includes Director of Rugby Gary Gold, who is set to return to Durban after his Japanese club team was dumped out in the semifinals last weekend, and technical advisor Brendan Venter, who has been running the show in Gold’s absence.

Additionally, the 3 Currie Cup coaches for the Sharks in Brad Mcleod-Henderson (forwards coach), Sean Everitt (backline coach) and Paul Anthony (off-the-ball coach), have all been retained alongside Horak.

The Sharks, alongside all of the South African Super Rugby teams, have also been visited by the Springbok coaches and advisors in the lead up to the start of the competition.

This is a large number of individual coaches and as the adage goes, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, but for Horak it is not the case, as he believes you can never have too many eyes on the players.

“It is a massive, massive benefit, there can never be too many eyes on something in training,” Horak said.

“We find it has made a massive difference because we are half a yard in front of the opposition, well, we are hoping to be, especially when it comes to phase play.

“I don’t think you can ever have too many coaches, it is just important that the coaches have an understanding and know what each of us should be looking at.

“I think in this group of coaches, we are working together really well.”

For Horak, who spent 4 years with the Cheetahs before a 2-year stint as Director of Rugby at the Shimlas, his main role has been to balance and maintain the Sharks effective defence with the attacking mindset they are promising this year.

“We have put just as much work into our defence as we do into our attack,” the coach added.

“If you watch our training sessions, when the one team has the ball we have 3 or 4 guys looking at that and then at the same time we have a few guys looking at the defensive work.

“It is an equal amount of emphasis that we have put on both.

“We would like to play in the right areas of the field and to become an attacking force.

“Last year the Sharks did not score that many tries so that is something we would like to improve on as a team.

“That is what brings fans back to the stadium and what creates the spectacle.

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