they take on the beleagued Western Force at home. Sharks coach John Plumtree has made one forced change to the line-up that beat the Stormers last weekend, with flanker Willem Alberts ruled out and replaced by Jacques Botes.
The Force welcome back fiery scrumhalf Brett Sheehan from injury, while coach John Mitchell has recalled Pek Cowan and Ben Whittaker to the front-row, with lock Ben McCalman also added to the run-on side.
It's been a peculiar season for the Sharks who have climbed to ninth spot on the log after opening the campaign with five straight losses. The men from Durban steadied the ship with five consecutive victories and showed how dangerous they can be on the way to a 20-14 victory over the Stormers last weekend.
They enter the Force clash having won six of their last seven matches, with their only slip-up an eight-point defeat at the hands of the table-topping Bulls. The 12th-placed Force endured an equally horrific start to the season after injury robbed them of a host of stars. While their recovery hasn't been as spectacular as the Sharks, John Mitchell's men have won four of their last six matches including victories over the Stormers and Crusaders. But there was nothing to like about their woeful effort against the Cheetahs as the West Australians conceded four-tries-to-two in a forgettable display.
WHO'S HOT: Rory Kockott made the most of a rare start this season with a standout performance in the win over the Stormers. His omission for most of the campaign has left many so called experts puzzled, and the talented 23-year-old sent a strong message to coach John Plumtree last weekend. Force skipper Nathan Sharpe has been among his side's best performers all season long and deserves most of the credit for holding the team together after injury ruined any chance of a semi-finals berth in the opening month of the competition.
WE THINK: While this match has absolutely no bearing on the semi-finals race, there is plenty of pride within both these teams so expect a willing contest. Both are virtually at full strength so there can be no excuses for either side, but the Sharks should be too strong at home. Sharks by seven.
TEAMS:
Sharks: 15. Patrick Lambie, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Riaan Swanepoel, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 9. Rory Kockott, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Jean Deysel, 6. Jacques Botes, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. John Smit (c), 1. Tendai Mtawarira.
Reserves: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Patric Cilliers, 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19. Keegan Daniel, 20. Charl McLeod, 21.
