GAVIN RICH: Results show the absence of key players is a game-changing factor
The Crusaders risked playing without their first-choice backline decision-makers and gave the Sharks a window of opportunity
Imagine how strong the SA Super Rugby challenge could become if the Sharks and Stormers were fused into one franchise, with the Cape component under Siya Kolisi playing all its games at Newlands and the Durbanites under Louis Schreuder playing all the overseas games. The Stormers struggle to win away. But at home, as defeated Bulls captain Handre Pollard put it after the recent Newlands derby, the Stormers are a different animal. The Sharks for some reason struggle to put it together on their home field, but as they showed in Christchurch, and in their rout of the Lions a month ago, they can become more lethal the further they get away from Durban. Not that the draw with the Crusaders should have been as unexpected as many are making out, and you can check my internet preview if you think I’m being wise after the event. If there is one thing this season’s edition of Super Rugby has shown us, it’s that the availability or otherwise of key personnel does have a big impact. That was sh...
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