Countdown to the real action......

By Whaley Shark
August 31 2013

 So that’s pretty much it. The signings have been made, or not made, or are tidying up their affairs on the other side of the World, the pre-season games are over, the annual tinkering with the laws is complete, and we pause for breath before jumping back on the Premiership treadmill.

The noises out of the Sharks camp seem pretty positive, though less hyperbolic than this time last year, which is more to my taste and probably sensible, given the way last season actually went.

I’m a bit leery about our front row, not as a result of any firm knowledge (when I was younger I always tried very hard to avoid going there myself), but simply because others seem to feel we’re a bit light there. But maybe more beef in the donkey row will compensate, or the new laws will mean that front row power becomes less significant in scrummaging? I guess time will tell as everyone gets used to the law changes. And as for putting the ball in straight- that’s a dangerously radical innovation.

I’ve only seen us in action at the Leeds friendly, but I thought the backs looked organised and sharp, and defended well for periods. We clearly came apart in the second half against Cardiff, but that sounded like a bodged-together back division so I am not reading anything into that.

On paper, the Premiership fixture list has been reasonably kind to us. We get almost a quarter of the campaign out of the way before the first Cup rugby break. Gloucester away is a bit of a toughie to start with, but then we have Falcons and Wasps at home on successive weekends, and then go away to Saints and host Bath. I’d be very happy with 12 points from those five fixtures, and I think that’s a reasonable prospect. Watch this space…..