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French test

by Jenny Dixon
10/10/2008

SHARKS must up their game if they are to survive one of the toughest pools in the Heineken Cup.

The Stockport-based team’s intense battle for the most coveted trophy in European rugby begins tomorrow [Saturday] against ASM Clermont Auvergne.

Despite the fixture coming on the back of two consecutive defeats for Sharks, head coach Kingsley Jones has faith that his side won’t flunk their French test.

He said: "There is real excitement among the players. We didn’t work so hard to get into the Heineken Cup to underachieve.

"What a fantastic opportunity it is to play in a match like this, for some players it will be the game of their life."

Sharks’ director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre knows better than most what to expect from Clermont Auvergne, having spent nine years of his playing career with the club.

"They are a tough team," revealed the former international captain. "They are the best team in France at the moment, with Toulouse. The atmosphere will be amazing.

"The next two games [against Clermont and Heineken Cup champions Munster] are huge. We’ll have a go, but we are the outsiders in this group."

In the space of four days last week, Sharks slipped from record-breaking Premiership leaders to a team rueing defeats against London Irish and Cardiff, and the loss of three players to long-term injuries.

Sharks suffered their first defeat of the season at London Irish - four tries ending their historic run of defensive lock-outs in four league matches.

To add injury to insult Sebastien Bruno (ruptured bicep) and Sean Cox (dislocated knee) will both be out of action until 2009 after sustaining injuries during the physical clash.

The personnel crisis deepened further on Saturday when winger Oriol Ripol broke his arm in the final move of Sharks’ one-point defeat against Cardiff Blues in the EDF Energy Cup.

It will take Ripol, who broke the same arm last season, months to recover.

Saint-Andre tried to protect his players by fielding a young side, featuring just four players who had previously started a match this season, against Cardiff.

"It is about the safety of the players," justified Saint-Andre. "With the intensity of the game now, I will never pick the same guys if they have played less than three days before.

"You can do that in football, in ping pong or in tennis but you don’t do it in rugby.

"Against London Irish it was so physical. If you do this you break your players and you go against their safety. It’s my responsibility and I didn’t want to do it."

While Bruno, Cox and Ripol will all be missing for several months, prop Andrew Sheridan faces a couple of weeks out with a shoulder problem.