Barritt relishes Bobo battle
Brad Barritt versus Gcobani Bobo in a midfield battle. This is the tantalising sideshow to the Super 14 Round Two fixture between the Sharks and the Stormers in Durban on Saturday.
Brad Barritt versus Gcobani Bobo in a midfield battle. This is the tantalising sideshow to the Super 14 Round Two fixture between the Sharks and the Stormers in Durban on Saturday.
The two won't be going head-to-head – as Barritt is an inside centre and Bobo will start at outside centre for the Stormer – but the two former Sharks teammates are likely to 'cross paths' regularly during the course of the match in the Shark Tank.
Barritt is looking forward to his team's encounter with the Stormers, especially given the fact that Bobo will be lining up in the Stormers midfield.
“Every week you play against quality opposition and this week will be no different,” he told rugby365.com ahead of Saturday's showdown.
“Jean [De Villiers] and Bobes [Bobo] are both top players, so it should be a good contest,” the talented 21-year-old added.
Barritt believes the Stormers were impressive in their narrow loss against the Bulls last Saturday, and the Sharks are expecting a battle royal up front.
“The Stormers are a good side and I expect them to do well this season.
“They matched the Bulls in terms of their physicality, so Saturday's match is going to be really tough,” he said.
Barritt said the his team was relieved to get off to a winning start in the competition, courtesy of a 17-10 victory over the Western Force last Friday.
“We are really happy with the result.
“Gathering momentum is really important in a competition like this, so hopefully we can continue that momentum on Saturday against the Stormers,” Barritt said.
The match against the Force was not the greatest spectacle, with the boot of both sides dominating proceedings.
However, Barritt said the Durban weather had a lot to do with the type of rugby on display.
“At this time of year, Durban is really hot and humid.
“[Last] Friday it was extremely warm, and the ball tends to get slippery with all the moisture around,” the No.12 added. “We stuck to our gameplan and luckily for us we came away with a win.”
The much-talked about ELVs, which have received mixed reviews over the weekend, were well-received within the Sharks camp.
“I'm really excited about them [ELVs].
“I think the true test will come later in the tournament when the sides get used to them.
“At the moment teams are still adapting to the new rules,” added Barritt.
The mercurial Frans Steyn slotted in at flyhalf after the late withdrawal of Frederic Michalak – a move that, according to Barritt, did not affect the Sharks backline.
“We have so many quality players in the squad. Frans stepped in and I though he did a great job at No.10,” said Barritt.
Steyn kicked a crucial long-range penalty in the last quarter of the match to put the game out of reach for the Force.
Barritt, who was instrumental in the Sharks' success last year, and was unlucky not to get a call-up to the Springboks, was excited about the state of South African rugby.
“It's exciting times for South African Rugby right now.
“I've played under Peter de Villiers twice and he is a really good coach,” said Barritt.
The new Bok coach has indicated that Super 14 form will play a major role in determining the make-up of the Springbok team, and Barritt is well aware of the fact.
“I prefer to do the talking on the field,” said the talented Sharks ace.
“Obviously it will be a dream come true for me [Springbok selection], but right now my sole focus is on doing well for the Sharks.”
Barritt put in a stellar performance against the Force on Friday, winning this website's Man of the Match Award – a performance that would have impressed the new national coach.
The youngster will be looking to put in a similar performance against the Stormers
By Steve Farrell