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World Cup - a threat to Sharks next season?

Jenny Dixon
2/ 5/2007

SHARKS coaches and players were alerted to the potential threat the World Cup poses to the team's ambitions next season, on Saturday.

Without the majority of their international stars, Philippe Saint-Andre's young squad, which featured three 19-year-olds, two 20-year-olds, and three 21-year-olds, crashed to a 49-0 defeat at NEC Halequins.

Sharks could lose up to 15 key players in September as countries from across the globe battle for the Webb Ellis Trophy, so it will be up to their less experienced, or lower-profile, team-mates to keep the club's domestic campaign on track.

Saint-Andre said: "During the World Cup it depends what the coaches of England, Scotland, France, Argentina and Samoa do, but in the worst case we could miss 15 players. If this is the case a lot of players who took part on Saturday will be involved during the World Cup."

The former French captain is hopeful that the injury curse which has hampered his team's efforts to defend their Premiership crown this season will ease over the summer break.

The return of current long-term absentees scrum-half Sililo Martens, prop Lionel Faure and No8 Nathan Bonner-Evans would be a significant boost to the depleted squad.

"We'll also sign two or three players who are not involved in the World Cup," added Saint-Andre.

"But it was also good to see [on Saturday] if we were far away or not. I think the match showed us a few things."

Despite the disappointing result head coach Kingsley Jones, whose son Rhys played at flyhalf against Harlequins, is not prepared to accept a gloomy forecast.

Jones explained: "I don't like to say bad day at the office, we need to learn from what's happened. I don't think we can sit here and think that's the team that's going to start in September and it's going to lose by 50 points.

"It was a tough trip for those young guys. We are all devastated at the moment but we've got to put that into context."

• SHARKS players who could be unavailable during the World Cup:

England: Mark Cueto, Charlie Hodgson, Andrew Sheridan, Magnus Lund, Stuart Turner, Dean Schofield, Chris Jones.

France: Sebastien Chabal, Sebastien Bruno.

Argentina: Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe.

Samoa: Elvis Seveali'i.

Scotland: Jason White, Rory Lamont, Scott Lawson.