Resurgent Lions next on the Sharks radar

The task doesn't get any easier for the Durban side who will come up against a Lions side that beat the Bulls in their last outing of the competition - a result that no one saw coming.

It's been a tough few weeks for Sean Everitt's side who went down badly to the Bulls and then lost to the Stormers at home to put their final berth in doubt.

All sides had a bye week last week which was used by the Springboks to host an alignment camp.

The Sharks cannot afford to lose this match because it will basically put paid to any hopes of heading to Treviso for the North versus South final.

Sharks lock Reinel Hugo believes that you can't look too closely at the Lions' early result.

"If you look at their (the Lions) two losses as the beginning of the competition they weren't big loses," Hugo said. "They had a lot of opportunities in those games and all the sides in this Rainbow Cup are good sides.

"There are no easy games and you have to take your opportunities when they come so it's going to be very important to be clinical this weekend.

"We are really excited to play the Lions this weekend and go out there and showcase our talent."

The Sharks have been on the receiving end of a number of penalties throughout the Rainbow Cup and Hugo knows that this has to change this weekend.

"What's been costing us is our discipline and we've been conceding a lot of penalties.

"The other teams are kicking to the corner and setting up driving mauls and stopping those takes a lot of energy.

"So we've been working hard on not conceding penalties because when you don't you keep the ball and the other side will have to do the defending," he added.

The Sharks and the Lions will face off at Emirates Airline Park this Saturday at 4pm on Saturday, 6 June.