Coastal Sharks captain John Smit is confident his side will qualify in the top two places and host a Super 14 semi-final next Saturday.
The Springbok skipper, however, doesn't want to look too far ahead, preferring to focus on this weekend's final match in the round-robin stage of the southern hemisphere inter-provincial rugby competition.
The Sharks are currently in second place on the points table with 41 points and only need a win against the Western Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday to finish second and stage one of the play-off games.
PHOTO: AP
Of course, there is also the possibility of the Sharks finishing on top of the standings should the Waikato Chiefs beat the table-topping Canterbury Crusaders in the first match on Friday.
"It's a good feeling to be in the position we find ourselves," said Smit on Monday, two days after his side had beaten the Lions 33-3 and the Crusaders lost 15-6 to the ACT Brumbies.
"We, however, aren't in the semi-finals yet and with all the teams having a game to play a lot can still happen.
"We simply have to keep concentrating because a loss now [on Saturday in Cape Town] could mean we lose out completely.
"That is of course if all the other contenders win their games.
"The Stormers [game] is always a big derby, there will be plenty of pride at stake and this match is as important to us as us having to go to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders in the final. That's how important it is to the Sharks. We have to win to make sure we stay in the competition," Smit said.
The Stormers are in 10th position and can no longer make the semi-finals.
The Chiefs (fifth, 36 points) and Brumbies (sixth, 35) however can still sneak into the playoffs should they beat the Crusaders and Otago Highlanders respectively and the likes of the Northern Bulls (fourth, 37), Auckland Blues (third, 37) and Sharks (second, 40) lose to the Queensland Reds, Western Force and Stormers.
Smit's coach at the Sharks, Dick Muir, says he, too, is looking no further than the showdown in Cape Town.
"It's important for the players and myself not to get ahead of ourselves at this stage.
"We know we're right up there and in with a chance of staging a semi-final, but nothing's guaranteed. Any team can beat another on any given day and the Stormers have got a bit of momentum going after beating the Blues and Reds on consecutive weekends. We're only looking at the game in front of us," Muir said.
With the Crusaders going down to the Brumbies last weekend there is a real possibility South Africa could stage both semi-finals and perhaps even the final, for the first time in the history of Super rugby.
The fourth-placed Bulls, who've picked up five log points in each of their last three matches, could jump into first place should the Crusaders, Sharks and Blues all fail to collect points this coming weekend.
If the top four teams all record wins this weekend, the Bulls will have to travel to Christchurch to tackle the defending champions, while the Sharks will play host to the Blues in Durban.
There is also the real possibility the Sharks end second and the Bulls third, meaning the two South African sides will face off in the one semi-final, ensuring South Africa will have a team in the final.
The Sharks have scored more wins (nine) than any other team in the competition this year.
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