Campo is now a Shark

Legendary former Wallaby winger David Campese has offered his services to the Natal Sharks for the next few weeks, a move that is sure the raise some eyebrows Down Under.

This is how you do it, says David Campese

The Australian is in South Africa to do television commentary on the second Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate Test at Ellis Park on Saturday and the first Tri-Nations Test at Loftus the following week.

He decided to call up his old mate Dick Muir and offer his services.

"I am in town, do you want a hand?" Campese told Muir, according to sharksrugby.co.za.

According to the Sharks website Campese offered his services free of charge.

The Wallaby legend is married local lass Lara Benkenstein (sister of Natal Dolphins cricketer Dale Benkenstein) and is in Durban for the next month or so. The main reason for his visit his is television work for the Wallabies two matches against the Springboks.

Campese will be revealing the tricks of his famous trade to the Sharks over the next month.

His first session with the Sharks was at Monday night's session, where he ran with the backs and showed he has lost little of his zip and his passing was as slick and snappy as ever.

"You should not be so surprised to see me here, mate," he said after training. "Durban is now my second home."

Campese said that his basic message to the players is that the basics have to be done properly.

"It is a simple game but we tend to complicate it," he told sharksrugby.co.za. "From Under-8s to Under-15s to seniors you have to do the basics correctly if you are to be successful."

Muir said that he was only too happy to involve Campo in the Sharks' Currie Cup campaign.

"We would be crazy if we did not take advantage of having such a great player in this neck of the woods," Muir said. "Our guys are hungry for knowledge and surely will learn from him."

Muir and Campese have been friendly since their playing days, and the Australian's interest in helping the Sharks was furthered through his close friendship with former Springbok wing Ray Mordt, who has been assisting the Sharks with their defence.

"Campo has a great vision of the game," Muir said. "He sees things that others do not. Fortunately we share the same philosophy on how the game should be played - things like running straight and moving the ball into space.

"These days the game tends to have unnecessarily long passing and elaborate moves when simple passing and running would be more effective."

Monday night's session was the first before Friday night's visit to the Falcons in Springs, a match the home side must win to maintain any hope of qualifying for the second round of the Currie Cup, while a win for the Sharks will secure their place in the Top Eight.

Muir said that there will be minimal changes to the side that beat the Lions last week, although Brent Russell is certain to start the match after restricting himself to an impact role last week.

"Brent will start but I am deliberating over where to play him, to tell the truth," Muir said and would not elaborate further.

Russell was named at fullback for the Sharks game against the Lions in Durban last Saturday, but when the Durban team took to the field Russell was on the bench.

Muir said that Russell had suggested that he play an impact role because he had been to only one Sharks practice and so it would be unfair to drop JP Pietersen. Russell only joined the Sharks last week, after being axed from the Springbok team.

"I appreciated that from Brent," Muir said. "I would have liked to have started with him but when he made that call I was pleased because it gave me a chance to show faith in a youngster."

Muir decided to leave Russell's name on the team sheet released to the press to confuse the Lions. This was not the only decoy. Scrum-half Dave Von Hoesslin was in the side made public, but Bennie Nortjé started the match and Braam Immelman was supposed to play lock ahead of Werner Cronjé, but the latter started the match.

Muir gave a mischievous grin when he admitted that he had revived this old Sharks policy of "playing ducks and drakes", as one Kiwi coach called it.

"The Lions are very analytical in their preparations so we decided to give them some food for thought," Muir said. "If they thought that Pietersen was starting then they would have planned to put him under pressure with the high ball, but with Brent starting their planning would have been different".

"I did not want them to know that Werner was starting because he is not a line-out jumper and they would have come up with a plan to get an advantage in that area. And Bennie is from the Lions and they know his play well, so we let them think Dave was playing."