Sharks coach John Plumtree believes his team can cope without Tendai Mtawarira, as they focus on final preparations for the Super Rugby season.

Mtawarira, who was a regular front row absentee last year due to Springbok duty - along with Du Plessis brothers Bismarck and Jannie, and John Smit - was ruled out last week for three to four months with an ankle injury.

All four experienced players hardly featured in the Currie Cup last season, when the Sharks were forced to blood several youngsters, and Plumtree was confident there was no need to beef up their squad in an effort to find a replacement.

"We've got the other young props that we worked with through the Currie Cup," Plumtree said.

"They'll get another opportunity now at trials over the next three weeks to stake a claim for that No.1 position.

"If we're concerned about it and need to look elsewhere, then we'll do that.

"Obviously front row is not a position you want to be short in during a campaign like this, so we'll just have to make sure we're well covered."

The Sharks boss praised the youngsters who developed through the domestic campaign last season, helping the coastal side reach the Currie Cup final.

"That's what the Currie Cup is all about," Plumtree said.

"We blood a few youngsters and it helps out with the Super Rugby competition, especially with the amount of Springboks we have that play in the front row, and it was even more necessary last year.

"It's good that Dale [Chadwick] had a good season and Wiehahn [Herbst] is no stranger at this level.

"Julian Redelinghuys is a bit of a new boy, but we're confident he can do a job as well.

"Obviously the work load goes up for a guy like Jannie du Plessis as well."

Plumtree did concede, though, that Mtawarira's knock was significant.

"Obviously it's a big loss to lose Beast. It's quite a significant injury," he said.

"We'll work really hard to get him right again and hopefully he'll be able to play some part at the back end of the competition.

"That's the sort of target, but Beast is a fast healer and we've got quite a good medical team here who will be working really hard to get him back as soon as possible."

The Sharks play an internal trials match at Kings Park on Friday.

This will be followed by games against First Division winners Boland and the Eastern Province Kings ahead of their Super Rugby opener against the Bulls in Pretoria on February 24.

"We think we've had pretty good preparation for the new season," Plumtree said.

"The Springboks in particular haven't experienced a long pre-season like this for a long time, so I think they've enjoyed it - the intensity, the testing and everything we've been through - so the side's in good condition."

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