Maximum points needed to keep Sharks alive, says Pietersen

Nothing less than maximum points from their remaining four games will be good enough for the Sharks if they want to keep their hopes of sneaking into the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs alive, says coach JP Pietersen.

After exiting the Challenge Cup following a 29-12 defeat against Connacht in Ireland, the Durban side need a productive winning streak to qualify for a top-eight URC finish.

All the Sharks’ points against Connacht came from the boot of flyhalf Jean Smith, who kicked four penalties.

After a promising first-half display in Galway, the Sharks were found wanting in the second period.

“Going forward, we just want to put a collective 80-minute performance together,” Pietersen said. “That’s what we’ve been asking for. Consistency and an 80-minute performance. We haven’t had that this season and it has been very up and down.

“We’ve got a couple of injuries, so we’ll reassess, make a plan, hopefully get some players back, and then go again for the last four games. It’s an opportunity for us to get 20 log points from our last four games and possibly set ourselves up for a top-eight URC finish.

There are many positives we can take into the last four URC games. We played the conditions well in that first half and won territory. And even at the end of the game, it showed we didn’t give up
— JP Pietersen, Sharks coach

“The Sharks [are] obviously disappointed with how we finished the second half in Ireland. We set ourselves up well in the first half. We dominated territory and possession, and to go into the break 12-7 up gives you a lot of confidence going into the second half.”

Pietersen rued his team’s lack of discipline in the second half.

“In the second half, a lack of concentration and a bit of ill-discipline let us down,” he said. “We gave away penalties, they kicked into the corners, put us under pressure, and took their opportunities when they came into our 22.

“At half-time you always feel like you’re one score away from putting yourself in a strong position, but they had defended well to keep the score down. So yes, it’s a disappointing feeling.

“There are many positives we can take into the last four URC games. We played the conditions well in that first half and won territory. And even at the end of the game, it showed we didn’t give up.

“We could have easily lost by 50 points with the possession Connacht had in the second half, but we stayed in the fight until the last minute. That shows there’s grit in the group and there’s fight, which is something we can build on.”

The Sharks dominated the first half in Galway with more than 60% possession, but the hosts stood firm against the assault. Such was the quality of Connacht’s defence in the opening half, the Durban side had to rely on four penalty goals by Smith for their 12 points. Connacht’s only points came via a converted try in the 22nd minute, despite creating a few more threatening breaks.

The home side, on the other hand, started to win more possession after halftime and broke the visitors’ backline defence fairly frequently. That enabled them to score 22 unanswered points in the second half thanks to three tries and a penalty, while they kept the Sharks scoreless.