Durban – After three rounds of the Currie Cup, the Sharks have lost two out of three but possibly more important than the results at this stage is the question of whether the rebuilding Durban team are on an upward curve.
The score-line would suggest not but for most of this match there was sufficient evidence to indicate the Sharks will get exponentially better the more they play, but they know they can’t use the “rebuilding” tag for much longer.
There had been so much good work last night from a Sharks team that three weeks ago had eight new caps but elementary errors at crucial stages of the game cannot be forgiven, whether you are a veteran or in the infancy of your career.
The Sharks will look back at this game and wonder why they undid the hard graft with frankly silly errors in the final quarter, including a number of injudicious passes that gave the Lions the softest of tries.
The Sharks’ coaching staff will also know that they have to sort out their set scrum sooner rather than later. They were heavily penalised in this department, and the Lions capitalised on the flow of possession coming the way of the set scrum.
Incredibly, the Sharks led 16-10 at the three-quarter mark only to lose by 15 points. There had been so much effort and resolve from the Sharks, especially in the first half when they outplayed a Lions side tipped for the title, but effort can only get you so far and the Joburgers simply rolled with the punches and then showed their pedigree when it mattered, helped to no small degree by implosions in the Sharks’ decision-making.
The Lions are not far off their Super Rugby incarnation, the Sharks are a Currie Cup side trying to learn as they go along.
In game one, they were understandably disjointed and were undone by a Pumas team that are going to be hard to beat this season. In round two, the Sharks were poor in battling to a win over the worryingly bad EP Kings, a team that will feature in Super Rugby next year, and yesterday the Sharks were ultimately outclassed by a settled Lions team that kept their cool and then made the most of the charity that came their way in the final quarter.
In terms of character and determination, the Sharks are certainly on a positive trajectory but it is hard to say at this stage just how far they will go in the competition. The good news for Sharks fans is that there are nine more rounds until the semi-finals, and with the application the team are showing, that should provide growing opportunity to unlock the undoubted potential.
The Sharks have already unearthed some fine talent. Last night it was the turn of openside flank Francois Kleinhans to show he is one for the future. At scrumhalf, the vastly experienced Michael Claassens gave the team composure and structure while captain Marco Wentzel continues his Indian Summer of form.
The Lions went into this game having put 90 points past their opposition in the first two rounds and the Sharks’ coaching staff correctly said that this game would give them a gauge of where the Sharks are at.
And the bottom line is that the Sharks are competitive against the best for long periods of the contest. But they have to quickly digest that supporters see a quantum difference between a competitive side and winners.
King’s Park
Shark (6) 16
Try: Ndungane; Conversion: Pietersen; Penalties: Pietersen (3)
Golden Lions (7) 31
Tries: Mnisi, Hanekom, Skosan, Volmink; Conversions: Boshoff (4); Penalty: Combrinck
– The Sunday Independent