It has been a funny old season for the Sharks. They looked like probable Super Rugby champions at one stage, and then in the Currie Cup they shook off a poor start to play rugby sufficiently convincing to suggest they could yet defend the title so famously won at Newlands last year.
But they ran out of steam in Super Rugby and did not have a realistic hope of winning a semi-final in Christchurch against the Crusaders.
And then in the Currie Cup semi-final they curiously sank without trace, barely firing a shot at the Lions rampaging at them, inexcusably missing 40 tackles in allowing the Lions in for six tries in their 50-20 victory.
They were two campaigns that promised a lot, but in both cases ran out of gas in the semi-finals.
Brad Macleod-Henderson was one of Jake White’s deputies in Super Rugby, along with Sean Everitt and Paul Anthony, and the trio graduated to guide the Sharks in the Currie Cup.
They were also the support group under Brendan Venter when the Sharks won the domestic trophy last year, so they have served an interesting apprenticeship.
“As a coach, you are always growing and learning,” Macleod-Henderson said yesterday. “Last year we won the Currie Cup, and that was a huge highlight. In Super Rugby, we led the log for a long time, and then dropped a few games, which cost us in the end.
“We had a short turnaround before the Currie Cup, and virtually a whole new squad, but it was great to see the hunger of the guys to try to build a team capable of defending the title.”
The coach is hopeful that Sharks supporters will have patience with the emerging squad.
“If you base success purely on trophies won, then yes, you have to acknowledge that we lost in the semi-finals of Super Rugby and the Currie Cup. But the development of players and the growth of the team was a success,” he said.
“At the beginning of the Currie Cup, there were a couple of names that nobody had heard of, but they’ve put their hands up and shown what they can do,” he said.
“There certainly is depth and you obviously want to keep on building that, and while it was tested with injuries, I was happy with the way the guys kept on working and improving throughout the season.”
Two of the newcomers Macleod-Henderson is talking about are lock/flank Etienne Oosthuizen and centre Andre Esterhuizen.
“Etienne and Andre are young guys who did really well,” he said. “Etienne showed he can play flank, and had a phenomenal season. He’s strong on the ground, carried ball and made his tackles.
“Andre came in later and was very direct and made strong hits. These are young guys that I look forward to working with in future.”
Macleod-Henderson’s captain, Tera Mtembu, was another player who grew enormously during the Currie Cup and led from the front.
Mtembu said: “For me, it was about absorbing and learning as much as I could. I really enjoyed it. I knew it was going to be a big challenge to fulfil a role as captain while still contributing on the field.
“My personal performance was a big goal for me, as well as learning to manage players.
“I’d love to be a regular starter in Super Rugby, although we all know there is healthy competition in the back row, but I’m looking forward to that challenge.” - The Mercury