We should have won, says Plumtree
THE Sharks are already knee-deep in trouble in the URC after an eighth loss of the season at the weekend against the Lions.
And if head coach John Plumtree and his players can’t rectify the mistakes they are making, it could spill over into the European Challenge Cup over the next two weekends. Should that happen, it will add to the misery in Durban and probably mean the end to their chances of challenging for any silverware in 2024.
The Lions’ comeback win at Kings Park was an all-new low for the Sharks and condemned them to the bottom of the URC points table. Any home team having a healthy 18-3 lead at half-time after scoring two well-worked tries, but then giving that lead up for a 20-18 loss, should do some heavy introspection.
Plumtree could not really describe his team’s capitulation on Saturday.
Almost 20 000 spectators packed the Shark Tank for the muchanticipated clash.
“I am getting sick of losing speeches,” Plumtree said.
“We should have won that game. It is disappointing for us, and disappointing for the fans.
“We have let them down. We had a bloody good crowd out here, it was excellent.
“There are a few problems that we will have to look at.
“We were in control of the game and to pretty much give it away like that, with no disrespect to the Lions – they put us under pressure, but we didn’t help ourselves either.”
The Sharks scored two excellent tries through World Cup winners Makazole Mapimpi and Grant Williams. How they did not crack on from there is criminal, especially after they weathered an early onslaught from the Lions.
Even at the death, when another World Cup Bok Eben Etzebeth pulled down a maul successfully to keep the Lions out, it should have sparked something in the home team to keep fighting.
Etzebeth was cramping, but he got up to continue the resistance.
But it was futile and after knocking on the door for a while, the Lions crashed over after a successful maul for the winning score through their captain and ex-Sharks centre Marius Louw.
Plumtree acknowledged that he feels the pressure at the moment.
“Every coach feels kinda under pressure going through a patch like this. We are all working really hard.
“We are trying our best. We know where we are going with it, and the plan we want to achieve.
“But it would be nice to get some reward for it.
“I will look at myself first, but I am really disappointed in the second half and how we went away from our plan.
“There is something going on in the group that we have to work out. We felt good and we had another good week.
“Under pressure, we just don’t respond well. Our decision-making under pressure was terrible and that goes down to the leaders.
“It will be quite hard to pick ourselves off the canvas after this one.”
The Sharks have another home game, in the Challenge Cup, against French side Oyonnax on Saturday afternoon to find some momentum.