Red-card replacement a good call for Sharks
SHARKS coach John Plumtree has candidly admitted that the coaching staff had to “phone a friend” to get the answer to a problem that arose around a red card in the weekend's Currie Cup semi-final against the Bulls.
The Sharks were under severe pressure in the last quarter when they were reduced to 12 players because of yellow and red cards.
“There was a fair bit of chat on the sidelines around whether there could be a red-card replacement after 20 minutes,” Plumtree said of the sending off of centre Francois Venter for a head-to-head tackle.
“The officials didn't know what was going on there as well. I think it must be the first time it has happened in the Currie Cup and we only got clarification when we phoned our referee who helps us out in Durban and he said, ‘Yes the red card can be replaced after 20 minutes'.
“We got that message on and then the officials said, ‘Yes, okay'.”
“I don't blame the referee for the confusion. I think the officials on the sideline need to be better than that because it added to the stress and we didn't know if we could get Lili Bester on.”
They did get Bester on, the Sharks showed enormous passion and grit to keep out the Bulls, and when the game finished at 40-40, the Sharks advanced to the final against the Lions because they had outscored the Bulls by six tries to four.
The scorer of the Sharks' first try of the semi-final, Emile van Heerden, had a stormer of a game but could be out of the final.
“Emile has an issue with his shoulder and we've got to explore what that is,” Plumtree said. “He couldn't go back out after half-time.
“I think he is the main one. We've got one or two rib cartilage injuries but hopefully they will not be too serious.”
Plumtree was not quite sure how to deal with the conflict of making a final and the inconvenience of it taking place a week before his team's first United Rugby Championship match, against Connacht in Galway.
“I am very proud of the grit and resilience we showed,” Plumtree said after Trevor Nyakane had scored a 98th-minute try that ultimately secured the Sharks' place in the final. “It was a very dramatic match.
“This pride-in-the-jersey culture is what I have been trying to establish at the Sharks and we did not have it when I first arrived (18 months ago).
“I am proud of our leaders on the pitch, the calmness they showed. Either team could've won that, we were lucky we got over the line, but I am very proud, big time.”
The coach admitted that the honour of making it through to the final came at a cost.
“The reward for not winning would've been a week off and that would've given us time to prepare for the URC tour,” Plumtree explained. “Now we've won, we don't get that reward. Now we've got to prepare for a final.
“It is something these boys will cherish. You don't get too many finals in your career, so you've got to cherish each one.
“We will put a plan in place for after the game next week. We leave for Ireland on Monday, so we need a plan around our wellbeing, to see who's fit and who's not.
“It's a big week for our planning. We will have to give the boys a couple of days off, just to get over this game of 100 minutes at altitude.
“There's a fair bit of recovery to do to get ready for the final.”