Sharks defence coach Joey Mongalo views Saturday’s URC clash against defending champions Leinster as a great opportunity to pit themselves against the best.
JP Pietersen’s men will host the Irish giants at Kings Park after a 41-24 victory over the Ospreys in round one. Leinster have dominated recent meetings, but travel to Durban on the back of a 27-26 defeat by the Lions.
Leinster backed academy players for the Joburg outing, with only three of the players from last season’s URC final match-day 23 selected.
Mongalo, who expects the visitors to field a full-strength lineup, addressed his showdown with Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber this week.
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“This is by no means a Jacques-versus-Joey thing,” he told the media on Tuesday. “He’s one of the godfathers of defence.
“You take him, John McFarland and maybe Omar [Mouneimne] – those were the first generation. Then after that came the JP Ferreiras and Joey Mongalos.
“It’s not a Joey-Jacques thing. I think it’s more about two similar systems, because coaching line-speed defence is quite an art. I’m still learning it … Jacques has mastered it with Leinster and the Springboks.
“Both teams this weekend should be fire against fire.”
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Mongalo said the four tries conceded last week were “soft moments” rather than a system failure, although stressed that Leinster will punish similar opportunities.
“As a defence coach, even when a team scores one try against you, it really hurts. So you can imagine how four tries hurt,” he said.
“There’s nothing wrong with the big rocks: what we’ve got in place in terms of our system, and people knowing where to be, is all good.
“We felt like we gave the Ospreys scores, and that is not who we want to be. Leinster will take those. They’re a well-oiled team and the current champions.”
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He warned the Sharks backline faces a tough task against Leo Cullen’s charges, but believes their youthful exuberance could “surprise all of us”.
“The beautiful thing about youth is that they can almost be oblivious or ignorant to what’s coming. They just want to run out there and test themselves against whatever that is.”
Mongalo identified Leinster’s ruck speed and ability to force penalties as major defensive challenges, while the breakdown was crucial for both teams, particularly given Nienaber’s reputation as an exponent of the counter-ruck.
The key, he noted, is to be effective without unnecessarily committing more numbers to the breakdown.
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post ‘It’s not Joey vs Jacques, godfather of defence’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Sharks defence coach Joey Mongalo views Saturday’s URC clash against defending champions Leinster as a great opportunity to pit themselves against the best.
The post ‘It’s not Joey vs Jacques, godfather of defence’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
