Sharks coach JP Pietersen says his side’s 41-12 Vodacom URC defeat to the Bulls at Loftus came down to tries conceded in clusters and a glut of unforced errors.
The Bulls struck twice in quick succession on the way to a 22-0 lead at the break – a pattern Pietersen admitted is becoming a worrying trend.
“We were good for 15 minutes and then the Bulls scored two quick tries,” he said. “That’s something we need to work on. If we concede one, how do we eliminate the next one? The same thing happened against the Lions – we conceded two quick tries in the first half.
“We need to identify it and address how we can get better in that area.”
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Despite a brighter start to the second half, Pietersen conceded the damage had already been done.
“Yes, the boys showed fight and courage in the second half. But when you’re 22-0 down, it’s hard to fight back.”
The Sharks were also their own worst enemies, making 22 unforced errors to the Bulls’ nine.
“That means you can’t build pressure,” Pietersen said. “We knocked balls on, missed lineouts, and when we had possession we couldn’t convert it into territory or points. That just takes energy away from the group.”
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Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse left the field with a suspected concussion in the first half, another setback in a growing injury list.
“Jaden controls our game, our kicking, our organisation. He’s huge for us,” Pietersen said. “We’ve lost [Aphelele] Fassi, now Jaden, and Jaco [Williams], so the backs are falling a bit. Most of our loosies are injured as well. It’s all starting players.”
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The coach also pointed to the disruption caused by ongoing Springbok rest protocols.
“It’s hard to build cohesion when you’re resting seven guys and then rebuilding again,” he said. “But it’s not an excuse. The guys who step in must take their opportunity.”
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The result saw the Sharks slip to 11th on the URC log and with only six league games to go, have their work cut out to make the top eight.
Pietersen said the focus now shifts to recovery before hosting Munster on 21 March.
“We’ve got a week or two now to recover and rebuild,” he said. “I just took the job. It’s a learning curve. There are challenges, but I’ll figure it out. We will get it right.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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Sharks coach JP Pietersen says his side’s 41-12 Vodacom URC defeat to the Bulls at Loftus came down to tries conceded in clusters and a glut of unforced errors.
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