Sharks leadership on the field in the dock

Sharks coach John Plumtree questioned his team’s leadership on the field after they suffered another soul-destroying defeat that keeps them at the bottom of the United Rugby Championship (URC) points table.

This time they fell away badly in the second half as the Lions came roaring back from a 18-3 halftime deficit to win 20-18 at the death in Durban.

They were presented with an opportunity to win the game after man of the match Eben Etzebeth exacted a turnover, but they kicked the potential reprieve in the teeth.

Replacement back Boeta Chamberlain failed in his attempt to hand the Sharks victory at the death, but to be fair it is as a collective that the Sharks have to lament their eighth defeat in nine games in the URC.

The Sharks struggled to populate the “wins” column this season, and coach Plumtree was far from happy with the way his team lost the plot in the second half.

Poor game management cost them. The coach intimated the leadership corps will have to be addressed.

“Disappointing!” said Plumtree in summing up his team’s overall performance. “We were in control of that game at halftime. We dominated the territory game, and we played some good footie. In the second half it was just a different plan. I thought we let ourselves down in our game management. We didn’t carry on doing the things that did so well for us. That is the leadership stuff we have to look at. Decision making on the park from the leaders have to be better,” the coach said with a sigh.

The tone of the post match conversion would of course have been vastly different had Chamberlain raised the flags with the last act of the game. “I feel sorry for Boeta. It was the second opportunity for him to close out a game. It was a big pressure moment, and he couldn't quite get it over the line,” said Plumtree.

He was gracious in pointing to opponents whose never-say-die spirit carried the day.

“You have to hand it to the Lions. They were way better in the second half. It was a bit of a game of two halves in a way, but we have to be able to close it out.”

Much was said of the Sharks' desperation to get a win on home soil, especially with New York based majority shareholder Marco Masotti in attendance. Their second half performance suggests some tough talk and hard work are in store.

“The first part is to keep the players up,” said Plumtree about turning about their form. “We are in a bit of a hole. We have to find belief that we can climb out of that hole. Tonight should have been our night, but it is not.

“I’m disappointed for the fans because we had a good turnout. It is a tough one to take, but that is the game.”

What compounded matters for the Sharks is their growing injury list. “It’s all about our forwards, especially the front rankers and the locks but again that’s just the game,” said the coach ahead of their matches in the Challenge Cup against Oyonnax at home and the Dragons away over the next fortnight.