The Cell C Sharks will look back at the result of Saturday’s Carling Currie Cup clash with Tafel Lager Griquas with a measure of frustration, knowing that they will need a return to success when they host the Vodacom Bulls in a top of the table clash this weekend.
While the Cell C Sharks will feel that they missed an opportunity to go top of the log and put some daylight between themselves (together with the Bulls) and the chasing pack, their loss to Tafel Lager Griquas at Jonsson Kings Park should be seen in the context of the visitors’ recent form.
On a weekend of home losses in all three Currie Cup fixtures, Griquas added a third consecutive away win over the traditionally bigger unions, adding to their victories over the Sigma Lions in Johannesburg and DHL Western Province in Cape Town.
“This was extremely disappointing,” admitted head coach Sean Everitt after the match.
“We were at home, we’ve been dying to play at Jonsson Kings Park for the last few weeks after the cancellation of a couple of games scheduled to be played in Durban. But that’s the nature of the game, sport can be cruel: one week you’re right up there and get a five pointer in Bloem and then you come home and put in a disappointing performance.”
In a match filled with drama, Everitt pointed to an area where the Griquas somehow managed to withstand everything the Cell C Sharks threw at them.
“When I say ‘disappointing performance’ I’m talking about all the opportunities we created that we couldn’t finish,” he pointed out. “So yes, it was extremely disappointing, last week we didn’t have as many but managed to finish them.
“We need to go have a look at ourselves, coaches as well as the players, and see if we could have done any better from a preparation point of view. For me, the team prepared well, we knew the plan and the fact that we created opportunities means we were on song. But I think we need to look at our mental approach. We can’t have an opposition team getting five yellow cards and we’re unable to convert that pressure.
“When we had ascendancy from a numbers point of view, I hoped we might dominate at the set-piece, but we didn’t. We had a few opportunities to maul close to the tryline but weren’t able to convert them.”
Despite the disappointments, Everitt explained that the team must shift focus to the next challenge.
“We need to move on, take out the positives from this game and the learnings – and there is always something to learn.”
The Cell C Sharks face a massive challenge in the next week and a half, facing the Bulls on Friday night and then the New Nation Pumas at Mbombela Stadium next Wednesday.
“We need to get back on track as soon as possible,” said the coach.
“This result was disappointing, as a team, and we don’t want to feel like this again. There was no problem with the energy, the boys were up for this game, it was just the mistakes that let us down.
“The log is now quite congested and we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”
The post Honest Assessment appeared first on The Sharks.
The Sharks and East Coast Radio Join Hands to Rebuild Communities in KZN:
Durban, 2nd August 2021: The Sharks recently launched #handsofhope campaign that seeks to rebuild our province following the civil unrest, continues to gain momentum, and we are thrilled to welcome KZN’s number 1 hit music station, East Coast Radio, to the rebuild team for phase 2 of this upliftment project.
To this end, we are proud to announce the joint launch of an extension of the #HandsofHope campaign: “The Hands of Hope – Rebuilding Communities” powered by The Sharks and East Coast Radio, which sees two proudly KZN brands coming together to unite KZN and make a real difference.
Following the extensive support for this campaign, ECR have seen the value, power and promise of #HandsofHope and have committed their resources as they join hands with The Sharks to extend the reach and delivery of this campaign for phase two: rebuilding communities.
There will be a step- up in the drive to involve more businesses locally in KZN and nationally throughout South Africa, for them to contribute towards this project of rebuilding our communities.
We will be calling on all South Africans who can donate to please open your hearts and wallets and give where you can.
This phase will culminate with a telethon, organised by The Sharks and East Coast Radio, which takes place at Jonsson Kings Park from 6am to 1pm on Thursday 5 August, involving ECR presenters, Cell C Sharks players and stakeholders, all manning telephone lines and getting donations recorded. Businesses can also drop off supplies at the stadium during this telethon.
Commenting on this joint venture geared towards the upliftment of KZN, The Sharks CEO Dr. Eduard Coetzee said: “We are delighted that East Coast Radio have decided to join hands with this campaign. The notion ‘Stronger Together’ holds true in this case because individually as brands there is only so much, we can accomplish, but collectively great things can be achieved.
“Magic happens when businesses come together and the greater good becomes the focus. It is about coming together to rebuild KZN because when communities win our province wins. We cannot wait to get to work in the communities and in the process assist with job creation and long-term sustainability.”
“The Sharks have been doing a phenomenal job with The Hands of Hope campaign and as KZN’s NO.1 we believe in unity and the spirit of uBuntu. Tying in perfectly with our Unite KZN project that we launched last week, which is also aimed at rebuilding and bringing about peace and stability in KZN, it was a no brainer to get involved with the Hands of Hope campaign. ‘Together we stand, divided we fall’. With the power of radio and by combining our efforts and reach, I am certain that we can make a formidable difference in uniting and rebuilding our communities. We are excited to be on board and bring our listeners with us” said Boni Mchunu, Managing Director at East Coast Radio
The #Hands of Hope campaign is a story of hope and upliftment that seeks to improve lives and peoples’ livelihoods. Hope drives human ambition and the will to succeed despite the odds and this is central to this campaign. With hope, anything is possible, and by giving hope, The Sharks and East Coast Radio aim to empower the people of KZN, to believe that anything is possible.
ENDS.
Issued by: The Sharks and East Coast Radio
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The post The Sharks and East Coast Radio Join Hands to Rebuild Communities in KZN appeared first on The Sharks.
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: The Story of Huberta – Huberta was a hippopotamus and one of the most famous animals in South African history. In November 1928, Huberta left her waterhole in the St. Lucia Estuary, in Zululand and set off on the 1600km journey to the Eastern Cape, a journey which would take her three years. In that time Huberta became a minor celebrity in South Africa and attracted crowds wherever she went. She was initially thought to be a male and was nicknamed Hubert by the press. She stopped for a while at the mouth of the Mhlanga River in Natal and a failed attempt was made to capture her and put her in Johannesburg Zoo. After this, she headed south to Durban, where she visited a beach and a country club. Moving on to the Umgeni River, she became revered by Zulus and Xhosas alike. Finally she arrived in East London in March 1931. Despite her having been declared Royal Game (and thus protected) by the Natal Provincial Council, she was shot by hunters a month later. After a public outcry, the hunters were arrested and fined £25. Huberta’s body was recovered and sent to a taxidermist in London. Upon her return to South Africa in 1932, she was greeted by 20,000 people and can now be seen in the Amathole Museum, in King William’s Town.
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