The difference between winning and losing is often in the little things and this was the case when the Cell C Sharks lost by the narrowest of margins to DHL Western Province in Wednesday’s Carling Currie Cup coastal derby.
Following on from his team’s one point loss, Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt expressed his disappointment after his team had fought hard to outscore their opponents 4-2 in the try count.
“We knew it was going to be a tight game, the last two times we’ve played each other there were three points either way after winning here and losing in Durban, and it was a one-pointer in this game,” he said afterwards.
“So yes, we are disappointed because we did so much right in the first half and we gained ascendancy in our mauls and won the set-piece battle. But unfortunately in the last 20 minutes it fell apart.
“We have to be better than that if we want to win games against good teams like Western Province.”
A lot went right for the Cell C Sharks, lineouts have been under scrutiny but were near perfect, there were scrum penalties for both sides and other encouraging signs including a lowered penalty count and outscoring Province in the try department. But once more, it comes back to those little margins which can punish a team, even one on top.
In Everitt’s honest assessment, he admitted that, “When you look at how close the scoreboard was, you can manage the game accordingly but I don’t think we handled the Province kicking game well in the second half and they kept us in our half of the field. We were dangerous in the first half because we converted most of the opportunities that we had which is something we’ve been working on. It’s very pleasing.
“Then the lineout fell apart in the last 20 and when your maul is functioning and you’re winning clean ball, you can always earn penalties to put yourself into the right position on the field. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, so we need to have consistency off the bench.
“It is disappointing because I thought we did enough to win the game, unfortunately the error rate was high. But the penalty count was good, we conceded 10 which is a big improvement from the 16 conceded in the Rainbow Cup. But the error rate of some individuals certainly put the team under the pump.”
There was positive news as far as the predicted deluge was concerned and the game was played in cold, but dry weather which added to the spectacle. Further was the gains enjoyed from the pack at maul time where they reaped rewards for accuracy and determination.
“I was quite happy that it didn’t rain because it would have been more messy and we had expected bad weather so something like mauling was part of our plan. The players were admirable in that department for the first 60 minutes and then due to system errors and individual mistakes it fell apart.
“I thought when we executed the maul well, it worked.”
As far as the team is concerned, Everitt suggested that there is a lot right about the path they’re on.
“There is a tremendous amount of pride within this group. I said it when I came in as coach that I didn’t want the public to be critical about would be a lack of energy, drive and motivation.
“This team, regardless of the result brings has definitely not lacked in those departments. I’m proud of the boys and how they turn up week in and week out.”
The post Small Margins appeared first on The Sharks.
It has certainly been a tough two years for club rugby and somehow they have managed to survive under the most trying conditions with this terrible pandemic. It is just such a pity we cant just give Covid 19 a red card and ban it for ever.
With that two Fidelity Services Premier Division games were played last Saturday, which saw SA Home Loans Durban Collegians travelling to face FNB UKZN Pietermaritzburg at the Peter Booysen Stadium on the Maritzburg Varsity Campus in the Capital and coming away with yet another convincing win beating the students 62-7.
In the final analysis it is quite clear, having watched the Pietermaritzburg side in their two opening round games they are simply under prepared and after being very competitive in the first half fade abysmally in the second session, which could be a lack of fitness levels.
In the end it was lock Kelvin van Selm who led the eight try surge crossing for two touch downs while Deucullen van de Merwe, Percy Mngadi, James Wheeler, Bennie Mashabane, Tagan Strydom and Etienne Ries crossing for the rest. Duncan Campbell completed the scoring with his trusty boot.
Collegians none the less will be a little concerned as like a number of the other clubs don’t have t
he depth the used have with their second stringers not looking as convincing in their 22-10 victory over the students from the Capital.
Up in Richards Bay the Zululand home side beat a vastly improved Amanzimtoti outfit 41-24 after the hosts led 26-12 at the break
Richards Bay seconds beat the South Coast Terriers 25-0
In the only First Division game Westville Old Boys showed once again that they should be in the Premier Division with yet another runaway victory beating Drakensberg in Winterton 56-0
There will be a 14 day break due to the emergency Covid 19 shutdown and please stay safe.
The post FIDELITY SERVICES CLUB RUGBY appeared first on The Sharks.
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Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: The Golden Mile is traditionally Durban’s most popular tourist attraction, and has had many incarnations over the decades, from the sedate promenade where elegant Victorian and Edwardian ladies and gentleman used to enjoy an afternoon stroll, to the vibrant and colourful spot it is today. Its profile may have changed, but one constant has remained throughout the years – the Zulu Rickshaw Runners. Durban’s first 10 rickshaws were imported from Japan in 1892 by sugar magnate, Marshall Campbell. To everyone’s astonishment, they rapidly became a popular mode of transport in and around Durban and soon crowded the streets of the city. In those days, being a Rickshaw Runner – the man who pulled the rickshaw cart – was a (comparatively) well-paid and sought-after position. The City proposed that these men wear simple calico uniforms, which they embellished with traditional Zulu adornments, giving rise to the now-famous Durban rickshaw dress. Today, rickshaw men are an indelible feature of the Durban beachfront!.
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