Sharks are close to turning the corner warns coach
REACTION: The Sharks XV may have slipped to a second successive Currie Cup defeat on Saturday, but head coach Mike Vowles believes his side is edging closer to turning competitive performances into victories.
The Durban outfit went down 28-36 to the Stormers XXIII at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, but the final scoreline failed to tell the full story of a contest in which the visitors created enough opportunities to challenge for the win.
After suffering a disappointing defeat to the Cheetahs in Round Two, the Sharks came out firing against their coastal rivals, crossing for the opening try inside the first five minutes.
They managed to secure a losing bonus point, but Vowles admitted his side paid the price for missed opportunities at key moments.
The Sharks also had a try ruled out after officials spotted a knock-on in the build-up, leaving the visitors to reflect on what might have been.
“If we had nailed those, we could have had a 14-point swing in the game, which would have swung a bit of momentum our way,” Sharks Currie Cup coach Mike Vowles said.
“I think if you score just before half-time, you always go in feeling pretty positive about the next 40 minutes. So that missed opportunity took away a bit of momentum.
“And then, obviously, that try that was disallowed straight after half-time, again, it felt like a bit of a sucker punch.”
Despite collecting just one win from their opening three matches, the Sharks coach insisted the team is making steady progress and believes results will soon follow.
“I just said to the team now in the changing room, you’ve got to believe that the momentum will swing in our favour.
“We’ve been highly competitive in the games and, if one or two things go our way, it’s a different result. In all three games we’ve been competitive up until that last quarter, and then having to chase the game obviously makes it difficult.
“But I do feel we’re close. I think the group is still finding each other. I know we’re three weeks in, but it is a relatively new group.
“The more we play and the more time we spend together, I do believe that things will turn.
“So we’re close. Like I say, those two moments before and after half-time, it could have been a different game for us.
“I’m just incredibly proud of the group and how they continually fight throughout the 80 minutes.”
There is certainly reason for optimism within the Sharks camp.
All three of their opening fixtures have come away from home, making for a demanding start to the campaign. Their schedule now eases slightly with a return to Durban, where they will host high-flying Boland at Princess Magogo Stadium next weekend.
A victory over one of the competition’s early pace-setters would provide a timely confidence boost.
Vowles believes the challenging travel schedule has also brought positives, allowing the squad to grow closer away from the field.
“Any team that you get at home, you know that their performance is always going to be slightly better than when they travel. That’s just the nature of the game.
“I’ve said previously, you can view touring in two ways.
“One, you can see it as a negative, that you’ve got to travel and there’s all this kind of stuff, or you can frame it positively.
“And for us to tour early in the campaign, we use it as an opportunity to connect as a group, spend time together and try to build that cohesion that we’ve spoken about.
“So although the results haven’t gone our way, there’s a lot of stuff that’s gone on off the field that I think has really contributed to that fight and to the character of the team.
“So it has been tough on the road, but it’s also allowed us the opportunity to collectively find each other and build a bit of cohesion in the group.”
Sharks captain Thomas Dyer echoed his coach’s sentiments and is excited about finally returning home.
“It’s always tough to play away, and they [the home crowd] are always get fired up.
“But we’re really looking forward to having some home games and playing in KZN again.”
