Harlequins coach on Sharks clash: 'It was an opportunity missed'
REACTION: Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson said his team made life too easy for the Sharks in their Round One Champions Cup encounter in Durban on Saturday.
The English side scored five tries against a Sharks side, which included Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, but they still ended up losing 31-39.
The Harlequins were dominant in the final quarter after the Sharks were reduced to 13 men when Bongi Mbonambi received a yellow card before Ox Nche was sent off for a head-on-head tackle.
Three tries from the visitors reduced the deficit to a single point with two minutes remaining.
The Sharks closed the deal, though, with Boeta Chamberlain completing a fine move down the right.
“The word ‘soft’ is probably a bit harsh but often it was either multiple penalties or errors that gave them really easy opportunities and good teams take them,” Matson told reporters after the game.
“I think we are all really frustrated because it was an opportunity missed.
“We missed opportunities to play our game, so it will be a frustrating one to debrief.”
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#REACTION: Neil Powell defends his player 👇#HeinekenChampionsCup #Sharks #Harlequins #SHAvHAR https://t.co/bRqrVOtmyE
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A tough challenge
Harlequins captain Alex Dombrandt agrees with his coach’s analysis of the game.
“Firstly, it has been a great week in South Africa. It has been great for us to have a mix-up and spend a week in Durban,” said Dombrandt.
“Obviously, 30-degree [Celsius] heat makes a change from the minus score back home, which has been nice.
“They [Sharks] sprung no surprises on us. We knew they were going to be a physical team.
“They were lucky with being able to bring back their Springboks, so we knew it was going to be a tough challenge.
“They are a classy outfit and it was probably quite frustrating and an opportunity to win was missed.”
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