'It was the turning point': Sharks boss opens up on that forward pass
SPOTLIGHT: Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell says his team’s disallowed try midway in the second half against Toulouse was the big “turning point in the game”.
The Sharks were knocked out of the Champions Cup after they suffered a 20-54 defeat at the Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse.
Despite the big points margin, the Sharks were well in the fight by the last quarter and they could have had Toulouse on the ropes if the referee had not spotted a “forward pass” in the build-up to Grant Williams’ second try.
Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi had danced his way through the defence and handed off to Williams to score, but the try was cancelled out by referee Karl Dickson. Replays showed that Williams’ pass to Thomas du Toit at the base of the ruck earlier in the play went marginally forward.
“Walking into the changeroom after the game it was dead quiet. You could see the disappointment on the guys’ faces,” said Powell.
“For most of the game, we were really in it. I think the turning point was that try that was disallowed because of a forward pass.
“I think if we scored, we probably could have gotten a bit of momentum and tried to stay on top of them and try to finish strong, but unfortunately the try was disallowed.”
#ICYMI: The Sharks have been knocked out of the Champions Cup after they suffered a 20-54 defeat to Stade Toulousain π#ChampionsCup #Toulouse #Sharks #TOUvSHA https://t.co/s1mSOTbOuK
β rugby365.com (@rugby365com) April 9, 2023
Showing some fight
Powell was proud of his team’s character in the match, especially against a powerhouse like Toulouse.
“It was a big effort and a big fight,” said the Sharks boss.
“The guys tried hard and they left everything out there on the field.
“I think just from my side it was too many mistakes again, especially if you get into the knockout stages.
“It is really important to be a lot more clinical and limit your team and individual mistakes.
“Unfortunately, we werenβt as clinical as we hoped to be, especially in an away game against a really good Toulouse team that understands what it takes to be successful.”
Powell added: “I felt we really gave it our all and we were in it for probably 67 minutes and then unfortunately we couldnβt finish it.
“We will have to get over the disappointment and move on because the next game [against Benetton] in the URC is on Friday.
“We will have to leave everything here and close the door and get on the plane and make sure that we shift the focus back to the URC.”
@rugby365com
π₯ ππππ π₯
An unreal try for @SharksRugby π¦
The steps from Curwin Bosch. The pace from Grant Williams. Sublime π#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/w3omuG9FJ2
β Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2023
