Gold: It has been no picnic

 

The Sharks have seen a number of high-profile coaches come and go – some in dramatic fashion – through their door in the past three seasons.

 

It all began with the arrival of CEO John Smit, who threw out former head coach John Plumtree in controversial style. Then followed the appointment of World Cup winner, and his former coach at the Springboks, Jake White.

 

White only lasted a season before he left the Sharks under another cloud of controversy – in the wake of their failure to make it past the Super Rugby play-offs last season.

 

Gold's arrival in Durban was not a typical one, with the Japan-based coach only making his appearance a week before the team kicked off their Super Rugby campaign – missing the entire pre-season build-up.

 

"It has been a tremendous challenge, I am not going to lie," Gold said of his time so far in Durban.

 

"The transition of the coaches over the last couple of years has not helped, because it has been major changes. 

 

"I was also not able to be here in pre-season, or post the last regime.

 

"When I got the call, I had an obligation to someone else that I was not going to drop – so I missed the entire pre-season."

 

Gold admitted that having time with his team in the pre-season would have allowed him to perfect his gameplan for the opening weeks.

 

However, he has had to tinker it along the way.

 

"For me, having to pick up the pieces, to understand what was being implemented [in pre-season], to get an understanding of it all and to come to terms with what they were trying to do, has been a challenge," he continued.

 

"You can spend six or eight weeks in pre-season debating what you want to achieve on the rugby field, and then by week three you are 100 percent settled, and then you have two more weeks to implement things.

 

"For me though, Week One was my first week on the job, you pick up from what you have got."

 

Although it has not been an easy road for the former Springbok assistant coach, he was not using this as an excuse to his torrid start.

 

"For me it has been a challenge, but it is no means an excuse," Gold said.

 

"They are a great bunch of players, and the irony is, I am happy with what they implemented without me. I am not pointing fingers.

 

"For me it has been a challenge, and there are small little nuances that I may, or may not, have done differently.

 

"But as time has gone by I am making small changes as we go along and now that our backs are against the wall, we are changing to improve. 

 

"This transition has been a tough transition, and of course, the bottom line is we are not winning games we should be winning. 

 

"We are also dealing with the unbelievable tsunami of discontent and negativity from the public – which is part and parcel of the job – but you have to deal with that while trying to do your job.

 

"The transition has been difficult, but as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I am not dead yet."