Sharks need to sharpen up

 

The Sharks were made to face themselves in many respects with the Brumbies still holding onto facets of their old coach's teachings.

 

There was a massive 93 kicks in general play and just one try – the result of two White-patterned teams religiously sticking to their game plans.

 

The Sharks boss was under no illusions going into the game, knowing it would be an arm-wrestle until the final whistle.

 

"It was never going to be pretty," the former Brumbies coach said. 

 

"I knew that. I know how the Brumbies play.

 

"I just can't understand it. I thought they [the Brumbies] just played no rugby, they were boring," he joked.

 

The Sharks usual reliance on their kicking game was tested with the likes of Mogg, White, Toomua and Lealiifano fronting up masterfully to Springbok seige-gun-boot of Frans Steyn who was decidedly off-color.

 

Steyn battled with his kicking in the first half, sending a penalty kick dead, a kick-off out on the full and three penalties away from the posts.

 

The World Cup winning coach knows all about the importance of momentum both within games as well as for the competition as a whole.

 

"We had our chances in the beginning to get the scoreboard rolling and maybe create a bit of distance, but we missed those," White added.

 

"The game goes in momentum. When we had the momentum we lost it and when they got the momentum they took charge of it. 

 

"Everything went according to plan. I just felt when we had the momentum early on to convert into points, we didn't take it.

 

"I'm sure we'll play the Brumbies again this year so you'd rather win the next one."

 

The Sharks next face the Crusaders in Christchurch who are coming off an emphatic win against the Reds away from home, demolishing the Queensland team 57-29.

 

The Sharks will have to pick themselves up smartly after this narrow loss if they are to gain momentum for the back-end of the season.

 

Mercurial players like Steyn, in pivotal positions, like flyhalf will need to be back to their best to beat a Crusaders team that are looking very potent once again.