‘It’s pretty poor’: Pietersen laments Sharks’ failure to step up
REACTION: Sharks coach JP Pietersen conceded that a lack of leadership in key moments cost his side dearly as they slumped to a 22-34 defeat against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The loss not only dented their momentum but also ended their hopes of retaining the SA Shield and Pietersen did not shy away from calling out the shortcomings.
“It’s pretty poor if you look at our performance,” he said. “We did some good stuff, but we can’t back it up.”
While a yellow card to scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse proved a turning point, the Lions striking twice during his absence, Pietersen refused to use it as an excuse.
“Is it only the yellow card? I don’t think so,” he said, pointing instead to basic errors, including a kick-off that slipped through Aphelele Fassi’s legs. “Those are controllables. If we gather that ball and go forward, it’s a different ball game.”
More concerning for the newly appointed permanent head coach was his side’s inability to convert possession into pressure and pressure into points.
“We never turned pressure into points. We were just absorbing pressure,” Pietersen admitted.
With several senior Springboks absent, he acknowledged the team lacked direction when it mattered most.
“The other individuals need to step up. Some of them are in transition and learning to become leaders, but that’s part of the process.”
Captain Vincent Tshituka echoed the sentiment, lamenting a string of compounding errors.
“It was error after error, and we couldn’t build positives in a row. We also lost the contestable battle, and that came back to bite us.”
There was, however, a bright spark in 21-year-old Jurenzo Julius. Shifted to inside centre, he impressed with his defensive steel and attacking intent.
“He was very good today,” said Pietersen. “If he can master 13 and 12, he’s a proper weapon for us.”
The Sharks now face a daunting trip to Loftus to meet the Bulls, with Pietersen promising a hard look at the soft moments that continue to undermine his side.
“The boys are hurting,” he said. “We’ll re-look at what we can do better.”
