VIDEO: The big Leinster trap the Sharks fell into
As the hackneyed proverb says: ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’
However, it appears the Sharks did not heed the apprising of Director of Rugby Neil Powell, who gave his team a heads-up of the pressure they were to face at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.
The Durban-based franchise encountered an in-form Leinster, who scored five tries as they secured a home semifinal with a 35-5 victory.
Grant Williams’ 10th try of the URC campaign saw the injury-hit Sharks strike early, but Makazole Mapimpi’s yellow card in attempting to stop Caelan Doris’ score was followed by two more converted efforts from Leinster.
Michael Milne and Jordan Larmour both crossed to establish a 21-5 half-time lead, with further seven-pointers from Max Deegan and replacement Jamison Gibson-Park putting the Irish province through to face Munster next week.
Powell said that having analysed Leinster’s games this season, when they were at full strength, they often ‘force’ teams into conceding yellow cards through constant pressure.
(Article continued below the Neil Powell interview …)
“In the last four games – before our match – they forced the opposition into conceding seven yellow cards,” the Sharks boss said.
“The only team that only conceded one yellow card was the Stormers in their 22-all draw [back in March].
“We knew they play a pressure game that forces you to make mistakes and concede yellow cards.
“They did it to us and it was a bit frustrating that we conceded yellow cards,” he said of the Makazole Mapimpi (13th minute) and James Venter (76th minute) sin-binnings.
“But that’s how good they are as a team.
“They get on top of you and stay on top of you.
“They penalise any mistakes you make and we felt it.”
There was also a needless late yellow card by loose forward James Venter, which killed all hope of a comeback.
The Venter faux pas also saw the Sharks’ second try – by replacement Rohan Janse van Rensburg – wiped off the scoreboard at a time when the visitors looked like the game could be heading for a tense finish.
Had the try stood, the score would have been 14-28 with just on 10 minutes remaining, following a period of sustained pressure by the Sharks.
However, the hosts scored a fifth try at the other end not long after the flank struck an opponent on the head in a ruck.
“They’re a quality side,” Powell said in his post-match reaction.
“We had a great start but, unfortunately, the yellow card we conceded in the first half was costly,” Powell said of Mapimpi’s sin-binning in the 13th minute.
“They scored two tries in that time.
“Even at half-time, [trailing 5-21] the guys still had the belief that we can be competitive in the second half and have a chance to be successful.
“But it came down to opportunities – the one just before half-time, even three points would have made a difference as it would have taken us to within two scores instead of three.
“It’s small things in a game that give you belief and momentum and get you into a positive mindset.
“We just weren’t clinical enough.
“We missed a few opportunities in the first and second half.
“If you concede two yellow cards against a quality side like Leinster, they are going to punish you for it.
“They actually scored three tries in the 20 minutes we only had 14 players on the field.”
@rugby365com
