Sharks can use Toulouse experience to galvanise URC challenge

According to Cell C Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell there was a massive sense of disappointment in the change-room after his team’s defeat in the Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinal, and it should not be surprising.

Seldom has a team given as much as the Sharks gave as overwhelming underdogs in Toulouse and still ended up shipping over 50 points. And Powell is right when he says it was never a 54-20 game, with his team being in the battle right up to the 67th minute, when they trailed by just six points.

“It was a big disappointment. Walking into the changeroom after the game, it was dead quiet. You could see the disappointment on the guys' faces and in the environment in the changeroom,” said Powell after the game.

He agreed too that there was a massive turning point. Had Grant Williams been awarded his second try, and it was only as Curwin Bosch was about to kick the conversion that the referee bowed to the crowd noise and the TMO found a marginal forward pass, that it was disallowed, the Sharks could well have pushed mighty Toulouse close. Even won the game.

That Toulouse were stretched to breaking point at times when the Sharks came on them was mirrored in the expressions of the home team’s coaching staff when the French side finally got more than a score ahead with just over 10 minutes remaining. It was a look of absolute relief. And it was then the Sharks gave up the ghost and ended up losing by a wide margin that flattered the hosts.

“For most of the game we were really in it. The turning point was that try that was disallowed because of a forward pass. I think if we scored that we probably could have gotten a bit of momentum and tried to stay on top of them to finish strong in the game,” he said.

“But unfortunately the try was disallowed. I feel that was probably the turning point in the game. Despite falling flat at that was a big effort, big fight. The guys really tried hard and they left everything out there on the field.”

There have been times recently when Powell and the Sharks have appeared to be in a state of denial when they’ve said things like that, but not this time. It was a supreme effort and the intensity and physicality that has been so often lacking was there in spades. So was the attacking shape and the willingness to take on the opposition.

Of all people it was in fact Curwin Bosch who led the way as an attacking player, although it was his counter-attacking that really stood out, and Supersport studio analyst Nick Mallett has a point when he suggests he should be tried again as a fullback. He certainly looks the part.

Siya Kolisi and Sikhumbuzo Notshe were also good, and although Powell didn’t mention it, Notshe’s try that was disallowed in the first half was also a marginal call. Had it been awarded, and had the referee even bothered to check with the TMO, the Sharks would have gone 10-0 up.

But the fact the marginal calls do go against visiting teams in European competition, and particularly in the vociferous environment at a French venue, should not be new to the Sharks. And as Powell says, they should just work on being more clinical next time.

What the game showed was that this Sharks team, which will be a full strength unit for the rest of the season, does have it in them to challenge strongly in knock-out games in the URC, regardless of where those games are played.

Right now the Sharks are struggling just to make the play-offs and indeed qualify for next year’s Champions Cup, but their two remaining league games are at home to Benetton on Friday and then Munster, who they beat comprehensively in the Champions Cup two weeks ago. Win those and they are in the play-offs, probably finishing as high as fifth, and then they do have an outside chance of winning away knock-outs if they learn from the experience of Toulouse.

Disappointed as they may be, it was also a performance they could take confidence from. If they can retain the intensity of the first hour and ride it as momentum into the business end of the URC season they may yet make something of their current campaign.