John Plumtree believes a step-up from his second-stringers is needed for the Sharks to match the resilience of the DHL Stormers.
The Sharks suffered a 25-21 defeat to the reigning SA Shield champions, after trailing by 15 points early in the second half at Kings Park on Saturday evening.
There were promising signs for the hosts, especially in how the bench changed the game, with returning Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi scoring a try, while debutant flyhalf Siya Masuku looked electric with ball in hand.
“The Stormers, where they are right now as a team is where we want to be,” Plumtree said. “They worked really hard defensively.
“We created a couple of opportunities, but we didn’t finish them off. They scrambled back and were able to stop us. That’s why they are where they are.
“It’s a tough outfit. I’m just happy we never gave up. We came back into the contest at the end. We didn’t execute that lineout which was a coach killer, but that’s the way it goes.
“I just want us to get better and better and improve. It’s frustrating for me, because I haven’t had the opportunity to work with our full-strength pack, especially in these big derbies.
“Our boys tried real hard today. But there’s a difference between our first group and second group in what we’ve got. That’s a real challenge for us. We need to do well without our Springboks. We’ve had a lot of key players injured this year.
“If we can get more of them back, I reckon we will be a force. But we aren’t there yet. We will get there.”
The defeat has left the Sharks at the bottom of the table, with just one win in 10 games.
At this stage, it looks unlikely that Plumtree’s side will sneak into the URC’s top eight, which means that winning the Challenge Cup is their best chance of securing a place in next season’s Champions Cup.
“We know the opportunity that we’ve got in that space,” Plumtree said. “We’ve got a round of 16 game here and if we win that, then we get a quarter-final and travel overseas for the semi-final.
“When you get to that quarter-final stage, everyone wants to win it. So it will be a tougher competition. Teams are also dropping down from the Champions Cup. If we get through a tough quarter-final here, if we get that opportunity, then we have a tough semi-final and final.
“I’m trying not to stare too much into the crystal ball. I’m not worried about the Challenge Cup right now. The more immediate things to pay attention to is our recruitment, learning more about our players and coaches and letting them learn more about me.
“I’m not making excuses here, but everything about this season has been about jumping into a cold bath. We’ve been working with a new coaching team, us getting to know each other, there have been a lot of injuries, the World Cup Springboks have come back late. So it’s been tough logistically for many reasons.
“It will be easier next year.”
Photo: @THESTORMERS/Twitter
