Sharks coach John Plumtree was as dumbfounded as he was disappointed after his team exploded into a 20-point lead in the first half only to sink without trace in the second in their United Rugby Championship tour opener against Connacht.
The Sharks were on fire over a 30-minute period in the first half, scoring 27 unanswered points.
But the only points they could score after half-time were via a last-second penalty by flyhalf Siya Masuku to salvage a losing bonus point as they went down 36-30 in Galway on Saturday night.
Fullback Jordan Hendrikse had also goaled a penalty in the first half – a monster effort from about 63m on the angle, which was reminiscent of his remarkable 59m kick in the Currie Cup final at Ellis Park recently, but it was not enough to help the visitors emerge victorious.
Jordan Hendrikse launching rockets into space 🚀@Vodacom #URC | #CONvSHA pic.twitter.com/lqbzlnBiS1
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) September 28, 2024
It is difficult to comprehend how a Sharks team that had dominated the Irishmen in the first half were rendered toothless in the second.
“We started pretty scratchy (going down 7-0), but once we got our game going, we were pretty good,” said Plumtree.
“We did some good stuff and we built a good half-time lead (27-7).”
In their first-half blitz, Springbok centre André Esterhuizen was hugely impressive. The Connacht defence struggled to contain him, and he barged over the whitewash for two tries.
The Sharks pack got on top, and there were good shifts from veteran lock Gerbrandt Grobler, hooker Dylan Richardson and Tshituka brothers Emmanuel and Vincent.
But the foot then came off the accelerator.
“After half-time it looked like we were low on energy, and we got quite slow,” Plumtree said.
“Suddenly it was us getting cleaned out at the breakdown, and the physicality wasn’t quite there.
“Connacht got their tails up, and they probably played a little bit different in the second half. They kicked over the top of us and tried to come through us.”
The reversal of fortunes up front was reflected in the efficiency of the Connacht maul as a weapon.
“That fact that we couldn’t stop their maul tries was a big part of the game, so we have got to take the lessons in this part of the world where the maul is a big part of the game,” Plumtree said.
“The reality is that if we don’t get our breakdown and set pieces right, then we will struggle.
“We will learn from all of that and look forward to this week’s game against the Dragons.”
Connacht have become the Sharks’ bogey side — the Irish outfit have beaten the Durbanites in four matches in succession.
Now Plumtree will hope his team can turn things around against the Dragons at Rodney Parade in Newport on Saturday (6.15pm kick-off).
Points-Scorers
Sharks 30 – Tries: André Esterhuizen (2), Gerbrandt Grobler. Conversions: Siya Masuku (3). Penalties: Jordan Hendrikse (1), Masuku (2).
Connacht 36 – Tries: Dave Heffernan (2), Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings, Oisin Dowling. Conversions: Josh Ioane (1), Forde (3). Penalty: Forde (1).