Informed critics predicted that an exhausted Sharks team would battle against a desperate and winless Benetton side yesterday but few could have predicted the scale of the capitulation.
The Sharks perished 38-10 in Treviso in their final tour game and coach John Plumtree returns to Durban this week with unanswered questions about what is, effectively, his back-up squad.
To be fair, it was predicted that Plumtree’s team would be found flat-footed after six weeks of travel that began with the Currie Cup semi-final in Pretoria, took in the final against the Lions, and has concluded with United Rugby Championship matches overseas against Connacht, the Dragons and the Benetton.
That is a marathon of matches away from home and after Pretoria, Johannesburg, Galway and Newport, the Sharks were tired in Treviso, while the home team was massively motivated to win after a poor start to the URC.
Benetton are not far off the Italy team that earlier this year in the Six Nations beat Scotland and Wales and drew with France.
Still, the Sharks were not expected to fall away as they did and at halftime, they were down 24-3. They are renowned for blitz periods in which they score a flurry of points but this week the rally did not come. They had nothing in the tank.
Not in the first half and not in the second half and a consolation try by substitute prop Ntuthuko Mchunu a few minutes from full time did not camouflage how listless the Sharks were.
Captain Vincent Tshituka was at a loss in trying to explain his team’s embarrassing loss to the team that had been bottom of the table.
“It was a disappointing performance and nowhere near our standards,” the flank said.”We were dominated in every area; we were pressured into making mistakes and lost the territorial battle.”
Disconsolate coach Plumtree admitted his team was never in the game.
“We were not clinical enough in most areas and that meant we never had enough possession and territory to be threatening,” the coach said. “The unenforced errors kept coming and we were not good enough to finish anything off.
“Benetton were outstanding on defence and when they had the ball they were good and cashed in on their opportunities.
“We looked tired and could not do anything today,” Plumtree concluded.
Those words said it all and Plumtree now has the quandary of how best to filter back into the match 23 his 10 Springboks who had been resting after the Rugby Championship.
This week, it is a massive game against reigning champions Glasgow in Durban and the coach has to bring back most of his Boks given that the current team clearly is exhausted.
Plumtree said on the eve of this match that he would only make decisions on who to recall based on how the team went in Treviso.
Well he is wondering no more and is forced to bring back his Boks sooner that he would have liked.
If the Sharks had performed well against Benetton, Plumtree would have bled his Boks back into action over the fortnight of this week’s Glasgow game and the following week’s biggie against former champions Munster.
He will feel the pressure now to rush them back et al.
Scorers
Sharks — Tries: Ntuthuko Mchunu. Penalties: Siya Masuku. Conversions: Masuku.
Benetton — Tries: Paulo Odogwu, Rhyno Smith 2, Ignation Mendy, Leonardo Marin. Conversions: Jacob Umaga (5). Penalties: Umaga (1).