Cape Town — The Pumas will be highly motivated, well-coached and looking for revenge so Joey Mongalo’s Sharks will have to be at their best in Durban as they prepare to host the reigning Currie Cup champions in the semi-final on Saturday
And the coach of the Durban side will also not be surprised if the Pumas make use of his side’s massive loss against Western Province this past weekend, to motivate them further ahead of the play-offs.
A Sharks side, with 14 changes in the starting team, lost 44-5 against WP in Cape Town on Saturday, as Mongalo rested his front-line Currie Cup players ahead of the semis.
They already secured the home game for Saturday and that gave them the luxury of resting the players who have won seven games in a row in the domestic competition.
“I don’t think the Pumas will lack any motivation, What we did tonight (Saturday) might spur them on a little bit more, and they will have a sense of belief (that they can cause an upset) that we have to deal with,” Mongalo said.
The loss means the Sharks finished second on the log, and a home final, should they progress, is not a guarantee. The Cheetahs, who face the Bulls in the other semi-final, pipped the Sharks to first place.
Mongalo, though, is not too bummed out about losing out on finishing first, and he took full responsibility for the result on Saturday.
“The tough part is, nobody guarantees you the final (if you end first). So if you look at Leinster, they win every game and go through. They’ve earned themselves, in inverted commas, a home final. Then they get knocked out in the semis.
“Last year, if you look at (the) Currie Cup, the Cheetahs finished first, they played against the Pumas who finished fourth and they lose the thing. If it is guaranteed that you finish first and you are guaranteed a final, like no-holds-barred, it’s yours. Then I will say 100% do it.”
Mongalo said his thinking around the changes was with his player’s well-being in mind after playing for 14 weeks straight, without a breather and no easy games.
He pointed out that even the Griffons fought bravely, and in their last match against the Lions came close to an upset. The Griffons’ only win in the Currie Cup came against the Bulls.
“Every week was like a Test match that you must win and win and win. We were probably the only team that went into today (Saturday) that could rest players. So if you have that competitive advantage and you don’t use it, then I have to look at myself and say ‘how am I thinking about this’ and ‘am I giving this group the best thing’.
“I understand there will be people who are disappointed we didn’t represent ourselves well, and it hurt a lot of people. I never in my life want to coach a Sharks team that performs like that.
“We had a competitive advantage and used it. If we sit here next week at 5 o’clock and we didn’t win, I have to wear it. If I did what everyone has been doing their whole lives, we will never know
“I want to be a leader that is not monotonous and says and does the same stuff. I want to back my gut and what I think I understand about the game.”
IOL Sport
