The Sharks coach said Jordan Hendrikse should not be judged harshly for his missed kicks, as Lions flyhalf Chris Smith also missed two.
Sharks interim head coach JP Pietersen said he was proud of how his players fought in their one-point defeat to the Lions, despite playing at home against a team that was down to 14 men for 20 minutes.
The Lions won the United Rugby Championship local derby 23–22 at Kings Park on Saturday after racing to a 15–0 lead in nine minutes, conceding two tries while flanker Ruan Venter was off the field for a dangerous tackle, and then snatching the lead again with a corner try after the hooter.
The Sharks looked the better of the teams at times, but three missed conversions and two disallowed tries cost them. They at least earned a bonus point for scoring four tries while the Lions scored three.
The result ended the Lions’ three-game losing streak, while the Sharks’ two-match winning run came to an end. It was Pietersen’s third match in charge of the Sharks, and his first defeat.
‘I’m happy we came back’
The coach said Jordan Hendrikse should not be judged harshly for those missed kicks, as Lions flyhalf Chris Smith also missed two. Furthermore, the Sharks would not rue their decision to go for a lineout when three points were on offer because anything could happen in rugby, and the Lions made the same decision once, which also came to nothing.
“We live and learn. In hindsight, we take the three points, they miss the kick and we win. (But) I won’t say that is the defining moment of the game,” said the interim head coach.
“I’m happy we came back into the game from 15-0. I’m proud of the boys for their fightback and the way we played.
“But it’s rugby, it’s unpredictable, and the local derby is always unpredictable. We must give credit to the Lions. They have been good. When they got opportunities, they used them.”
‘The Lions were just better’
Pietersen said the Sharks beating the Saracens and Bulls before the game, and the grit they showed against the Lions, denoted that a change in their fortune was just around the corner. In the meantime, they were still struggling in the URC and Champions Cup.
“You can just feel, it is coming. [The defeat] will take time to process. But like I said, I am proud of the boys. They give everything on the field. The Lions were just better.”
Pietersen said one of the work-ons would be starting matches better. The penalty and two tries the Lions scored in the first nine minutes gave the Sharks a hill to climb from the get-go.
“If you start better, you set yourself up to better close games off,” Pietersen added.
