Sharks’ European Dream Ends As Pietersen Laments Second-Half Collapse

Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach JP Pietersen pointed to a lack of concentration and poor discipline as the catalysts for his side’s 29-12 defeat to Connacht in Galway on Friday night.

The loss officially ends the Sharks’ EPCR Challenge Cup campaign following their Round of 16 exit.

The Sharks conceded 22 unanswered second-half points, having led 12-7 at the break – which, according to Pietersen, gave the team lots of confidence. However, they went on to finish scoreless in the second half for the second consecutive match, following their home victory against Cardiff.

“Obviously disappointed to finish the second half like that. We set ourselves up with a good first half, dominating the territory and possession,” said Pietsersen. 

“Going into half-time 12-7 up gives you a lot of confidence heading into the second half.”

“In the second half, we lacked concentration, which let us down. Giving away penalties for them to kick into the corners, which puts us under pressure,” bemoaned Pietersen. 

“They took their opportunities when they came into the 22.”

Despite the immense disappointment, Pietersen highlighted several positives – something he believes bodes well for the Sharks’ remaining fixtures as they push to secure a place in the United Rugby Championship top eight.

“It’s a disappointing feeling. There are lots of positives to take from the last four games we’ve got,” added Pietersen. 

“Two of them are up here in the North against Ospreys and Edinburgh. We can take positives from our first half in terms of how we played the game and managed the conditions.”

Pietersen has placed significant emphasis on restoring resilience within the squad and reinstilling pride in the jersey – qualities he believes were evident in this performance.

“In the end of the game as well, we never gave up,” he said proudly. “We could have lost by 50 points with the possession and territory they had. It shows there is grit and fight in the group as well, and that is something we can work on.”

The Sharks will now turn their full attention to the final four matches of the regular URC season. After their away fixtures in Europe, they will conclude their campaign at home against Benetton and Zebre, with Pietersen expressing confidence in their chances.

“Going forward, we want to put a collective 80 minutes together to set us up for a good performance. It’s what we’ve been asking for.”

“We’ll go all out in the last four games. There is an opportunity to get 20 points, which could set us up for a top-eight finish.”