Springbok legends Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers have laid into the Sharks after another costly Vodacom URC collapse, blaming poor discipline and game management.
Friday night’s loss to Edinburgh extinguished the Durbanites’ last remaining hopes of making the top eight, regardless of what happens in their remaining home games against Benetton and Zebre in the coming weeks.
Head coach JP Pietersen boasts one of the most star-studded squads in the competition, and speaking to De Villiers and Hanyani Shimange on the Boks Unpacked x The Verdict podcast, Burger said the Sharks’ latest outcome has become part of a worrying pattern in the URC era.
“They’ve only got themselves to blame,” Burger said. “If they got away with five points on tour – a win and a losing bonus point – and then play Zebre and Benetton at home, there’s a good chance they would still qualify for the top eight.
“It seems to be the trend of every URC. As soon as we get to the back end of the season, we’re talking Sharks.
“With that squad, it’s another disappointing season,” the two-time SA Rugby Player of the Year added. “Things will have to change because it can’t keep going on this way.”
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The Sharks’ failure has sparked major frustration given the calibre of international talent at the club, which includes several World Cup-winning Boks.
De Villiers said the team’s temperament and inability to convert pressure into points ultimately proved fatal.
“I feel with the Sharks, game management discipline and also discipline in terms of conceding penalties and yellow cards, has just been frustrating to watch,” the former Bok and Stormers skipper added.
“It seems like they play their best rugby between the 22s and as soon as they get into the opposition 22, they can’t do anything.”
De Villiers described the Sharks’ season as a massive underachievement: “Extremely disappointing to see a stacked side like that not progress to the top eight.”
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