Hollywoodbets Sharks Currie Cup coach JP Pietersen thinks a shift in mindset can help his team turn around their poor start to the season following a 21-31 loss to the Pumas at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday.
The hosts trailed 0-24 at the break after conceding four first-half tries, with three coming in the opening 15 minutes. Pietersen reflected on that difficult opening period but emphasised that there are ways forward for his side.
“It’s obviously disappointing to start a game like that. As a group, from our standard, it’s not acceptable. It hurts a little bit.
“They’re a young Sharks team. Like I said previously, the balance we need, with a bit of experience and a bit of excitement. But the fight the young men showed today [was great]. If we start well, we can do a lot of things well. If you look at Pumas, they were in the final [last year]. So they’ve got a championship team; they know how to win and how to take opportunities.
“For us as a group, a lot of positives in the second half that we can build on going into the Lions game.”
With the Durbanites now reeling from three successive opening defeats, they next face the Joburg outfit at Emirates Airlines Park this Saturday and the former Bok winger thinks a change in mentality could be the momentum swinger his side needs.
“Three very tough losses and very close losses. What we can work on as a young coaching staff is to encourage them more and just to tell them that they can win a game, and that they have to believe that they can win.
“I think there were four of them today that made their debut, and just to see the faces and how disappointed they are. But also, in their heart they are very excited to wear the Sharks jersey with pride.
“From my side, it’s the mindset and belief that they can win. They’ve got the ability to win, they understand rugby. It’s just to make them believe that they can win, and as a coaching staff we can do that. You never know what’s around the corner.”
