Six straight wins, but who’s counting? Mangalo keeps Currie Cup table-topping Sharks grounded

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Six straight wins, but who's counting? Mangalo keeps Currie Cup table-topping Sharks grounded
Six straight wins, but who's counting? Mangalo keeps Currie Cup table-topping Sharks grounded

Africa-Press – South-Africa. Sharks head coach Joey Mongalo insists he’s not paid attention to his team’s six consecutive victories that have taken them to the summit of the Currie Cup log.

The Sharks started the campaign on a rocky note after losses to the Griquas and the Lions, but Mongalo’s men affected a massive turnaround following their loss to the Bulls in Durban mid-April, which is the last time they tasted defeat.

Since then, the Sharks exacted revenge on Jake White’s team at Loftus and defeated the defending champions, the Pumas, and Cheetahs twice in their six-match winning run. They also got their own back on Griquas in the return fixture at Kings Park.

But Mongalo, whose team is one victory away from confirming their place in the semi-finals, says he’s not counting the wins in their hot streak.

“I don’t even count the wins,” said Mongalo.

“It feels like when you’re playing golf and you’re hitting the ball nicely. You start to think, ‘I’ve made six pars in a row. If I make a couple of birdies, I’m going score under 70’. That’s when you normally see your backside and make a double [bogey].

“We’ve got little things that we’re trying to tick all the time and we’re getting closer and closer to the perfect game.

“And if we can get to the perfect game soon, it’ll be a great thing for this campaign.”

The Sharks host the Lions at Kings Park on Saturday at 19:05 knowing a tricky test awaits them against what is essentially a United Rugby Championship (URC) and Challenge Cup outfit.

But the Sharks have held their own against similarly strong teams, like the Bulls, who have fielded first-choice teams since the back end of their European competitions.

Mongalo has blended his Currie Cup stars well with some experienced URC big-hitters and resisted the temptation to overhaul the team in the lust for big name starters.

As such, he’s had buy-in from his young core, as well as some club players from the region. Mongalo credited his coaching staff and players for the lovely mesh the Sharks are enjoying in the Currie Cup at the minute.

“The coaching staff that’s around us, they’re phenomenal people,” Mongalo said.

“We only got to know each other this year, but the way we’ve bonded, it’s almost been like a mother and a father in a house. And that’s reflected in the players, not that they are kids.

“I want to thank them. It’s a bunch of players who, in the Currie Cup, have not had the rub of the green in the last three or four years.

“But now, the fact that they were willing to put away some habits and behaviours from the past that weren’t able to help them get to where they are now and to take on new things, that shows a massive growth mindset in the playing group.

“There’s a massive resilience in them and that’s the biggest growth in our group – we’ve become more resilient.”

Teams

Sharks

15 Nevaldo Fleurs, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Murray Koster, 12 Alwayno Visagie, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Tiaan Fourie, 8 Henco Venrter, 7 James Venter, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Reniel Hugo (captain), 4 Ockie Barnard, 3 Ntuthukho Mchunu, 2 Dameon Venter, 1 Dian Bleuler

Substitutes: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Marco de Witt, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Marnus Potgieter

Lions

15 Quan Horn, 14 Boldwin Hansen, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Darrien-Lane Landsberg, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Morne Brandon, 1 Rhynhardt Runsburger

Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Morgan Naude, 18 Asenathi Nthlabakanye, 19 Raynard Roets, 20 Emmanuel Tshituka, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Andries Coetzee

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