Umaga admits Blues were ‘embarrassed’ in Sharks loss
Tana Umaga started with as much positivity as he could muster, but eventually even the Blues coach had to concede a 63-40 home defeat to the Sharks had been flatout ‘‘embarrassing’’.
It might have been the truest thing said all week from within the Blues camp, as New Zealand’s perennial Super Rugby underachievers continue to promise a lot more than they deliver.
Last night at Eden Park they served up a shockingly two-paced performance in which they leaked just too many points against a side not exactly renowned for running up the big numbers. The Sharks had mustered just 31 points in their previous two matches on this tour down under, both defeats in Australia, but found scoring all too easily against the brittle Blues.
Both teams ran in six tries apiece, but the difference was the deadly boot of Sharks flyhalf Robert du Preez who amassed 38 points on a perfect night with the boot, scoring a try, and slotting seven penalties and six conversions.
It was the Blues’ fourth defeat in five matches this season, and leaves them hopelessly adrift at the bottom of the Kiwi conference with just six points.
‘‘We got the effort,’’ said Umaga afterwards, as he reflected with as much positivity as he could muster. ‘‘We were asking for urgency and we had plenty of will and want. Yet we’ve got to learn – we’ve got to be patient in what we do, not give away such a lead and then expect to get back and chop them down later on. It just makes it hard for us.
‘‘The execution of our game-plan wasn’t the best as well, and our wayward kicking. We don’t help ourselves in that respect. Our game understanding and awareness is still a big work-on.’’
So, was shipping 60-plus points good enough at this level?
‘‘Not at all,’’ replied the Blues coach. ‘‘Scoring 40 is good but leaking 60 is not. It’s not just a system thing, it’s an individual thing. Errors, discipline, letting them off when we’ve put pressure on them and letting them get into spots that make it difficult for us.
‘‘The big thing we’re working on is when to play, when not to play, and where to play from. It’s an understanding of the game.’’
Asked if this next block of matches for the Blues, at the Chiefs on Saturday night, then at the Sunwolves in Tokyo, and back at home against the Highlanders, was the most important in this coaching group’s time at the franchise, Umaga nodded in acceptance.
‘‘We’ve still got 11 rounds of footy to get through. We’ll take the learnings out of this. Obviously it’s an embarrassing one for us. We prepared well and I think you can say the effort was there, it’s just the polish on our effort and getting the rewards for that effort they’re putting in. We’ve got to get it right, but it’s within us. I have total faith in that.’’
Umaga said it had been disappointing to waste a flurry of scoring early in the second half, where the Blues turned a 26-7 halftime deficit into a 28-26 lead with three quick strikes on the back of a yellow card to Sharks wing Sbu Nkosi. ‘‘We went away from what was working for us. We were attacking, then there would be wayward kicks. It was just that game management, and feeling the momentum of the game and who’s on the front foot. If it’s us then let’s keep pushing, and if it’s not us we’ve got to be patient.’’
Umaga was unsure how serious Melani Nanai’s ankle injury was, but was more certain of the extent of the challenge next week against the Chiefs. ‘‘This competition is unforgiving. We know we can score points, but it’s how we stop them.’’
Sharks coach Robert du Preez was a happy man after doubling his win tally for the season ahead of a daunting fourth match on tour, against the Hurricanes in Napier on Friday.
‘‘We needed this win to turn our campaign around,’’ he said.