Du Preez: Things will get better

DURBAN: A week after the emotion of a Super Rugby quarter-final defeat at Ellis Park, the weekend’s immediate downscale to a Currie Cup match against the Pumas was always going to be a game the Sharks simply wanted to get out of the way before properly focusing on the new competition.

“It was a tough week from a few points of view, but we stuck to it and things will get better now that the initial transition from one competition to another is out of the way,” coach Robert du Preez admitted after his team had gained maximum points in beating the Pumas 29-0.

“Coming off such a big game (the disappointment of losing the quarter-final to the Lions) and then immediately having to play again was tough and there was the reality we lost seven players (to Europe and Japan), so there were a few new combinations.”

The Sharks have said farewell to lock Etienne Oosthuizen, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and prop Lourens Adriaanse (all to Europe, and for good), plus Japan-bound flank Philip van der Walt, lock Stephan Lewies, wing Lwazi Mvovo and centre Andre Esterhuizen (all back for Super Rugby next year).

Still, the Sharks put together a decent side and they will get better after the dust settles on the start to the Currie Cup, and the competition gains momentum.

“The first half was not good (3-0 at halftime), we made so many errors, but the second half was much better,” Du Preez said. “I was very pleased with the quality of the four tries we scored, and we kept them out. Keeping them tryless was one of our goals. We did not want to let them score, and that happened.”