Sharks pained at their last-gasp loss
SHARKS director of rugby Gary Gold has apologised to supporters and taken responsibility for the team’s failure to qualify for the Currie Cup play-offs following their draw against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
He also promised a “proper post-mortem” on what’s gone wrong and his best endeavour to “fix it”.
It was the first time in a decade that the Sharks had failed to reach the knock-out phase of the competition.
The Sharks needed a win against the Cheetahs and were 14 points ahead with seven minutes to go. But in a finish that summed up their season, the Sharks allowed the Cheetahs to score two converted tries in that time to snatch a draw and the last remaining semi-final spot.
The Cheetahs will now play against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday, while the Blue Bulls host the other semi-final against Western Province.
“There are no excuses,” Gold said yesterday.
“The supporters, and ourselves, believe that a play-off qualification is a minimum requirement and we’ve fallen short.
“I offer my humble apologies to the supporters. At the end of the day, I have to take responsibility for this and I’m not prepared to offer excuses. There are no excuses.”
He acknowledged that “a lot of people” were angry with him and his role in the Sharks’ disappointing season, but he said he would “take the punches” and, in response, encourage the critics not to give up their hopes of the team improving.
“They’re a wonderful bunch of guys,” he said. “We’ve just got to man-up next season. That’s the beauty of sport – you get another chance next season and I am confident we’ll rectify this.”
Commenting on the season in general, Gold said: “At a time like this when emotions are high and supporters are angry, we have to face the facts, and the facts are that we didn’t take our opportunities.
“If the supporters think they’re hurting, I can assure them that we’re hurting a lot more.”