Mongalo and Sharks players on the same page
A SENSE of brotherhood is the key ingredient to the success the Sharks are enjoying in the Currie Cup, according to their coach Joey Mongalo.
This Friday the Sharks travel to Welkom to play the bottom of the log Griffons and the expected win would extend their run to six matches without a defeat.
That run has propelled the Sharks to second on the Currie Cup log (behind the Free State Cheetahs on points difference) and with three rounds to go they have just about banked a home semi-final.
Something that has stood out in Mongalo's selections is that he has stuck to the same group of players, even with some senior players available following the end of the Sharks' United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
Mongalo, who has a Master's degree in Organisational Psychology, explains that he made an agreement with the players at the start of the Currie Cup. “There was never an intention to make big changes,” the 38-year-old says.
“In order to gain trust from this group of men, we made agreements with them in the beginning that they're the Currie Cup group and that we'll be sticking with them for the duration. For us to go back on our word now just because of the temptation of a few URC players being available would possibly dismantle this team. “It's about us staying true to our word and the dream we sold to them.”
Mongalo is fast attracting attention as a coach on the rise. He is hungry and passionate and the word he used to describe his agreement with the players is “covenant”. "I like the word covenant, it's that depth of relationship that's been built over the season," he said. "I've learned that anyone can coach technical stuff like attack and defence. Group dynamics are what makes or breaks a team.
"If the tightness of the group isn't established, there are difficulties," he stressed.
"It's like a family relationship and it's been important to see how that needs to filter through in this context as well, for everyone to feel part of an intimate group. "That has been more important than anything technical. That's my biggest learning. The relational side is arguably more important."