Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford says that if he looks back at the season he has to admit that it was a disappointing campaign.
Rugby 365 reports that Bashford says that this Super 14 tournament for the Sharks was one of highs and lows, a lot of promise, hype and expectation, but sadly, it didn’t quite end where everyone would have liked
“Definitely from our side, if we look back, it’s a season where we failed,” Bashford told the Sharks’ website.
“If you look back to where we were on the log and the way we started the campaign to where we finished, it’s hugely disappointing, everyone’s gutted.”
One of the major contributing factors to finishing outside the top four was the injury toll. However, Bashford stressed that while injuries are something that you have no control over there is no hiding behind that.
“The problem was not the volume, but rather the length we had to key players. It was always going to be difficult, like any side, dealing with injuries, but I think if we also look back, we’re disappointed with some of our performances,” he explained.
“We were creating opportunities but not finishing. So yes, we did have injuries, but we created enough opportunities in the campaign with those injuries to perform better and possibly finish off higher up the log.”
Three of the Sharks’ games resulted in narrow losses [by 1, 3 and 4 points] and could have gone either way; it might have been a different story.
“Yes, if you looked at the games against the Waratahs and Crusaders where we certainly created enough opportunity, we pretty much felt we had played enough rugby that we could win comfortably,” he said.
“But unfortunately through errors we let ourselves down, and there is a fine margin between winning and losing in this competition, and it’s often minute. You need a bit of luck, sometimes you need to create your own luck, sometimes you get opportunities that if you take you win, and if you don’t, you lose, it’s as simple as that.”
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talk about an understatement
Three of the Sharks’ games resulted in narrow losses [by 1, 3 and 4 points] and could have gone either way; it might have been a different story.
And not to even mention the two that they should have won and lost by anything but a narrow margin. (31-6) (25 – 13) 🙁
All coaches are the same…
“I don’t want to use injuries as an excuse” (but I am going to anyway…)
“Some games could have gone either way” (we were just not good enough to ensure it did go our way…)
“We botched too many opportunities”
Hell, if we merge this document to substitute Sharks for Stormers, one would be forgiven to believe it is Rassie talking here!!!
@Morné (Comment 3) :
No there is no talk about how awesome our tight five is, so it can’t be confused for being rassie. 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) :
But there was talk of how awesome your backline was… 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : Put it that way and we should have ended on top undefeated!!!
There is not just one incident that you can say cost us the season and say oh bad luck, see you next year.
Its the whole season! Not getting bonus points early in the season, no replacements for injuries, no kicker, same game plan week after week, losing to bottom teams, losing by a point or 4, playing players out odf position and out of form …
understatement of the year. you fools should have seen the warning signs after the first game and fixed them. if the fans saw them why couldn’t you guys? it is your job to fix problems, but your heads were so deep in the sand you couldn’t. let this be the final lesson to you guys. johan is a shit captain. get backup at ten fifteen and seven. sort out the basics. knock ons were unacceptably high.
ok got that off my chest.
@try time (superrugby’s kryptonite is SANZAR) (Comment 8) :
Now you just have to deal with your shoulder. 😛