John Plumtree disappointed Sharks did not finish job in rain-drenched draw with Dragons

The Sharks have banked their first two United Rugby Championship log points but will be kicking themselves for not having doubled that tally after a 17–17 draw with the Dragons in Newport on Friday night.

Sharks fans around the world were left wondering why their team didn’t take the points in such a tight contest — with rain and wind lashing Rodney Parade — instead of repeatedly kicking for the corner. Conditions were dreadful, yet several of the penalties awarded were certainly within range.

Mind you, there was some curious decision-making from the home side, too. At fly-half, they had former Pumas player Tinus de Beer, an accomplished all-round kicker.

At the end of the game, with the Dragons camped on the Sharks’ tryline, De Beer was standing deep in the pocket, shouting for the ball so he could slot a drop goal. The pass never came, the move broke down, and the chance was lost.

“The horrible conditions meant it was always going to be a forward battle and about taking opportunities, so I’m disappointed with a 17–17 result given our scrum dominance,” said coach John Plumtree. “We could relieve pressure with our scrum and create pressure with it.

“I was proud of how the boys held on under pressure defensively at the end. I’m also disappointed that we conceded soft tries. All in all, I’m proud of the effort and the fight, but we can feel a bit let down that we didn’t finish the job.”

The Sharks should never have found themselves in such a tight position on the scoreboard, given their huge superiority in the set scrums. The Dragons were pulverised from the first scrum to the last.

The Sharks’ front row of Simphiwe Matanzima, Fez Mbatha and Ruan Dreyer — backed by the beefy second-row pairing of Marvin Orie and Deon Slabbert — reigned supreme.

In truth, the Dragons stayed in the contest only thanks to the Sharks’ generosity, with both of their tries as soft as they come.

At one point, the penalty count stood at 11–3 in favour of the Sharks — with a whistle going their way virtually every time there was a scrum — suggesting they should have won comfortably. Yet they couldn’t translate their dominance into points.

The Sharks started brightly, with eight minutes of early pressure culminating in Orie crashing over for the opening try. The former Bok lock delivered a busy and physical performance.

Unfortunately, that early good work was undone when a gap in the defence allowed Wales No 8 Aaron Wainwright to canter through for an easy score.

Sharks captain Vincent Tshituka then crossed for his second try in as many games to hand his side a 17–14 lead at half-time. It looked as if the Sharks would pull clear after the break, but the combination of worsening weather and questionable decision-making prevented them from doing so.

The Dragons, meanwhile, extended their winless run to 19 matches. The Sharks now travel to Dublin to face a Leinster side expected to welcome back most of their Ireland internationals.