With around 25 Hollywoodbets Sharks players unavailable due to injury or national commitments, the match against the All Blacks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park was always going to be a baptism of fire for JP Pietersen’s youthful team
Throw in heavy rain and the conditions suited the tourists way more than the home side.
For the Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach, while they showed immense fight and the occasion was historic, it was tough to watch his young team lose.
“Looking at the scoreboard, it’s not nice to see, but the boys fought from minute one to minute 80 and seeing the young, inexperienced guys interacting with the older ones in the changeroom afterwards was special,” Pietersen said afterwards.
“They spoke about the occasion, they could never have imagined something like this, playing the All Blacks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.”
Reflecting on the game, he explained that:, “At 14-nil at half-time, we knew it would be difficult to stay with them. They’re a team with cohesion, we’re six weeks into our pre-season and they play with confidence; it showed in the second half.
“Our mindset in the game was to have a go, to try put pressure on them as much as we could, and I think we did that in the first 15 minutes. But we couldn’t convert to get over the line.”
Pietersen admitted that in a game of two halves, his young side, halfway through their pre-season, were understandably not at the same match fitness level as a team that has been preparing for this tour for some time.
“We did what we could, but couldn’t match their speed in the second half, we were behind in everything they did. Every breakdown, every offload, every ball on the ground. We were just way off the pace in the second half.”
The weather conditions certainly didn’t help his team and he pointed out that, “The conditions are part of the game, but we just struggled more.
“On one side you have the experience of the All Blacks and our youth, and it was clear how they exposed the backfield with their kicking game which turned us and put us under a lot of pressure. They played so well in the conditions while we couldn’t exit or get control of the kicking game.
“And we couldn’t get any scrap on the floor, they were just one step ahead of us.”
Ma’a Nonu has come to Durban and his impact is already being felt.
“He’s been good to the group, especially the backs, he’s been a great addition, off the field with how to prep, how to get mindset ready.
“With the Haka, he had a chat with the All Blacks, with Tana Umaga, about the traditional and the response, and that doing the Haka back to them was a sign of respect, and it was beautiful that he did it.
“He was nervous doing it himself, but I got goosebumps watching it.”
For captain Nick Hatton, it was a deeply special occasion, one he acknowledges is rare around the world.
“It wasn’t really just another game, as a club to play the All Blacks is really special and something not many clubs get to do, that was really cool.
“It was also very emotional singing the national anthem and watching the Haka, and then seeing Ma’a Nonu’s reaction to their Haka.
“But we are very disappointed with the way the second half went, the goal was to go for gold and put in a stronger performance than we did. But we’ll learn a lot having played a side like the All Blacks.”
