The Hollywoodbets Sharks might have lost by a solitary point in their opening Carling Currie Cup clash with the Fidelity ADT Lions on Friday evening, but on the evidence of their showing, there is plenty more to come.
Hollywoodbets Sharks Currie Cup Head coach JP Pietersen admitted after the match how disappointed he was that the team lost, but felt there is plenty to be proud of.
“We wanted to win, it’s a tough pill to swallow because winning home games is even more special,” he said. “But we can be extremely proud of the young guys who put their hands up, there were a lot of nerves in the beginning but this is a talented group and the nice thing about the youngsters putting their hands up is that it lights up the senior players, showing a love for the game and they showed a lot of passion.
“There was a lot of heart shown. Before the game we showed the team the history of the Hollywoodbets Sharks and what it means to wear the jersey and what a privilege it is.
“You could see that the guys were hungry and we now have a good reference point from where we want to work.
“And it’s just the start. It’s the first game together as a group, an opportunity now to work towards next week’s game against Griquas in Kimberley which is going to be a tough task.”
With all the youngsters making their debuts at a senior level, Pietersen was taken back to his own days as a 19-year-old, first playing for the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
“Dick Muir told me then that there was no such thing as too much or too little experience, if you’re ready, you’re ready to play.”
One of those youngsters clearly putting his hand up is Eighthman Nick Hatton who has been thrown the added responsibility of captaining the side.
“Nick has shown excellent leadership qualities from his schooldays, and not just as a leader, but as a good rugby player. He achieved a lot in this game,” Pietersen concluded.
Hatton was a disappointed captain following the result, but praised his team for their determination, character and bravery in fighting to the very end to wrestle the result in their favour.
“It was as tough one first game up, but we really gave it a full go and fought, we’re just gutted that we couldn’t get over the line for the fans,” he said afterwards.
“We’re blessed to have quite a few experienced guys with leadership who are showing us the way, both on and off the field. They bring the calmness for us youngsters to go out and express ourselves.”
Despite the loss, it’s still early days in the tournament and the former Hilton College Head of School believes there are numerous positives to take out of the game.
“We showed a lot of fighting character, we stayed in the fight to the end, and scoring four tries is also good. Defensively, we were good in parts, so there are definitely a lot of positives.”