JP Petersen admits the Sharks were given a harsh lesson by the All Blacks at Kings Park on Tuesday night, but believes the experience will prove valuable as his young side continues its build-up to the United Rugby Championship season.
The Sharks were thrashed 54-0 by New Zealand in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash, with the hosts holding the All Blacks at bay for periods of the opening half before the visitors took complete control after the break.
Petersen, however, was reluctant to dwell on the scoreline, pointing instead to the significance of his players sharing the field with one of the world’s premier Test sides.
“The scoreline is not nice to see, but the boys fought from minute one to minute 80,” Petersen said. “It’s good to see in the change room and after the game how the young okes interacted with the props opposite them and just talked about the occasion.
“They said they never could have imagined something like that, playing the All Blacks in Kings Park.”
The Sharks are in the middle of pre-season preparations and Petersen acknowledged that the gulf in match fitness and cohesion eventually showed. After trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Sharks struggled to match the All Blacks’ pace and intensity as fatigue set in, with injuries and cramping further hampering their efforts to stay in the game.
“We couldn’t match their speed in the second half,” Petersen said. “We were just behind in everything they did, every breakdown, every offload, every ball on the floor. They were just getting every offload.”
The conditions also provided another valuable lesson, particularly in the kicking game.
Petersen praised Ruben Love, Jordie Barrett and Damian McKenzie for how effectively they exploited space in the backfield with their kicking game, while admitting the Sharks’ own kicks were often too long and failed to give them an opportunity to contest possession.
“We struggled more with our kicking game. Our kicks were too long, but when we did contest, we got the reward.”
There were positives, too, with Petersen highlighting the fight shown by his young replacements and the scramble defence that prevented the All Blacks from adding even more points.
The match also provided an important learning opportunity for a new-look back three, with Zekhethelo Siyaya, Donovan Don and Litelihle “Lili” Bester playing together for the first time.
“They will learn. It’s something they will take on the chin and get better,” Petersen said. “Hopefully come the start of URC season, we’ve got everything fine-tuned.”
Another memorable aspect of the evening was Ma’a Nonu’s response to the All Blacks’ Haka. The 44-year-old, who is spending three months with the Sharks as a mentor, performed the Haka back at his former team.
Petersen said Nonu had consulted with the All Blacks about the tradition before deciding to respond.
“He said to do the Haka back is a sign of respect to the All Blacks, and it’s beautiful that he did the Haka,” Petersen said. “I got goosebumps when I saw it.”
For the Sharks, though, the bigger takeaway will be the lessons learnt from a rare opportunity to measure themselves against the All Blacks before returning to the hard work of pre-season.
