Latest news with #JPPietersen
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
JP Pietersen praises resilience of young Sharks in close call against Cheetahs
The Sharks XV suffered another loss against the Cheetahs at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont on Saturday. Sharks XV coach JP Pietersen praised the resilience shown by his young Currie Cup team in fronting up to the Free State Cheetahs, despite suffering a third loss on the bounce in the competition on Saturday evening at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont, west of Durban. "Obviously we didn't get the result but immensely proud of the team. It's been tow tough weeks. We stood up today against a well-coached Cheetahs team, fronting up on our home ground in showing the performance that we did today," the coach said after the match. The home team lost the closely contested match 7-5, with a missed conversion denying them at least a share of the spoils against their more experienced rivals. "The game was obviously won and lost defensively. You can see both teams defended well but the Cheetahs took the opportunity," Pietersen said. "It was just unfortunate we couldn't get our continuity on attack. We did some very good things on attack, we just couldn't get continuity. "But it takes time to build cohesion, to get a feel (for each other). Vusi Moyo was new at 10, Marnus Diego was new (at centre). It takes time, so I'm extremely proud of the group today."
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Sharks XV look to energise their game with home support in unknown Clermont
Sharks XV coach JP Pietersen says his team will look to their passionate home fans for extra energy when they take on the Cheetahs XV in the Currie Cup on Saturday in Clermont. Image: BackpagePix The Sharks XV hope the support in Clermont's Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium will aid them in their search for a first Currie Cup win when they take on the Cheetahs on Saturday afternoon (5.10pm start). It's an unknown stadium for both sides, but the home team will look to their passionate fans to provide some extra energy to their players as they look to shake off two demoralising losses in the opening stages of the tournament. They are sitting with a points difference of minus 105 and at the bottom of the log with zero points. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Head coach JP Pietersen believes taking the game to the community could aid the side as they look to break their duck in the competition. 'It's great that we are taking the game to the community and hopefully inspire future players,' Pietersen said. 'You never know, you may find a future Makazole Mapimpi coming from there, so it is a good initiative from the Sharks and Durban Tourism to take the game to the people. We are expecting a lot of 'gees'. They must come to support and cheer for us. We have a lot of young players and need that support. 'If the people can come out in their numbers, it would help the team a lot and urge the guys to play the game as they want to put some joy on the people's faces. The guys are excited, there's been good energy in training, and we're looking forward to seeing what this team can do at home.' Pietersen is hopeful the halfback combination of Junior Springbok flyhalf Vusi Moyo and scrumhalf Bradley Davids can spark the team on the attack. They've only scored five points in their first two games, but they do have the players to open up the game with their abilities. Davids is known for his sniping runs around the rucks, while Moyo loves to take the ball up into contact, and he possesses the ability to put the centres into space with his runs and offloads. We're taking the game to Clermont 🖤🤍 🗓️: Sat, 09 August 🕰️: 17H10 🏟️: Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium FREE ENTRY #CarlingCurrieCup #CurrieCup #SHAvCHE — The Sharks (@SharksRugby) August 7, 2025
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sharks maintain selection strategy as Junior Bok star gets first start
SA U20 flyhalf Vusi Moyo earns his first start for the Sharks as coach JP Pietersen continues backing youngsters despite two heavy losses. The sharks are sticking with their approach of giving youngsters a chance, believing the long-term rewards outweigh their short-term challenges. The Sharks lost their first two Currie Cup matches heavily (46–5 to the Lions in Joburg and then 64–0 to the Bulls in Pretoria). The Gauteng sides have opted to back more senior, though fringe, players, and this has worked well for them in the competition. The two sides each have 10 points after bonus-point wins. The Sharks, however, sit with no wins and a points difference of -105 with five games to go. Believing their strategy of building depth will pay off in the prolonged seasons ahead, they opted for another young and relatively inexperienced side to play the Cheetahs on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm). Vusi Moyo earns first start This means that Vusi Moyo, who shone in the Junior Springboks' World Rugby U20 Championship title win, receives his first professional rugby start after playing off the bench against the Bulls. He is one of the many bright lights emerging from the U20 side, a flyhalf with excellent composure in front of posts, slotting kicks from even over 50m. He replaces Jean Smith, who will play from the bench, and teams up with Sharks vice-captain Bradley Davids at nine. When asked about this, coach JP Pietersen said after scoring just five points in two matches, the Sharks were desperate to find combinations that would yield fruit. 'We are just trying combinations with Bradley [Davids] and [Vusi] Moyo and then Jean [Smith] and Ceano [Everson] off the bench,' Pietersen said. 'See if they can enlighten the team and give us more of an attacking opportunity or something that can spark the team. 'We don't have a lot of time. We hardly had a pre-season. So in quite a short amount of time, we need to look for solutions.' Sharks back their youngsters for future rewards Another SA U20 player, Matt Romao, features in the side that has seen some chopping and changing for the Cheetahs. See the Sharks' matchday 23 here. 'Every union has their own plan,' the Sharks coach added. 'If you look at us and Western Province, we have a plan where we want to develop youth, get growth for our United Rugby Championship because we know it is a long competition. 'You can see the Bulls and Lions have a different route, and only time will tell which is the right way.'
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sharks coach believes they can turn Currie Cup campaign around
The Sharks are bottom of the log with -105 points difference, but JP Pietersen has hope they can still challenge some teams in the coming weeks. Sharks coach JP Pietersen said the mood in the camp is not all doom and gloom, and they are still backing their youngsters to develop over the season, and potentially even turn their Currie Cup campaign around. The Durban union, and defending champions, suffered heavy defeats to the Lions (46–5) and Bulls (64–0) in their opening matches and sit bottom of the Currie Cup table with a points difference of -105. After those losses against the Gauteng sides, who are using more senior, though fringe, players, the Sharks play their first match in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend. They host the Cheetahs at their less-frequently used Sugar Ray Xulu stadium in the Durban township of Clermont on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm). 'The boys are disappointed' After naming another young side that included several changes to the one that lost so heavily at Loftus, Pietersen said it had been a week of reflection. 'Obviously, the boys are disappointed,' he said. 'There's not much more you can say as a coach – it's just be positive and help lift them up. There are still a lot of games left in the competition, there are only two games behind us. 'It wasn't a good enough performance. We did reflect and it was good words we've been talking about. So hopefully we can turn things around.' With five regular-season matches left, Pietersen said the squad had honest discussions about what they could fix. They also welcomed a talk from head coach John Plumtree, who oversees the Sharks' United Rugby Championship and other European campaigns. To that end, Pietersen reaffirmed their approach to back younger players, developing depth for the long seasons ahead. Sharks could turn Currie Cup around with Cheetahs win 'Yes, it's not working now. But you never know, it may work this weekend,' the Sharks coach said. Pietersen added it was hard to play catch-up in the tournament, but if they have a good result against the Cheetahs, they will be back in the competition. He called the Cheetahs 'a bit of an unknown' thanks to their new coaching staff headed by Frans Steyn. 'They didn't get a result against Boland, but gee, they played well against Pumas. They had some exciting plays, very good in the set-piece. With Victor [Sekekete] there and the exciting nine they have [Jandre Nel]. 'You can see that is the type of game they want to play. They want to speed the game up, play quickly with the nine.' Sharks XV: Jaco Williams, Phiko Sobahle, Diego Appollis, Marnus Potgieter, Yaw Penxe, Vusi Moyo, Bradley Davids (vc), Nick Hatton (c), Matt Ramao, Tino Mavesere, Corne Rahl, Gideon Koegelenberg, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Jacques Marais, Phatu Ganyane. Bench: Willem van den Hever, Simphiwe Ngobese, Dian Heunis, Coetzee Le Roux, Jannes Potgieter, Ceano Everson, Jean Smith, Albie Bester.
IOL News
03-08-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Sharks will rise again, says JP Pietersen after Currie Cup annihilation at the hands of the Bulls
JP Pietersen is looking for answers after a bruising 64-0 Currie Cup loss to the Bulls at Loftus — the biggest defeat in the rivalry's history. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix A proud former Springbok, JP Pietersen cut a disconsolate figure after his Sharks side were smashed 64-0 by the Bulls in a second-round Currie Cup fixture at the weekend. What made it worse was having to sift through the wreckage in search of positives. Sharks director of rugby John Plumtree has tasked Pietersen with treating the Currie Cup as a development platform to unearth players capable of competing in the United Rugby Championship (URC). While that broader vision holds merit, it doesn't make the weekly hammerings any easier to bear. Pietersen has effectively been asked to take boys into battle against men — and it shows. The Sharks have conceded more than 100 points in two games, and the scale of the Bulls' demolition job was the heaviest defeat between the sides in the tournament's history. The bigger challenge is public perception. Sharks fans, largely unmoved by long-term planning, only see the scoreboard — and their frustration is mounting. 'It is a tough one,' Pietersen said with considerable understatement. 'Our chief objective is to develop players. The URC is a long season, and the Sharks want to increase their depth. A number of our players will be away with the Springboks. 'Our opponents over the last two weeks, the Lions and the Bulls, maybe see things differently if you look at their starting line-ups.' The plan, as Pietersen explains, is to find players now who can tour Europe when the URC resumes. 'We have goals to win the URC and/or the Champions Cup,' he said. 'Plum is looking for players capable of touring in the URC after the Currie Cup. Discovering players up to that task is our chief objective.' There were, at least, small flickers of defiance in the closing stages at Loftus. With fears mounting that the Bulls might hit triple figures, the Sharks rallied to stem the bleeding. 'We were better in the final quarter,' Pietersen acknowledged. 'Will we turn it around? I believe we will. There will always be a fight from us. We will have a full crack at the Cheetahs next week in Durban. 'As a coach, you hurt for the players. It is hard to see your players broken in the change room.' Pietersen admitted his side had been physically dominated.
