Sharks head coach JP Pietersen said finishing in the bottom half of the United Rugby Championship table, and missing out on the play-offs, was hugely disappointing.
The Durban side lost 33-28 to Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Friday night, ending their chances of reaching the play-offs with two matches still to play.
With 36 points, 10th-placed Sharks are technically within 10 points of Munster, the Bulls and Connacht, but their odds of qualification are now negligible, especially with Connacht set to host Munster next week, ensuring at least one rival gains points.
After a strong start since taking over from John Plumtree in December, Pietersen now has seven wins from 14 matches. Overall, the Sharks have won just six of 16 URC games this season, all in South Africa.
Their record reflects a poor European campaign, finishing fifth in their Champions Cup pool before dropping into the Challenge Cup, where they were beaten 29-12 by Connacht in Galway.
End of the road
Pietersen said the Edinburgh defeat was especially hard to take after a tight first half.
The Sharks were level at 14-all at the break but conceded three unanswered tries to trail 33-21 for nine of the last 10 minutes. A late Vincent Tshituka try added some respectability and secured two bonus points.
“Obviously, I am very disappointed with the result. Two matches on the road that I felt we could have won, especially this one that seemed closer,” Pietersen said, referring to their 21-17 loss to Ospreys in Swansea the week before.
“The top eight is out of reach now, and by our standards, to finish outside of the top eight is hugely disappointing.”
Edinburgh sink Sharks
Pietersen said the Sharks started well with a penalty and Edwill van der Merwe’s try, but errors proved costly.
“In saying that, we gave away two tries in the first half through soft moments. At times, we didn’t manage the game well. We gave away soft penalties and easy exits in our half.
“When we got the ball, we didn’t kick it out, which would have given us control. We kept it in play, which put us under pressure and resulted in them scoring.”
The bench lifted the side in the second half and Vincent Koch’s try put them 21-14 ahead.
But the Sharks failed to deal with a kick-off, allowing Mosese Tuipulotu to score, before two more tries, one from a charge-down, buried them.
“We could have won the game with better control, kicking in the right areas and making better decisions on the night, but that is easier said in hindsight.
“We are learning as a group. This group is learning to win. My job as the coach is to get this group of players to believe and to convert these opportunities into winning games. I am committed to doing this.”
The Sharks coach said a positive was how 18-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya fought in defence to the very end.
