Defence coach Joey Mongalo says the Sharks still have a “10% chance” of reaching the Vodacom URC playoffs.
The Sharks are coming off a 21-17 defeat to the Ospreys in Swansea that all but ended their hopes of finishing in the top eight. They are 11th on the log, 11 points behind the eighth-placed Bulls, with three rounds remaining.
To have any chance of qualifying, the Sharks will need to win their remaining three matches, starting with Friday night’s clash against Edinburgh at Hive Stadium, before returning home to face Benetton and Zebre. They will also need teams above them on the log to slip up.
Despite the odds, Mongalo insists the team is not giving up.
“After losing that game, we thought we were dead and out of the URC. But if you look at it now, we’ve still got a 10% chance,” he said on Tuesday.
“What we’ve said is, imagine you’re on your deathbed and you thought you were gone, but someone tells you you’ve got a 10% chance of living – that’s our chance of making the playoffs.
“So we need to play with that desperation. The desperation of someone fighting to stay alive is how we need to approach this game.”
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Mongalo believes the Sharks’ performance last weekend provided enough encouragement, despite the result.
“We had a really honest and good review after the Ospreys game. We felt it was an opportunity where we left a whole bunch of chances out there,” he said.
“Our systems and processes got us into scoring positions, but we just couldn’t get over the line.
“We created a lot of opportunities and kicked really well, so we felt we had enough territory and possession to win that game.”
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The Sharks now face 12th-placed Edinburgh, coached by former Sharks boss Sean Everitt, who edged Zebre 31-30 at home last weekend.
The KwaZulu-Natalians have won their last two matches at Hive Stadium by narrow margins – 22-19 in 2023 and 18-17 in 2025 – and Mongalo expects another tough challenge.
“Edinburgh are a good side at home and very different to how they are away from home,” he said. “They’re a proud team and the Hive is a tough place to play, with strong support behind them.
“So we know it’s going to be a hostile environment, but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.
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“If we can produce a similar performance in terms of effort and physicality – which we thought was really good against the Ospreys – then we’ve got a chance.
“We know there’s more in us. Hopefully on Friday night we can bring that physicality and effort.”
Photo: Geraint Nicholas/Gallo Images
The post Mongalo: Sharks on deathbed but still alive appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
