Sharks coach reflects on difficult loss to Connacht

Mongalo has taken charge of a depleted Sharks squad for the short trip to Ireland, while Director of Rugby Neill Powell stays behind with his Springboks In Durban to prepare for their European Champions Cup clash against the Bordeaux Begles next week.

The tourists were outplayed by the Irish outfit in the opening half, heading to the shed with the score at 19-0.

"At 0-12 down, into the wind and rain, with 38 minutes gone, I thought we will still be in the game, then we gave away a turnover when we were about to score," said Mongalo, as per rugby365.

"They kicked the ball down the field that led to them going 19-0 up. Similarly, just after half-time we were on the front foot in their half, got a turnover again and they kicked it downfield and we got charged down.

"For me, that is where the game changed. Those two moments were massive moments.

"Either side of those moments I thought the guys fought really well. We asked them for effort, we asked them for physicality. They gave us effort, but they could have given us more physicality."

There was a pivotal moment in the second stanza when Kerron van Vuuren cashed over the whitewash, only for the turnover to be disallowed due to an offside.

"If the score was 14-24 with 20 to go and we got the wind and we got the rain then we would have backed ourselves," added Mongalo.

"But when they called us back after the conversion that was quite a physiological shot in the gut for us and we took a long time to get over it."