New Sharks attack coach Scott Mathie has revealed the “biggest thing” he wants to see from his team heading into Saturday’s URC opener against the Ospreys at Kings Park.
The 43-year-old has returned to Durban after a two-season stint as an attack coach at Edinburgh, where he worked under ex-Sharks head coach Sean Everitt.
The former Sharks scrumhalf, who previously coached Griquas and guided the New England Free Jacks to back-to-back Major League Rugby titles, has been tasked with getting the most out of a backline containing a mix of Springboks and emerging talent.
For Mathie, connection is at the heart of his attacking philosophy.
“I think as far as attack goes, the biggest thing for me is really making sure that we’re moving really well and we are connected as a team,” he told the media on Tuesday. “And I mean connected to the ball and connected to space.
“If we’re working really hard and we’re moving well around the field, then we’re able to connect ourselves to where the space is, and I think that’s the essence of attack, really.
“So that’s been a lot of our focus in the pre-season, making sure that we can access that space where it’s available.”
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But Mathie stressed that while the Sharks would look to play with pace and width, they wouldn’t be trying to move the ball at every opportunity.
“We know we have the ability to do it. It’s about making good decisions on when to access that space. And that does come with cohesion.
“It comes with an understanding, as backs I guess, of when to pull that trigger and when to take it to those spaces.
“The more training time we get, the more time we spend together around these things, the more discussions we have around that, the more we play together, that will improve.”
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Mathie has been particularly encouraged by the youngsters at his disposal, including flyhalf Vusi Moyo, centre Jurenzo Julius, winger Jaco Williams and fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya.
“To see the young talent is super exciting,” he said. “The guys have got exceptional ability.
“I think it’s our job to really be the custodians of their growth and really help them achieve their potential.
“When you look around at training and you’re seeing the explosivity and the speed that we’ve got in the backs, in particular with the youngsters, it’s a real honour to be in charge of helping them reach that.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
